Home Go back Print Email this page Report a bug

We've provided answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

If you have any questions that you cannot find answers to on our site or if you would like to have your concerns regarding health and safety heard by us, please send us an email at: info@ihsa.ca.

 

Questions

 
 

Answers

 

1. Am I a member of IHSA?

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:

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has transitioned from rate group classification to the North American Industry Classification System or NAICS codes.

The following chart outlines the change. For additional information, visit the WSIB website.

 

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

Phone: 416-674-2726 Toll Free: 1-800-263-5024

 

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

IHSA has developed a checklist of what must be posted on site, plus other materials that you must make available on site for reference, if needed. You can access the list here.

 

3. Where can I obtain the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations for Ontario?

Visit the Service Ontario website to access the information, services and resources you need to start and run a construction project.

Under Business and Economy, you'll find links for

  • Building Permits
  • Notice of Project (see also MLITSD's Electronic Notice of Project)
  • Registration of Constructors and Employers Engaged in Construction (Form 1000)
  • New Home Projects
  • Pre-Start Health and Safety Review
  • Electrical Permits and Inspections
  • Building and Health and Safety Inspections
  • Technical Safety Inspections and Approvals

Some of these forms are required by law and must be posted at the construction site.

 

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

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 fall hazard or a hazardous substance.

For the legal requirements of Fall Protection training, refer to Section 26 of the Construction Regulation.

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.

 

5. Do I need to update my WHMIS training?

Yes, you must update your WHMIS training at least once a year. The frequency of update and review should be determined by your employer in consultation with your health and safety committee. It may be more or less frequently than annually, depending on whether there is a change of circumstance or a perceived necessity. (Please refer to Section 42 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act for more information.)

To help you update your WHMIS training, IHSA provides the following options:

 

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

The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires a Joint Health and Safety Committee of at least two members on any construction project where either of the conditions below applies:

  • Where between twenty and forty-nine workers are regularly employed and the project is expected to last more than three months.
  • Where contractors maintain shops in which the workforce regularly exceeds twenty.
  • At a workplace, other than a construction project, in which the workforce is fewer than twenty but a regulation concerning designated substances applies.
  • At a workplace to which the regulation concerning toxic substances applies.

On projects with fifty or more workers lasting more than three 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 MLITSD by completing certain training courses. (See What is 'certification'?)

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 the "Legal Responsibilities" chapter of our Construction Health and Safety Manual.

 

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

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

  • Where between six and nineteen workers are regularly employed and the work is expected to last more than three months. (For twenty or more workers, see the requirements for Joint Health and Safety Committee)
  • Where six or more workers are regularly employed and the project is expected to last less than three months.
  • Where contractors maintain shops in which between six and nineteen 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 the "Legal Responsibilities" chapter of our Construction Health and Safety Manual.

 

8. What is 'certification'?

On construction projects with fifty or more workers lasting more than three months, a Joint Health and Safety Committee of at least four members must be established with at least two worker and two management representatives. Of these, at least one worker and one management representative must be 'certified' by the MLITSD by completing specific training courses. Construction Certification consists of two courses. (See details below.)

For more information, download the Health and Safety Representatives and Committee Requirements chart from the "Legal Responsibilities" chapter of our Construction Health and Safety Manual.

 

9. Which training courses do I need to take in order to become certified?

All certification training must be approved by the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) of Ontario. IHSA has now been approved by the CPO as an approved training provider and this JHSC Certification Refresher training program is a CPO-approved training program under the JHSC Certification 2014 training program standard.

All approved certification programs must have a generic Part One and a sector-specific Part Two. A Refresher training course is also required and must be taken by Certified Members every three years.

As of March 1, 2016, IHSA’s Construction Health and Safety Representative program will not meet the JHSC training program standard. Therefore, it will no longer lead to certification and will cease to be offered. It is recommended that those interested in acting as health and safety representatives complete the JHSC—Part One and JHSC—Part Two programs. These courses will give them the foundation and knowledge they need to fulfill their roles and provide the opportunity to become certified in the future, if needed. For more information please visit our Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification Programs page.

 

10. Will I be reimbursed for certification training?

The WSIB will not reimburse a worker for time spent in certification training. The WSIB will reimburse the Employer or Union for the worker's base wage and vacation time for the period of time that the worker spent taking the training if:

  • The person must be a designated certified member representing workers on a Joint Health & Safety Committee on a construction project.
  • The construction project must employ 50 or more workers and the project must last 3 or more months.
  • The person must have successfully completed all training.

Download a copy of the WSIB Certification Reimbursement Form.

 

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

Visit the Service Ontario website to access the information, services and resources you need to start and run a construction project.

 

12. Where do I need to use a fall-arrest system?

Where workers cannot be protected from falls by guardrails or travel restraint, they must be protected by at least one of the following methods:

  • A fall-restricting system - designed to limit a worker's free fall distance to 0.6 metres (2 feet). One type uses a belt grab or belly hook that attaches to a safety rail on a fixed ladder.
  • A safety net designed by a professional engineer. The system is installed below a work surface to protect any location where a fall hazard exists.
  • A fall-arrest system, which:
    • must include a CSA-approved full body harness,
    • must include a lanyard equipped with a shock absorber unless the shock absorber could cause a falling worker to hit the ground or an object or level below the work,
    • must be attached to a lifeline or by the lanyard to an adequate fixed support,
    • must prevent a falling worker from hitting the ground or any object or level below the work, and
    • must not subject a falling worker to a peak fall-arrest force greater than 8 kilonewtons.

In the event of a fall, these systems must keep a worker from hitting the ground, the next level below, or any other objects below.

 

13. Where do I need to use a guardrail system?

A worker at risk of falling more than 3 metres (10 feet) must be protected by a guardrail system. If such a system is not practical, then a travel-restraint system, fall-arrest system, or safety net must be used. In many cases, guardrails are the most reliable and convenient means of fall protection.

A guardrail system that meets regulated requirements must be used if a worker has access to the unprotected edge of any of the following work surfaces and is exposed to a fall of 2.4 metres (8 feet) or more:

  • a floor, including the floor of a mezzanine or balcony
  • the surface of a bridge
  • a roof while formwork is in place
  • a scaffold platform or other work platform, runway, or ramp.
 

14. Where do I need to use a travel-restraint system?

Where work must be done within 2 metres (6 feet) of an open, unprotected edge that presents a fall hazard, a fall protection system must be provided. A travel-restraint system can afford the protection required. The system lets a worker travel just far enough to reach the edge but not far enough to fall over.

The basic travel-restraint system consists of:

  • CSA-approved full body harness,
  • lanyard,
  • lifeline,
  • rope grab to attach harness or lanyard to lifeline, and
  • adequate anchorage (capable of supporting a static load of 2 kilonewtons–450 pounds-with a recommended safety factor of at least 2, that is, 4 kilonewtons or 900 pounds).
 

15. What class of hardhat do I need to comply with the Construction Regulations?

The following hardhats comply:

  • CSA Z94.1 Class E
  • ANSI Z89.1 Type II Class E
  • ANSI Z89.1 Type I Class E.

Note that under the latest ANSI standard, there are two types of Class E hardhats: Type I and Type II. Type I hats are exactly the same as the old CSA Class B hardhats, which provide limited lateral impact protection. The Type II hats have enhanced lateral protection, like the CSA Class E. So don't assume that an ANSI Class E is equivalent to the CSA Class E. That's only true if it's Type II. In fact, there are very few ANSI Type II Class E hardhats on the market. Those few are clearly labeled "Type II." If your hardhat just says "ANSI Class E," assume it's Type I.

 

16. What kind of eye protection do I need to comply with the Construction Regulations?

Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standard CAN/CSA Z94.3 Industrial Eye and Face Protectors can assist you in classifying hazards and recommending protectors. Appropriate protection according to this standard meets with the intent of the regulation regarding eye protection.

 

17. What grade of safety boots do I need to comply with the Construction Regulations?

Grade 1 toe protection with sole protection in accordance with Canadian Standards Association Standard (CSA) Z195 Protective Footwear complies with the intent of the regulation regarding foot protection. This is indicated by a green triangular patch on the tongue or the ankle of the boot or shoe. CSA has also produced a companion document Z195.1.

Frequently Asked Questions