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.
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2025–2026 compliance campaigns
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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.
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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.
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MHSP campaign 2026–2027: lockout/tagout in focus
From April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, Mining Health and Safety Program (MHSP) inspectors will be focusing on ensuring that mining employers:
- Comply with Reg. 854, sections 158, 159, 185, and 196, which require energy sources to be de-energized, locked out, and tagged before any equipment work.
- Ensure workers are trained in lockout/tagout procedures, and that lockout devices are properly installed and used.
- Implement effective measures and procedures when workers are required to perform live work.
This campaign is part of ongoing efforts to keep mining workplaces safe and prevent incidents. IHSA will provide updates as more information becomes available.
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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.
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Province warns of fraudulent working at heights training cards
The MLITSD has published an alert regarding invalid working at heights training cards being issued by companies that are not approved to provide training.
Employers and workers should be careful of fraudulent training providers who may accept fees and issue cards despite not providing valid training.
Learn more.
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Free virtual leadership sessions available in February
The Toronto Regional Labour-Management Health and Safety Committee is hosting a free virtual workshop on workplace leadership, culture, and performance. Participants can attend the two-hour session on one of four dates: February 9, 13, 20, or 23.
Learn more about these sessions or register online.
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Toronto committee hosts full-day, in-person behavioural science and leadership workshop
Join the Toronto Labour-Management Health and Safety Committee at its full-day workshop on behavioural science and leadership.
The interactive workshop on March 5, 2026, explores how to leverage behavioural science and safety excellence to enhance organizational culture, strengthen leadership, and improve overall performance.
Designed for executives, project managers, superintendents, frontline supervisors, health and safety professionals, JHSC members, and worker representatives, the event features a variety of practical activities—with lessons that can have an immediate impact at your workplace.
Learn more about this event.
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Best practices for safe winter driving
Driving in winter is hazardous for all road users, but particularly for drivers of large commercial vehicles—who are often required to work in poor weather conditions to meet shipments, schedules, and supply chain demands. IHSA’s five-part video series on safe winter driving equips truck drivers with the strategies they need to navigate winter roads safely and confidently.
Watch the videos and drive safely this winter.
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Spring into safety: Refresh your site’s health and safety practices
Spring start-up is the perfect time to offer health and safety refreshers at your jobsite. Some suggested topics include slips, trips and falls, lockout/tagout, equipment inspections, traffic management, ground and site stability, and worker training.
Employers are also encouraged to review hazard assessments, near misses, and incident trends to identify site-specific priorities to be included in the spring start-up.
Use these free resources to support a safe season:
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IHSA: Safety talks, videos on dump truck safety, competent worker versus competent person and more → Free resources
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WSN: Mining safety guidelines, talks, posters → Mining resources
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OSSGA: Industry health and safety information → OSSGA safety
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Bulletin for Managing Risk When Moving and Placing a Mobile Home (W061)
Mobile homes are commonly used across Ontario. Moving and placing these structures onto cribbing supports is complex and requires careful planning and safe work procedures.
Use this bulletin to learn more about cribbing failure hazards, safe work practices, controls, and applicable sections of the Regulation for Construction Projects.
Download W061.
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Lifting with Excavators Guideline (W463)
Excavators are one of the most common and versatile pieces of equipment on construction projects. Use IHSA's new guideline to:
- Learn more about the hazards of using excavators for lifting operations and the best practices for controlling these hazards
- Understand the standards for operator competency
- Discover more trusted health and safety resources for excavators
IHSA would like to thank the members of the Demolition Sector Labour-Management Committee for contributing their knowledge, experience, and time to the preparation of this guideline.
Download W463.
| | | Occupational health/ergonomics/mental health news | |
Mental health event focuses on peer support
From May 12 to 14, 2026, The Power of Peer Support national conference in Ottawa will highlight peer support as a method for advancing mental health across workplaces, communities, and health care systems. Featuring frontline peer-support experts, leaders, and researchers, the event aims to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based peer support solutions to help transform mental health care delivery in Canada.
Learn more about this event.
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Virtual event to highlight current safety research projects
The MLITSD and WSIB are hosting a virtual Research Day event on February 12 to highlight research focused on the use of emerging technology to assess and prevent workplace injuries.
Register for the online event.
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OHCOW hosts webinar series for Repetitive Strain Injury Day
The Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) is hosting its free annual international event focused on musculoskeletal disorders and their prevention. OHCOW’s RSI Day program will again be held virtually as a four-week webinar series throughout February.
Learn more.
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New IWH resource to help companies hiring immigrant workers
Supervisors, managers, and small business owners play a key role in supporting the safety of immigrant workers. Although many face challenges around safely integrating immigrants into their workplaces, others have developed strategies to overcome workers' language difficulties. The results of a study by the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) details some of these strategies and considerations, as shared by employers and other study participants.
Access the Immigrant workers and language diversity at work resources.
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Safety news from here and abroad
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What's new
Stay updated on current news from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development.
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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.
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WSIB@WORK newsletter
Access the WSIB's quarterly email newsletter to get the latest information, or visit the archive page to read past issues.
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