Ontario’s occupational health and safety system

The Ontario government has a long-standing tradition of protecting worker health and safety. The Ministry of Labour’s mandate, together with the system partners, is to serve all workers and employers under provincial jurisdiction across Ontario.

Each system partner has specific roles and responsibilities:

• Ministry of Labour: legislation, enforcement and prevention
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB): workers’ compensation and return to work supports (funding of the system through a portion of employer premiums)
• six Health and Safety Associations (HSAs): training, consulting and clinical services for workers and employers.

The province’s six health and safety associations include:

Four sector-focused safe workplace associations:

• Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA)
• Public Service Health and Safety Association (PSHSA)
• Workplace Safety North (WSN)
• Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS)

A medical clinic:

• Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

A training centre:

• Workers Health and Safety Centre (WHSC).

In addition, many other groups and organizations contribute to, or increase, our capacity to deliver prevention services such as:

• workers
• employers
• labour organizations, unions and training centres
• business and industry associations
• research organizations
• non-governmental organizations
• other ministries and levels of government
• private occupational health and safety service providers
• community colleges

The health and safety system in Ontario

Workers

The entire system is focused on supporting workers and keeping them safe.

Occupational health and safety system partners

These partners are part of the core system of occupational health and safety in Ontario. Each partner has a unique role to play in implementing the integrated occupational health and safety strategy.

Supporting occupational health and safety system partners

These groups play an important role in supporting the occupational health and safety system by sharing information and best practices and providing programs and services to workers and workplaces.

These groups all play an important role in supporting the system by sharing information and best practices, and by providing programs and services to workers and workplaces.