The following section addresses the Ministry of Labour’s legal obligations under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.E.9, and its associated Order in Council (OIC), O.C. 1157/2009.

Description

The Ministry of Labour, along with other Ontario ministries, has adopted comprehensive emergency management programs.

These are based on a risk management approach that includes activities in the five core components of emergency management:

  • prevention
  • mitigation
  • preparedness
  • response and
  • recovery.

The purpose is to ensure that a proactive, co-ordinated and comprehensive approach to managing emergencies is in place to reduce significant risks faced by Ontario communities.

Implementation of emergency management programs will ultimately:

  • save lives and money
  • protect property, public health and the environment
  • maintain economic stability and
  • help assure the continuance of critical infrastructure.

This will be achieved by:

  • preventing some emergencies from occurring
  • lessening the frequency and severity of others and
  • speeding recovery.

The result will be a province comprising safe, secure and disaster-resilient communities.

Provincial ministries and municipalities are required to:

  • develop, implement and maintain a comprehensive emergency management program and
  • adopt standards for these programs based on the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

This requirement ensures a consistent, accountable and robust system of emergency management is established throughout the province.

Ministry of Labour emergency management program

The Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.E.9, and its associated Order in Council (OIC), O.C. 1157/2009:

  • provides the authority for the Ontario government to prepare for and respond to emergencies in order to protect public health, safety, welfare and property in Ontario
  • requires all ministers to develop an emergency plan for continuity of operations and services and
  • requires ministers to develop specific emergency plans for the management of the type of responsibilities assigned by the OIC.

An OIC has been assigned to the Ministry of Labour for responsibilities around “any emergency that affects worker health and safety.” The SPS Unit is responsible for developing an Emergency Response Plan for this additional OIC.

The Ministry of Labour Emergency Response Plan for 2017−18, in addition to policy and legislated requirements noted above, includes these activities:

  • Review and update the Ministry of Labour Emergency Response Plan and organize it to improve information access. The plan will be amended to complement any changes in provincial emergency management plans.
  • Engagement of ministries by the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management , which will coordinate a review of emergency management elements of a provincial nature. The goal is to develop a set of community best practices.
  • Provide support to the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre to reinforce worker safety requirements during emergency events, such as the James Bay flooding, nuclear emergencies and forest fire response.