IHSA monthly news & updates | |
| Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development news and events | | |
Construction health and safety program report
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development (MLITSD) puts together a report for the Provincial Labour-Management Health and Safety Committee every month with an overview of events, court bulletins, and statistics. This report is generally available the first week of the month and is posted on the IHSA website.
| | |
2025–2026 compliance campaigns
| | | |
Construction
From April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, MLITSD construction inspectors are focusing on health and safety hazards related to residential construction. This encompasses single-family residential construction (including residential re-roofing) and multi-family residential construction.
Inspectors are looking at all activities on residential projects, with a particular emphasis on issues that have been leading to more events and injuries (e.g., falls from heights, struck-bys, and same-level slips, trips, and falls).
IHSA is working closely with the MLITSD to provide resources and expert advice throughout the campaign. Please visit our consulting page to connect with a consultant in your area.
| | | |
Mining
From April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, MLITSD mining inspectors are focusing on health and safety hazards associated with slips, trips, and falls. To support this initiative, IHSA, Workplace Safety North (WSN), and the MLITSD collaborated to produce a webinar outlining the campaign’s industry focus and key areas of inspection. Additionally, IHSA and WSN highlighted available resources to assist employers in achieving compliance.
| | | |
Specialized professional service
The MLITSD also has two specialized professional service campaigns in 2025–2026: worker exposure to chemical agents in the workplace and WHMIS training based on the amended Hazardous Products Regulations. Both the education, outreach, and awareness efforts and the focused inspections are ongoing from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
IHSA is highlighting the following resources to help stakeholders achieve compliance during the year-long campaigns:
| | | Legislative updates and alerts | |
Read recent court bulletins related to health and safety
The MLITSD regularly releases court bulletins about health and safety issues, injuries, and fatalities. Visit its website to read the bulletins and find other news and information.
| | |
Working for Workers Seven Act - Bill 30 receives royal ascent
Schedule 4 of Bill 30 makes amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), including:
- Section 7.6.1 of the Act is amended to provide that health and safety management systems accredited under that section must be treated as equivalents.
- The Act is amended to provide for the reimbursement to certain employers of AED defibrillator costs.
- New Part IX.1 of the Act establishes an administrative penalty scheme. Inspectors are authorized to issue administrative penalty notices and may impose administrative penalties for contraventions of—or failures to comply with—the Act in amounts determined in accordance with the regulations.
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council is given authority to make regulations relating to the amendments.
| | |
MTO reduces restrictions on LCVs
Ontario has officially removed long weekend and holiday operating restrictions for Long Combination Vehicles (LCVs). This change aims to enhance efficiency in the trucking industry. Ministry of Transportation (MTO) staff has been working with Ontario Long Combination Vehicle (LCV) Program participants toward potential program changes.
The changes focus on program amendments:
- Removal of the 6(d) Holiday Restrictions from Ontario’s LCV Program Condition. As a permit condition, this “long weekend travel” restriction was removed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since not been applied to LCV carriers.
- Updating existing requirements for the Signage on Rear of LCVs Configuration specifications in the LCV Program Condition to align with Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.
For information on long combination vehicle program conditions, visit the Ministry of Transportation.
| | | | |
AED requirements for 2026
Starting January 1, 2026, an amendment to Ontario’s Regulation for Construction Projects (O. Reg. 213/91) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) will take effect, requiring automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on construction projects with 20 or more workers and an expected duration of three months or longer. The constructor must ensure the AED is Health Canada-licensed, maintained, and stored in a clearly labeled, accessible, and protected location. The regulation also mandates specific maintenance items be kept with the AED, and the government has proposed a reimbursement program to help with purchase costs.
| | |
OEA: Free WSIB webinars for employers
The Office of the Employer Adviser (OEA) provides expert legal services to Ontario employers on workplace safety and insurance matters. The OEA is hosting free webinars on topics related to the WSIB.
| | | | |
New Northern Rural and Remote Driving module now available
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has developed a new Northern Rural and Remote Driving interactive video to support road safety awareness and help educate drivers about the unique driving conditions in northern rural and remote communities in Ontario—and improve their ability to navigate these environments safely and responsibly.
| | |
Review and comment on a draft CSA standard on psychological health and safety in the workplace
CSA Group invites you and your organization to review and comment on the draft standard CSA Z1003: Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace—Prevention, Promotion, and Guidance (New Edition).
Log into the CSA's Public Review website to view the draft standard. You can submit electronic comments on any portion of the document by clicking the "Submit Comment" link at the bottom of the relevant section.
Comments must be submitted no later than December 16, 2025. All comments will be forwarded to CSA Staff and collected for consideration by members of the Z1003 Committee.
A series of public sessions will also be held. Registration is required.
| |
IHSA eLearning courses—FREE until the end of 2025
To help your business finish this year strong, healthy, and safe, IHSA has made our complete eLearning library available free of charge until December 31, 2025.
IHSA's eLearning options cover a wide range of topics critical to safe work in all of the industries we serve.
| | |
Last chance to win FREE IHSA consulting
IHSA offers safe-work courses at our training centres throughout Ontario. But if you can’t come to us, IHSA will come to you. Every year, we deliver “At Customer Facility” (ACF) training to thousands of workers right at their workplaces.
Companies booking 2026 ACF sessions by December 31, 2025, can enter to win one of 25 days of free IHSA consulting—choosing services like jobsite reviews, health and safety audits, or worker evaluations.
| | | | | |
Occupational Disease committee launches new manual: Preventing exposures to occupational health hazards (M077)
This manual can help workplace parties on construction projects comply with the Regulation for the Control of Exposure to Biological and Chemical Agents (R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 833).
It provides guidance for assessing and controlling exposures to biological and chemical agents, including air monitoring, the hierarchy of controls, and the use of personal protective equipment.
This manual was developed, reviewed, and endorsed by the Occupational Disease and Research Labour-Management Health and Safety Committee in association with IHSA.
| | | | |
New bulletin: Inspection of telehandler axles (W464)
A telehandler is a type of lift truck with an extendable boom that's commonly used in Ontario’s construction industry. It's essential to inspect the telehandler before use to ensure its safe operation and prevent workplace incidents.
Use this bulletin to learn more about telehandler safety, including the cause of some recent near-miss events, the legal requirements for workplace parties, and recommendations for inspecting the axle assembly.
| | |
Latest podcast episodes available
The IHSA Safety Podcast is a free podcast that seeks to improve the lives of workers in Ontario. Listen to the latest episode now:
| | |
Latest YouTube episodes available
IHSA's video safety talks are a FREE resource that seeks to improve the lives of workers in Ontario. Watch the latest episodes now:
-
Building a culture of care in the workplace: Employers and Supervisors have a duty to protect the health and safety of workers, which is why reporting incidents in a timely manner is crucial. Watch the video
-
The difference between a competent person and a competent worker: Get a better understanding of how these separate roles are defined by the OHSA and the responsibilities that each is given. Watch the video
| | |
WSIB consultation on occupational noise-induced hearing loss
From November 10, 2025, to January 30, 2026, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is conducting a public consultation related to occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The WSIB invites feedback from businesses, people who are ill or injured, trade and labour organizations, health professionals, and other interested members of the public.
The Consultation Draft of the NIHL Policy includes the following notable updates:
- Moving to 26.25 dB loss as the minimum threshold for initial entitlement to align with permanent impairment requirements.
- Removing the presbycusis (aging) deduction factor.
- Clarifying that the noise exposure threshold (NET) in the NIHL Policy is 90 dBA exposure for five years, or the equivalent, to streamline decision making.
Policy guidance has been incorporated or clarified in several areas, such as:
- Hearing assessment requirements
- Asymmetrical hearing loss
- Use of hearing protective devices
- Non-economic loss (NEL) benefits for NIHL
- Tinnitus
| | |
2026 mental health event focuses on peer support
The Power of Peer Support is an upcoming 2026 national conference in Ottawa aimed at highlighting peer support as a recognized national best practice across workplaces, communities, and health care systems. By bringing together frontline peer support experts, leaders, and researchers, we will accelerate the adoption of evidence-based, peer support solutions that profoundly transform mental health care delivery in Canada. Learn more and register for the event.
| | |
Safety news from here and abroad
| | |
What's new
Stay updated on current news from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development.
| | | |
Fleet Safety Council and transportation-related news
Access monthly updates, news, and events from the Fleet Safety Council and the transportation industry that IHSA supports.
| | | |
WSIB@WORK newsletter
Access the WSIB's quarterly email newsletter to get the latest information, or visit the archive page to read past issues.
| | | | | |
Happy holidays from IHSA
The board and staff of the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.
As we look ahead to 2026, IHSA remains committed to ensuring that every Ontario worker returns home safe and healthy to their loved ones at the end of the day.
IHSA's offices and training facilities will be closed from the close of business on December 23, 2025 and will reopen on January 2, 2026.
| | | | | |
