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ARTICLE · 24 APRIL 2020

COVID-19 Update: Increased OHSA Enforcement In Ontario

McCarthy Tétrault
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On Wednesday, April 8th, Ontario announced several new measures focusing on occupational health and safety at essential workplaces that continue to operate during the COVID-19 crisis.

CanadaEmployment and HR
McCarthy Tétrault Employer Advisor
McCarthy Tétrault Employer Advisor
Ben Ratelband
Ben Ratelband
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On Wednesday, April 8th, Ontario announced several new measures focusing on occupational health and safety at essential workplaces that continue to operate during the COVID-19 crisis. The newly announced measures will ramp up the province's health and safety enforcement capacity in response to the unprecedented demands of the crisis.

Essential workplaces are those of businesses Ontario has designated as "essential," thereby exempting them from the province's emergency order generally requiring all other, non-essential places of business to shut. The Government has ordered that a person responsible for an essential workplace that continues to operate is to ensure that the business operates in accordance with all applicable laws, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the regulations made under it, and in compliance with the advice, recommendations and instructions of public health officials. 

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