Employers are now required to post the new workplace poster “Health & Safety at Work – Prevention Starts Here” in the workplace. Ministry of Labour Inspectors will begin enforcing this requirement commencing on October 1, 2012.
This obligation arises out of the recommendations of an expert advisory panel appointed in March of 2010 with the mandate to review Ontario’s occupational health and safety system. Amongst its recommendations was for the Ministry of Labour to create a health and safety poster that is mandatory to post in the workplace that describes the responsibilities of the workplace parties. This was in response to the panel’s findings that many workers have little understanding of their rights and obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The Ministry adopted the recommendation. The poster is mandatory to post in the workplace. It contains a summary of both the rights and responsibilities of workers as well as the responsibilities of employers and supervisors under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Click here for a copy of the poster. The poster may be printed in black and white or in colour. The Ministry does require, however, that it printed to a page size of at least 8.5 x 11 inches.
