An Ontario Manufacturer Focus

The Heat is On

Working in the heat adds to the risks already lurking in the shadows of your workplace. With higher temperatures, a worker’s internal body temperature has the potential to reach dangerous levels that could lead to heat exhaustion or even worse – heat stroke. Your best defence is to implement a heat stress management plan and provide training to workers to ensure that they understand the consequences. Monitor the temperature in your facility, provide water, a cool place to take a break, add some fans and an option for workers to pull back the reins if they start to feel the effects of the heat. Let’s all try to keep our cool.

Facts and Figures

In May, EMC hosted Dr. Joel Moody, Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer with the Ministry of Labour, at an event in Cambridge. Dr. Moody talked about the challenges and opportunities facing businesses when it comes to implementing and maintaining a sound health and safety program. It is the goal of the Chief Prevention Office to identify the gaps and deliver programs to address these gaps. Their objectives for 2024 are:

• Build and use the best evidence to target initiatives, measure performance, and increase system oversight.
• Improve OHS knowledge and practices.
• Support workplace parties to fulfill their OHS roles and responsibilities and achieve excellence.
• Make OHS easier for small businesses.

Legal Beagle

The Ministry of Labour announced its 2024 – 2025 health and safety initiatives campaign whereby they target workplaces that have hazards they want to address. There are three areas of focus for the industrial sector although one (Manual Material Handling) has a very wide scope.

Manual Material Handling

This year-long enforcement campaign asks inspectors to visit various sectors where fatalities and critical injuries are taking place. The focus will be on workplaces where materials, articles or things are lifted, carried, or moved, and put workers at risk of being injured by their movement.

Inspectors will focus on the following key priorities:

• lifting devices/mobile equipment/cranes
• workplace layout and design
• manual material handling
• storage systems
• automation
• machine guarding, blocking and lockout
• training and orientation provided by the employer (for example, supervisor and worker awareness training)
• internal responsibility system (for example, joint health and safety committee/health and safety representation)

MLITSD Material Handling Resources

Worker Exposure to Chemical Agents in the Workplace

Occupational diseases are the leading cause of worker deaths. Every year, there are approximately four times more deaths from occupational disease than traumatic fatalities. Exposure to hazardous chemical agents in the workplace may result in the worker developing an occupational illness. Identifying, assessing and controlling these exposures will help lower the risk of workers developing an occupational disease.

MLITSD hygienists will conduct proactive inspections to ensure compliance with R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 833, Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents in all workplaces where this regulation applies. More specifically, MLITSD hygienists will ensure that workers are not exposed to hazardous substances exceeding the occupational exposure limits.

The inspections will involve assessing worker exposures to hazardous chemical agents by reviewing work processes, observing work practices, evaluating control measures, and reviewing exposure data. In some cases, air sampling for hazardous chemical agents may be required to assess exposures and ensure that workers are adequately protected.

Occupational Exposure Limits OHCOW Occupational Exposure Resources

WHMIS training based on the amended Hazardous Products Regulations

The federal Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) requires suppliers of hazardous products to provide safety data sheets (SDS) and ensure that the containers of the products are properly labelled. The HPR was amended in December 2022 to include changes in hazard classifications and information elements in the SDS. There is a three-year transition period for suppliers to comply, during which time workplaces will begin to receive updated safety data sheets and labels for their hazardous products. This will require retraining of workers on WHMIS so that they understand the changes in the SDS and labels.

MLITSD hygienists will conduct proactive inspections to ensure compliance with R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 860, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) in all workplaces where this regulation applies. More specifically, MLITSD hygienists will determine if retraining on WHMIS will be required depending on whether the hazardous products in the workplace have labels and safety data sheets that are compliant with the amended Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR). This will ensure that workers understand the hazards associated with the products they work with, and that they take the necessary measures and procedures to prevent injuries and hazardous exposures.

WHMIS Guide OHCOW Occupational Disease Resources CCOHS Chemical Safety Poster

Temporary Agencies

Finally, a quick reminder that the MLITSD’s requirement for Temporary Agencies and Recruiters to register and be approved is in effect as of July 1st, 2024. Failure to comply can result in fines starting at $15000 for a first offence, $25000 for a second offence and $50000 for a third offence within a three-year period. Here is a link to the MLITSD’s registry database: MLITSD Temporary Agency Database

The Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEP)

Smaller Business Initiatives Additional incentives for businesses with less than 100 employees (double rebates and $1000 toward membership fees) runs until December 2025. However, you need to have an action plan approved no later than December 31, 2024. WSIB will announce in the fall their new smaller business plan.

New Requirement Effective January 1, 2025, the WSIB is removing the option to select topics based on a significant gap in effectiveness or significant change in the workplace. Any topic that is selected must be “new” to your workplace, which means that you do not have an approved policy/procedure or standard operating procedure in place related to that topic.

Also, keep in mind that with the changes the WSIB made regarding the Control of Hazard topic last summer, you are required to implement at least one new control measure. The WSIB requires that you complete a Hierarchy of Controls assessment for each hazard topic, which will help you identify the control measures that you need to have in place.

Stay Connected

Your EMC health and safety team is available virtually, by phone or in person. Connect with us to have a chat about your health and safety plan and how it might fit with HSEP. We are here to help guide your journey.

Kelly Killby Environment, Health and Safety Professional Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium kkillby@emccanada.org