The Ontario government has announced that employers are now required to post the new workplace poster, “Health & Safety at Work-Prevention Starts Here”

The poster is one of many new steps outlined under employer obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. This requirement will be enforced by Ministry of Labour inspectors beginning on October 1, 2012.

The poster was developed following the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Panel appointed by the Minister of Labour in 2010 to review Ontario’s occupational health and safety system, and which tabled its recommendations in December 2010. The poster is available in multiple languages on line.

This Blog Entry is also meant to be a reminder to all employers in Ontario that Ergonomics and formal ergonomic programs forms a key part of the prevention agenda of the Ministry of Labour for Ontario. MSI’s still represent the majority of injuries occurring and being claimed for via the WSIB. As a result the Ministry is continuing its blitz of 6,000 employers per year to examine your ergonomic program and statistics including training and education of your OH&S committee and all employees.

The Ministry of Labour has trained all of its 250 plus Inspectors in Ergonomics with the result being an increase in the number of orders being written for ergonomic program development and improvement and the addition of ergonomic recommendations to be added to the OH&S committee’s regular agenda and follow through.

For more information about the mandatory Ergonomic Standards which the Ministry of Labour for Ontario expects employers to use to determine if and where ergonomic hazards are present as well as to correct these hazards contact one of our certified ergonomic experts at OPC Inc Info@OptimalPerformance.ca or 1 888 768 2106