Tips for Small Businesses

According to Stats Canada small businesses (under 100 workers) employ 75% or 2.9 million workers in Ontario.   However, many small businesses lack the resources to have a full-time health and safety person on staff, so the quality of health and safety their worker places have varies greatly.  This can lead to hazards going unchecked, accidents and rising WSIB claims and premiums.

Ministry of Labour Blitzing Storage & Material Handling

From now until October 26th the Ministry will be visiting plants, factories and other industrial sector workplaces ensuring employers are taking appropriate actions to assess and address possible hazards.  The focus will be on material handling involving activities related to loading, unloading, storage and movement of goods and supplies in workplaces.

Inspectors are checking workplaces for compliance with the Ontario Health and Safety Act and it's regulations.  Inspectors will be focusing on if employers have:

Ministry of Labour says size of company doesn't matter

 Excavation company's due diligence defence  rejected and they are convicted of  OHS violations.  The court observed that there appeared to have been a presumption that once oral instructions were conveyed, they would be understood and complied with by workers.  But there was no evidence whether any steps were made to ensure that anyone working for the company understood the instructions.  Although the company was small, it required a system and process for establishing appropriate written OHS policies and procedures, communicating them, monitoring them and enforcing them.

Ministry of Labour targeting small business

Ministry of Labour issued over 4000 orders in their latest blitz of small businesses.   Small businesses have all responsibilities to keep their workers safe as large businesses.  

Of those orders over 900 were for businesses not having workplace harassment and violence policies.  Another 800 were for not having the proper worker postings and 300 for not having and supporting a worker health and safety rep.

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