A safe and healthy workplace is everyone's responsibility.

As an employer, you have legal responsibilities and must take all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of your workers. As an employee, you are expected to comply with safety regulations and report any hazards or defective equipment.

This section will provide you with the resources you need to "get started" on the path to health and safety. You can order or download an item by clicking the product image or title.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires every workplace with more than five employees to have a written health & safety policy and a program to implement that policy. Whether you need to develop a new policy and program or update your existing one, you will find helpful resources and sample documents in the Health & Safety Policy and Program section of the website.

Products

BASIC-KIT – Basic Starter's Kit

Contains everything you need to get started right, including material you are required by law to have on site.

B045 – Contractor's Toolkit

Helps firms develop or upgrade their health and safety progam to comply with legal requirements. Includes sample health and safety policies, practices, and responsibilities.

IHSA Health and Safety Catalogue (IHSA002)

A comprehensive list of the products, training, auditing and consulting services we offer, along with descriptions, images, and order forms.

Q005 - OHS Act and Construction Regs

The Ocupational Health & Safety Act and Construction Regs covers Ontario's health and safety legislation relevant to the construction industry. It must be posted on site.

V005 – Safety Talks Manual

Covers a wide variety of safety topics for the construction industry and helps reinforce accident prevention on the job.

Posters

P041 – Joint Health & Safety/Worker Trades Poster

If a Joint Health and Safety Committee or Worker Trades Committee is required on your site, you are legally obligated to identify the members by name, trade and employer.

P085 – In Case of Injury At Work Poster

The WSIB's "In Case of Injury At Work" Poster outlines the steps that should be taken to report an accident. It is legally required to be posted on site.

P022 – Danger Due To Poster

You are legally required to post danger signs in hazardous areas. Several versions are available, including this general poster which can be amended for any situation. Weather- resistant plastic.

P029 – Health and Safety Rep Poster

If a Health and Safety Representative is required on your site, you are legally obligated to identify the rep by name, trade and employer.

P103 – Emergency Response Poster

You are legally required to have written emergency procedures posted on site. Use this poster to supply important information in case of an emergency.

P042 – Fall Protection Poster

Tie Off Poster You are not legally required to display this poster, but falls are the leading cause of fatal accidents in Ontario construction. Free to members. UV- and Weather-resistant.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Am I a member of IHSA?

Answer: You are automatically a member of IHSA if you are employed with a firm that pays premiums to the WSIB in Ontario in one of the following rate groups:

• 134 – Aggregates
• 497 – Ready-Mix Concrete
• 551 – Air Transport Industries
• 553 – Air Transport Services
• 560 – Warehousing
• 570 – General Trucking
• 577 – Courier
• 580 – Miscellaneous Transportation
• 584 – School Buses
• 681 – Lumber/Builders Supply
• 689 – Waste Materials Recycling
• 704 – Electrical and Incidental Construction
• 707 – Mechanical and Sheet Metal
• 711 – Road Building and Excavation
• 719 – Inside Finishing
• 723 – ICI Construction
• 728 – Roofing
• 732 – Heavy Civil Construction
• 737 – Millwrighting and Welding
• 741 – Masonry
• 748 – Formwork and Demolition
• 751 – Siding and Outside Finishing
• 764 – Homebuilding
• 830 – Power and Telecommunication Lines
• 833 – Electric Power Generation
• 835 – Oil, Power and Water Distribution
• 838 – Natural Gas Distribution

IHSA members are entitled to receive our products and training courses at a reduced price, many of them free of charge. To confirm your membership status, please contact our Customer Service Department.

Phone: (416) 674-2726 x4104 Toll Free: 1-800-781-2726 Fax: (416) 674-8866

2. Which items are legally required to be posted in the workplace?

Answer: Construction employers are required by law to have the following items posted in the workplace:

• Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations for Construction Projects (Q005 available from IHSA)
• Company's Health and Safety Policy
• Any Ministry of Labour (MOL) inspector’s orders and reports
• Written emergency procedure (refer to Emergency Response Planning [B030] and Emergency Response Poster [P103] available from IHSA)
• WSIB poster on how to report injuries (P085 available from IHSA)
• MOL notification form if the project is valued at more than $50,000 or falls under one of the other conditions in Section 6 of the construction regulation (Ontario Regulation 213/91)
• Address and phone number of nearest MOL office
• DANGER signs in hazardous areas (P022 available from IHSA)
• Location of toilet facilities
• Valid certificate of first aider on duty
• Name, trade, and employer of Health and Safety Rep or Joint Health and Safety Committee members, if applicable. (See P029 or P041 available from IHSA)

3. What training am I required to have to work in Ontario construction?

• Answer: It is the duty of an employer to "provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health or safety of the worker." (Section 25(2)(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act)
• Specific training requirements depend on the type of construction work you do and the types of hazards you face on a site. Download the Training Requirements Chart for a list of all required training in Ontario.
• Every worker should receive Fall Protection (Working at Heights) and WHMIS training, since there is the possibility that they may be exposed to a falling hazard or a hazardous substance.
• For the legal requirements of Fall Protection training, refer to Section 26 of the Construction Regulations.
• For the legal requirements of WHMIS training, refer to Section 42 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Sections 6-7 of the WHMIS Regulation.

4. Do I need a Joint Health and Safety Committee on my construction project?

• Answer: The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires a Joint Health and Safety Committee of at least two (2) members on any construction project where either of the conditions below applies:
• Where between twenty (20) and forty-nine (49) workers are regularly employed and the project is expected to last more than three (3) months.
• Where contractors maintain shops in which the workforce regularly exceeds twenty (20).
• At a workplace, other than a construction project, in which the workforce is fewer than twenty (20) but a regulation concerning designated substances applies.
• At a workplace to which the regulation concerning toxic substances applies.

On projects with fifty (50) or more workers lasting more than three (3) months, a Joint Health and Safety Committee of at least four (4) members must be established. At least one worker and one management representative on the committee must be 'certified' by the WSIB by completing certain training courses.

On projects with fifty (50) or more workers lasting more than three (3) months, the Joint Health and Safety Committee can establish a Worker Trades Committee made up of at least one worker representative from each trade at the workplace. This committee would report to the JHSC regarding health and safety concerns of the workers in each trade.

(For more information, download the Health and Safety Representatives and Committee Requirements chart from our Construction Health and Safety Manual.)

5. Do I need a Health and Safety Representative on my construction project?

Answer: The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires a health and safety rep on any project or other workplace where either or the conditions below applies:

• Where between six (6) and nineteen (19) workers are regularly employed and the work is expected to last more than three (3) months. (For twenty (20) or more workers, see the requirements for Joint Health and Safety Committee)
• Where six (6) or more workers are regularly employed and the project is expected to last less than three (3) months.
• Where contractors maintain shops in which between six (6) and nineteen (19) workers are regularly employed and a regulation concerning designated substances does not apply.

(For more information, download the Health and Safety Representatives and Committee Requirements chart from our Construction Health and Safety Manual.

6. Where can I obtain approval forms, permits and notifications required for construction in Ontario?

Answer: Visit the ServiceOntario website to access the information, services and resources you need to start and run a construction project.