Changes To Ontario Occupational Health & Safety Act

The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) has been amended, with the amendments to take effect June 15, 2010. Now, all provincially regulated employers in Ontario with at least five or more employees will be required to develop both harassment and violence policies and implement programs to support those policies at the workplace. While the nature of the workplace will dictate the extent of the work required between now and June 15, 2010, all employers will be required to spend time in the months leading up to that date, bringing themselves into compliance with this new legislation. The changes require employers in Ontario to create policies addressing workplace violence and harassment, develop procedures to address both workplace violence (including domestic violence) and harassment, undertake training, conduct a workplace violence risk assessment, recognize new worker rights to refuse work, and ensure new employer reporting requirements if a worker is