According to a recent statement by Ontario Chief Prevention Officer, George Gritziotis, the province is moving forward with a number of initiatives to improve occupational health and safety.
“We are participating in the biggest revitalization of Ontario’s workplace health and safety in more than three decades since the [Occupational Health and Safety Act] came into effect in 1979,” Gritziotis said.
Revisions to the act and new requirements being considered include:
- Enabling the Office of the Worker Advisor and the Office of the Employer Advisor to provide support for workers and small businesses involved in reprisal complaints in an attempt to expedite claims.
- A new poster explaining workplace parties’ basic rights and responsibilities in various languages
- OH&S guides for both workers and employers
- Appointment of two new minister’s advisory committees in 2012, one for small businesses and one for vulnerable worker.
The changes Gritziotis and his team are developing will be laid out in a formal plan in the coming months. The Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety, chaired by Tony Dean, “will play a significant role in the foundation of that strategy,” Gritziotis said.
