Safe At Work Ontario
Safe At Work Ontario (SAWO) is the Ministry of Labour’s workplace health and safety strategy focusing on:
- enforcement;
- compliance; and
- partnership.
The ministry launched Safe At Work Ontario in June 2008 to improve workplace health and safety practices through education, training, and enforcement of provincial legislation and regulations. This is done in partnership with our education and prevention partners such as the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and Ontario’s Health and Safety Associations (HSAs).
Key Health and Safety Resources
Health and Safety Basics
- Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act
This guide explains what every worker, supervisor, employer, constructor and workplace owner needs to know about the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
- See Chapter 2: About the Act to learn about the rights of workers.
- See Chapter 6: Duties of Employers and Other Persons to learn about employer responsibilities.
- What is the Internal Responsibility System (IRS)?
Learn about the IRS and building a workplace partnership to improve health and safety.
- A Guide for Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs) and Representatives in the Workplace.
Worker health and safety representatives and joint health and safety committees are a key part of the IRS and a positive workplace safety culture. - Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS): A Guide to the Legislation
WHMIS is a Canada-wide system designed to give employers and workers information about hazardous materials used in the workplace.
Safe At Work Ontario TODAY
- Issue #1 (April 2009)
[176 KB] - Issue #2 (August 2009)
[218 KB]
Statistics and Laws
- Enforcement Activities
Review the annual statistics about workplace injuries and fatalities and enforcement of health and safety legislation from the Ministry of Labour and the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB).
- Health and Safety Laws
See the official text of the Acts and regulations about health and safety in the workplace and workplace insurance.
Resources from our Partners
- View Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Standards
Many regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act cite standards from the CSA. Standards for many sectors, including industry, health care, mining, manufacturing, agriculture and construction can be viewed online - Health and Safety Associations
The Ontario health and safety associations, funded by the WSIB, provide training programs, products and services to the province's employers and workers. Contact the association for your industry to get help in improving your workplace health and safety culture
