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, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development (MLITSD) construction inspectors will focus on health and safety hazards related to residential construction. IHSA will work closely with the Ministry to provide resources and expert advice throughout the campaign. Continue to read this newsletter for details.
Falls are a major cause of injury and death in Ontario workplaces, and the vast majority of these incidents are workers falling from heights. It is important that all workplace parties do their part to keep themselves and everyone they work with healthy and safe.
Workers and employers in residential construction, along with IHSA and the MLITSD, conducted a root-cause analysis of why construction workers in residential roofing fall while working at heights. This document identifies the top ten causes based on that analysis.
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Mining
From April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, MLITSD mining inspectors will focus on identifying 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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Specialized professional service
There are 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 will occur from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
To help stakeholders achieve compliance during the year-long campaigns, IHSA is highlighting the following resources:
| | | Legislative updates and alerts | |
Read recent court bulletins related to health and safety
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development (MLITSD) regularly releases court bulletins relating to health and safety issues, injuries, and fatalities. Visit the MLITSD website to read these bulletins, along with other news and information.
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Expanding labour mobility for certified workers from other Canadian jurisdictions through "As of Right"
A consultation, posted June 20, has opened under the Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009. This consultation seeks input on the proposed regulations to implement "As of Right" rules for regulated occupations under the Act. The proposals aim to eliminate barriers to interprovincial labour mobility and reduce administrative burden.
Comments are due by July 4, 2025.
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Working for Workers Seven Act (Bill 30) ordered for Second Reading
Bill 30, known as the Working for Workers Seven Act, has been ordered for Second Reading. The house will take it up again when the new session begins in September. The bill covers a number of areas:
- Requiring automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on construction projects with 20 or more workers that are expected to last three months or longer. To support businesses with the initial costs for compliance, a program through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) would reimburse constructors for the purchase of an AED.
- Creating the authority to require public infrastructure project owners, constructors and employers to treat Chief Prevention Officer-accredited health and safety management systems (HSMSs) as equivalent in procurement processes.
- Establishing the authority to create a new general Administrative Monetary Penalty regime under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to help enforce the new Chief Prevention Officer-accredited HSMS requirements and strengthen overall workplace safety enforcement.
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NCSO®/NHSA™ seminar registration now open
Effective communication is a critical skill for NCSOs and NHSAs in ensuring safety and collaboration on worksites. This one-hour seminar on September 26 will explore the fundamentals of communication and provide practical tools to enhance your skills.
Join IHSA to refine your communication abilities and learn how to convey safety-critical information with confidence and clarity.
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Revised Supervisor Log Book now available
A competent supervisor keeps a personal and professional record of daily events on the jobsite. IHSA’s Supervisor Log Book makes it easier for you to organize this information.
Designed with safety in mind, the 2025 Supervisor Log Book includes daily log templates, safety talks, inspection checklists, a job safety analysis form, a due diligence checklist, and other essential resources.
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Safety talk videos
A safety talk is a hands-on way to remind workers that health and safety matter every day on the site. Our safety talk videos make it easy for you to share information on hazards and appropriate controls.
The latest videos, available on our YouTube channel, include:
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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:
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Heat stress FAQs from IHSA
Need to access some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) when it comes to heat stress? IHSA has created a thorough FAQ page to help you get the answers you need.
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Heat stress resources and toolkit
When it is this hot, it is important to keep in mind the hazards workers can face when working outdoors. While hot weather is great when you are relaxing at home, it can become a serious health hazard at work.
IHSA has a variety of heat-related safety resources. We also provide access to the Heat Stress Toolkit, created last year by the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety & Health (CROSH) and the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc. (OHCOW).
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CSA Z248 tower crane standard under review
The Canadian Standards Association's (CSA) CSA Z248: Code for Tower Cranes is currently under review and open for feedback until August 5.
CSA Z248 applies to the design, characteristics, construction, installation, dismantling, operation, inspection, testing, and maintenance of tower cranes.
To make a comment or to read the draft, visit the draft review section of the CSA website.
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WSN posts alert of a fatal loss affecting safety and health
Workplace Safety North (WSN) was informed of a worker fatality that occurred at a mine site in Red Lake, Ontario. While details have not been confirmed, it appears that stored energy may have been a factor.
Following lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures and effectively isolating energy sources is critical to preventing the release of hazardous energy during routine and non-routine tasks. These steps protect workers from serious injuries or fatalities and ensure compliance with safety regulations. Subsection 185(7) of the Regulation for Mines and Mining Plants (R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 854) stipulates that stored energy must be dissipated or contained and that energy isolating devices are engaged, locked, and tagged when work is conducted on a machine. Subsections 185(8) and (9) provide further requirements for successful LOTO verification.
Strict adherence to LOTO procedures safeguards personnel and equipment. WSN encourages workplaces across Ontario to reflect on this hazard and remind workers of the precautions they must take when working with stored energy. A series of free resources can be found on WSN’s Resources Hub webpage. For more information on legislation addressing this particular hazard in mining operations, consult Section 185 from the Regulation for Mines and Mining Plants (R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 854). Additional information is available on the workplace health and safety webpage of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development's website.
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New IWH study seeks workplace parties who provide support to workers
A new study is looking to interview people with experience supporting workers to learn more about how changes in Canadian workplaces have affected support for workers with chronic health conditions.
Over the past several years, a great deal has changed in Canadian workplaces–COVID-19 and hybrid work, a greater emphasis on equity, diversity, and inclusion and psychosocial work environments, cannabis legalization, and substance use issues. Researchers at the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) are interested in understanding how these changes may have affected how organizations provide support to their workers with chronic and episodic health conditions.
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CISWP survey seeks input
The Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness, and Performance (CISWP) is conducting a Canada-wide survey to learn how organizations like yours attract, accommodate, and support people working in the skilled trades who have disabilities.
Why participate? Because your experience can shape solutions that make the skilled trades more accessible and inclusive.
This survey is open to all Canadian human resources professionals and is intended to help improve workplace inclusion and accessibility.
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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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