Description

Ministry of Labour (MOL) engineers provide engineering support to ministry inspectors during inspections and investigations involving complex engineering issues. The key health and safety focus for engineering services is workplace safety hazards.

Employers continue to face demands to introduce new and advanced technologies owed in part to the competitive global economy and constant technological advancement in manufacturing, mining, health care and construction.

Ministry enforcement staff will continue to encounter new and changing technologies with complex engineering principles. The expertise of SPS engineers is used to address any associated health and safety risks.

MOL engineers are also involved in updating regulatory requirements to account for changes in technology and methodology so that workers are adequately protected from new hazards introduced into the workplace.

Engineering-related health and safety hazards

Field engineers take part in the Safe At Work Ontario initiative by responding to inspectors’ requests for professional support that arise from proactive inspections.

In 2017-2018 this support may involve:

  • electrical hazards on construction sites
  • mobile cranes and material hoisting
  • concrete forming
  • materials handling in industry
  • industrial machinery
  • racking and mezzanine structure
  • chemical exposure
  • mobile equipment
  • material tramming in underground and surface mines
  • safe work practices in mine plants
  • remote mucking in underground mines.

The work plan outlines the key issues and initiatives for the enforcement of the engineering sections in the regulations for Industrial Establishments, Construction Projects, Health Care and Residential Facilities and Mines and Mining Plants. It provides guidance regarding visits by field engineers for specific sectors and priority safety hazards as well as their participation in special projects related to the enforcement of regulations or for completing investigations.

Engineering inspection focus

MOL inspectors enforce the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations at workplaces across the province.

As part of the Safe At Work Ontario strategy, inspectors also focus on specific sectors with:

  • high injury rates
  • a history of non-compliance and
  • specific workplace hazards.

Engineers take part in Safe At Work Ontario activities by responding to inspectors’ requests for professional support that arise from proactive inspections. In 2017-2018, SPS engineers may:

  • participate in proactive inspections
  • participate in regional inspection initiatives
  • review engineering reports
  • conduct workplace inspections to determine compliance with Pre-Start Health and Safety Review (PSR) requirements
  • scope work, review reports, interpret results and prepare engineering reports
  • participate in investigating fatalities, critical injuries, work refusals and complaints
  • assist in developing inspector guidance material for blitzes
  • assist in developing hazard alerts
  • develop training material for the structural assessment of buildings and infrastructure.

In 2017-2018, mining engineers with the assistance of mining inspectors will be conducting engineering reviews of ground control, water management and ventilation programs in underground mines in Northern Region. These reviews will serve a three-fold purpose:

  1. to enable the MOL to determine industry status at this point in time (a baseline);
  2. to educate the industry on best practices and MOL expectations;
  3. to provide specific guidance/direction to mines where inadequate controls are in place.

Engineers support Safe At Work Ontario blitzes by providing guidance materials and checklists to help ministry inspectors accurately identify hazards.

The engineering work resulting from the inspection focus of the general inspectorate during 2017-2018 Safe At Work Ontario inspections is outlined as follows.

Engineering work in the industrial sector:

  • fall protection
  • guarding
  • use and failure of lifting devices
  • lockout
  • design and construction of mezzanine structures

Engineering work in the construction sector:

  • fall protection
  • scaffolding
  • roofing
  • forming
  • mobile equipment

Engineering work in the mining sector:

  • ground control stability
  • hoisting plants
  • electronic controls
  • control systems
  • water management

Engineering work in the health care sector:

  • power plant hazards including in-running nip, crushing and entanglement hazards
  • storage and racking
  • loading docks