Ontario safety blitz targets material handling hazards

Ontario’s Ministry of Labour (MOL) is launching a work place safety blitz that will focus on hazards involving material handling to ensure workers are safe on the job.

From September 15 to October 26, 2014, MOL inspectors will visit plants, factories and other industrial sector workplaces across the province to check that employers are taking appropriate action to assess and address possible hazards.

The inspectors will check workplaces for compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations.

In particular, they will check that employers have well-maintained lift-trucks and other lifting devices rated for their loads; are providing workers with safe access to work areas; are ensuring workers perform tasks safely to prevent falls; are ensuring mobile/transport equipment is appropriate for use and well-maintained; ensure materials (i.e., equipment, products and supplies) are stored in a safe manner; have a well-functioning internal responsibility system in place; and ensure workers are properly trained and supervised.

“Blitzes such as this one ensure that we continue to do what we can to prevent injuries and deaths so men and women get home safely to their families each and every night,” Kevin Flynn, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, said in a statement.

This workplace safety blitz is part of the government’s continued commitment to preventing workplace injuries and illness through its Safe At Work Ontario enforcement initiative.