Is your workplace doing enough to address the hazards associated with material handling? Doing more can potentially save lives and prevent debilitating injuries. It’s also the law!
Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) is currently undertaking
proactive workplace visits to ensure compliance with material handling safety obligations mandated by the
Occupational Health and Safety Act (
OHSA) and the industrial regulations.
REGISTER TODAY FOR SPECIALLY PRICED WHSC training relevant to material handling.
What is driving this compliance initiative?
The MLITSD rightly highlights worker fatalities caused by crushing or being struck by materials as rationale for this initiative. Though poorly designed material handling tasks and work environments also cause debilitating injuries. Chief among these are musculoskeletal disorders (MSDS), also referred to as
repetitive strain injuries (RSI). In fact, these painful, life-altering disorders are the
number one type of lost-time work injury reported to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) in Ontario. Many more are never reported to or recognized by the WSIB.
Beyond the significant impacts on injured workers and their families, these injuries affect employers too,
driving up costs associated with injury compensation and lost productivity.
What are MLITSD inspectors looking for?
According to the MLITSD, this compliance initiative will target a broad range of industrial sector workplaces such as automotive, farming, food production, retail, municipal government services, transportation, wood and metal fabrication, along with tourism and hospitality. They will
focus on workplaces where materials, articles or things are lifted, carried, or moved, and puts workers at risk of being injured by their movement. Inspectors are looking to see if employers are complying with a broad range of legal obligations relating to:
- lifting devices/mobile equipment/cranes
- workplace layout and design
- manual material handling
- storage systems
- automation
- machine guarding, blocking and lockout
- training and orientation provided by the employer (e.g., mandatory supervisor and worker awareness training)
- internal responsibility system (e.g., joint health and safety committee/health and safety representation, including Certification training compliance).
The MLITSD also warns their inspectors are not limited to just material handling compliance issues and the
findings may influence how often individual workplaces are inspected in the future.
WHSC training can help
To assist workplaces seeking to
fully understand prevention solutions and comply with material handling safety obligations, Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) has scheduled a range of instructor-led, in-person and virtual classroom
training opportunities at a discounted rate of $40 + HST/participant/program (normally priced at $75-$120/program).
This training initiative includes programs scheduled until February 28—International RSI Awareness Day. Suitable for workers, joint health and safety committee members, worker representatives, supervisors and employers, the following training courses are included:
Awareness and competency (
Ergonomics & MSD; Ergonomics: Basic Principles; Ergonomics: Applying Prevention Principles at Work; Ergonomic Toolbox (also available in French)).
Hazard-specific programs (
Hand Tools, Manual Material Handling, Work Organization).
REGISTER NOW as space is limited
Related resources
Health and safety inspection compliance plans 2024–2025 | ontario.ca
Ontario Industrial Establishments regulation (material handling requirements begin on section 45)
RSI Awareness Day (February 28)
WHSC ergonomics resources
Shortcuts kill worker! Supervisor competency on trial (unsafe material handling kills worker)!
Don’t see scheduled training suiting your needs? Contact any one of our
Training Services Representatives located in communities across Ontario.
Need other essential and legally mandated training such as
joint health and safety committee certification,
worker health and safety representatives (smaller workplaces),
workplace violence and harassment,
worker health and safety awareness, and
supervisor awareness and competency?
Do you need access to training in French? Contact WHSC training services representative, Christopher Gervais at
cgervais@whsc.on.ca or 613-407-2187.
Check out our complete in-person and virtual
training schedule.
Need more information?
Contact a
WHSC training services representative in your area.
Email:
contactus@whsc.on.ca
Visit:
whsc.on.ca
Connect with and follow us on
X,
Facebook,
LinkedIn,
Instagram and
YouTube