Ontario Government Launches Summer Safety Blitz to Protect Workers
LONDON —The Ontario Government is working with employers to keep new and young workers safe by launching targeted inspections focused on the safety of summer students. The inspections follow months of outreach to businesses by the Ministry of Labour to educate and assist them in creating safe workplaces.
“New workers are three times more likely to be injured during their first month on the job,” said Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton. “That’s why we’re doing this. Families should expect that when their sons and daughters go to work each day, they’ll come home safely.”
Inspectors will focus on workplaces that are newly registered with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and haven’t had a proactive health and safety visit in the last five years. The focus for inspections will be on retail, restaurant, food, beverage, hospitality and recreational services. The blitz will run until August 30, 2019.
“After months of working together with businesses to get them ready, the inspections are beginning today,” said McNaughton. “We want to ensure they’re compliant.”
The Ministry of Labour is committed to improving workplace health and safety in Ontario by helping employers comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), including through its Safe At Work Ontario strategy.
Quick Facts
- New workers are those who have been on the job less than six months, or who have been reassigned to a new job. Young workers are those under the age of 25.
- Workers new to a job are three times more likely to get hurt during their first month on the job. New hires, temporary workers, and workers assigned new jobs are at increased risk of being hurt on the job.
- In 2018, Ministry of Labour inspectors conducted a similar blitz, during which time they conducted 2,321 field visits, visited 1,901 workplaces, and issued 7,675 orders and requirements under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations, including 116 stop work orders.
SOURCE Province of Ontario
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