It’s vital for small business owners in Ontario to be informed about the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to ensure workplace safety. SMEs actually have a legal obligation to abide by these regulations and actively keep their employees informed and supervised to guarantee that the expectations of the act are being met. OHSA was established and has been enforced by the Ontario Ministry of Labour. This legal framework provides small businesses with procedures to avoid everything from hazardous chemicals to preventing sexual harassment in the workplace.
OHSA applies to virtually all workers (including contractors and subcontractors) and small to medium-sized businesses in Ontario. There are different regulations based on business size, including:
SMEs with More than One Employee and Less than Six
As a business owner, you’re expected to understand and apply:
- General duties for a small business owner
- Workplace and health hazards
- Harmful products used in the business and obtain current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) per the WHIMS regulations
- Reporting workplace hazards and occupational-related illnesses, critical injuries, or death
- Enact a process to mitigate and manage health hazards
- Prepare an annual review and a workplace violence program and policy
- Health and safety posters must be displayed in English within the work location
- SDS for hazardous products used in the workplace must be listed
- Have a first aid kit for employees
Business owners must train based on the following:
- Workers and supervisors must be informed of standard health and safety awareness and keep an updated record
- If there are occupational hazards, staff must be trained on how to manage them
- For businesses registered with WSIB, the First Aid Regulation 1101 of the Workplace Safety Insurance Act (WSIA) expects you to have at least one worker trained in CPR
- Any employee that’s exposed to hazardous materials should receive instruction and proper training as per WHMIS and have it reviewed yearly.
- Provide employees with detailed instructions on how to prevent workplace violence and harassment
SMEs with More than Six Employees and Less than 20
As a business owner, you’re expected to understand and apply:
- General duties for a small business owner
- Workplace and health hazards
- Harmful products used in the business and obtain current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) per the WHIMS regulations
- Reporting workplace hazards and occupational-related illnesses, critical injuries, or death
- Assess workplace violence, and type of work issues and develop measures to protect employees from it by identifying risks.
- Advise the joint health and safety committee or health and safety representative of the measured results.
- The procedures must be part of the workplace violence program.
- Employees must select a Health and Safety representative who does not practice managerial methods. Their practices will be inspected monthly.
- Enact a process to mitigate and manage health hazards
- Prepare an annual review and a workplace violence program and policy
- Health and safety posters must be displayed in English within the work location
- SDS for hazardous products used in the workplace must be listed
- Have a first aid kit for employees
Business owners must train based on the following:
- Workers and supervisors must be informed of standard health and safety awareness and keep an updated record
- If there are occupational hazards, staff must be trained on how to manage them
- For businesses registered with WSIB, the First Aid Regulation 1101 of the Workplace Safety Insurance Act (WSIA) expects you to have at least one worker trained in CPR
- Any employee that’s exposed to hazardous materials should receive instruction and proper training as per WHMIS and have it reviewed yearly.
- Provide employees with detailed instructions on how to prevent workplace violence and harassment
SMEs with More than 20 Employees and Less than 50
As a business owner, you’re expected to understand and apply:
- General duties for a small business owner
- Workplace and health hazards
- Harmful products used in the business and obtain current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) per the WHIMS regulations
- Reporting workplace hazards and occupational-related illnesses, critical injuries, or death
- Assess workplace violence, and type of work issues and develop measures to protect employees from it by identifying risks.
- Advise the joint health and safety committee or health and safety representative of the measured results.
- The procedures must be part of the workplace violence program
- Have a Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) with at least one employee and management member.
- They are responsible for holding regular meetings and conducting workplace inspections, identifying risks, and providing recommendations to assess said risks.
- If the JHSC makes a recommendation, the business must respond to it in writing within 21 days.
- Employees must select a Health and Safety representative who does not practice managerial methods. Their practices will be inspected monthly.
- Enact a process to mitigate and manage health hazards
- Prepare an annual review and a workplace violence program and policy
- Emergency response information regarding employees with a disability
Business owners must train based on the following:
- Workers and supervisors must be informed of standard health and safety awareness and keep an updated record
- If there are occupational hazards, staff must be trained on how to manage them
- For businesses registered with WSIB, the First Aid Regulation 1101 of the Workplace Safety Insurance Act (WSIA) expects you to have at least one worker trained in CPR
- Any employee that’s exposed to hazardous materials should receive instruction and proper training as per WHMIS and have it reviewed yearly.
- Provide employees with detailed instructions on how to prevent workplace violence and harassment
- No-Smoking / Vaping signs at business entrances, exits, and washrooms per the Ontario Regulation 268/18
SMEs with More than 50 Employees
As a business owner, you’re expected to understand and apply:
- General duties for a small business owner
- Workplace and health hazards
- Harmful products used in the business and obtain current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) per the WHIMS regulations
- Reporting workplace hazards and occupational-related illnesses, critical injuries, or death
- Assess workplace violence, and type of work issues and develop measures to protect employees from it by identifying risks.
- Advise the joint health and safety committee or health and safety representative of the measured results.
- The procedures must be part of the workplace violence program
- Have a Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) with at least one employee and management member.
- They are responsible for holding regular meetings and conducting workplace inspections, identifying risks, and providing recommendations to assess said risks.
- If the JHSC makes a recommendation, the business must respond to it in writing within 21 days.
- Employees must select a Health and Safety representative who does not practice managerial methods. Their practices will be inspected monthly.
- Enact a process to mitigate and manage health hazards
- Prepare an annual review and a workplace violence program and policy
Business owners must train based on the following:
- Workers and supervisors must be informed of standard health and safety awareness and keep an updated record
- If there are occupational hazards, staff must be trained on how to manage them
- For businesses registered with WSIB, the First Aid Regulation 1101 of the Workplace Safety Insurance Act (WSIA) expects you to have at least one worker trained in CPR
- Any employee that’s exposed to hazardous materials should receive instruction and proper training as per WHMIS and have it reviewed yearly.
- Provide employees with detailed instructions on how to prevent workplace violence and harassment