OHSA compliance, made simple

Policy, risk and a safe workplace

A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Do you have a written health and safety policy, signed by the chief executive officer and displayed where employees can see it? Have you identified the hazards in each workplace and assessed the risk they pose to employees? Where you found a hazard, did you remove or control it at the source first, and use personal protective equipment only for what remains? Do you provide and maintain safe systems of work, plant and machinery, and safe ways of using, handling, storing and moving articles and substances? Where employees need protective equipment, do you supply it, train them to use it, and make sure it is used?

Accountability and duties to other people

A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Does the chief executive officer (or head of the business) understand that they must make sure the employer's duties under the Act are properly discharged? If you assign health and safety duties to other people, is each assignment in writing, with the person accepting it and able to carry it out? Do you take reasonable care that visitors, customers, contractors and other people who are not your employees are not put at risk by your work? Before a contractor starts work for you, do you check that they are registered for injury-on-duty cover and have a safe way of working?

Information and training

A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Do you tell employees about the hazards of their work and how to prevent harm, before they begin? Do you give employees the training and supervision needed to do their work safely? Do you make sure employees know the health and safety rules, and do you act when they are not followed? Do employees know they must take reasonable care of their own and others' safety, obey safety rules, and report unsafe situations and incidents?

Health and safety representatives and committees

A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: If you have more than 20 employees at a workplace, have you designated health and safety representatives in writing? Do you have enough representatives for your headcount (one per 100 employees, or part of it, in shops and offices; one per 50 elsewhere)? Are the representatives full-time employees who know the workplace, and do they get time in working hours and the facilities and training they need? Do representatives carry out their work: inspect the workplace at agreed intervals, look into complaints and incidents, and make recommendations to you? Where you have two or more representatives, have you set up a health and safety committee that meets at least every three months? Does the committee discuss every incident in which someone was injured, became ill or died, and do you keep records of its recommendations and your response?

Incidents and emergencies

A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Do you record every workplace injury, illness and near miss, including those that need no report to anyone? Do you know which incidents must be reported to the provincial director of the Department of Employment and Labour (death, loss of consciousness, loss of a limb, injury or illness likely to cause death or permanent defect, or inability to work for 14 days or more, and major incidents such as a dangerous spill or machinery out of control)? After a death or serious incident, do you know not to disturb the scene until an inspector allows it, except to prevent further harm or rescue people? Do you also report work injuries and illness to the Compensation Fund (or the insurer) under the compensation law? Do you have an emergency plan with trained first aiders, suitable first aid supplies and fire precautions for each workplace?

Workplace conditions and specialist regulations

A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Are your premises kept in a safe, clean and healthy condition, with adequate lighting, ventilation, toilets, drinking water and fire safety? If employees use hazardous chemicals, do you keep safety data sheets, label containers and assess and control exposure? If work involves lifting, repetitive tasks, display screens or awkward postures, have you assessed and controlled the ergonomic risk? If you do construction, electrical, pressure equipment or other specialist work, do you follow the regulations for that work (for example the Construction Regulations) and have the required permits and competent persons?

How can I check where my business stands on OHSA Self-Assessment (Occupational Health and Safety)?

Take the free self-assessment. It scores each area, lists your gaps with what to do about each one, and does not say you are compliant. You can save the result to ComplianceDesk to turn each gap into a task with an owner and a due date.

Is this guide written by a lawyer?

No. It was assembled from the public sources listed below and has not been reviewed by a lawyer. Treat it as a starting point and check the current law before relying on it.

How many controls does ComplianceDesk track for OHSA?

10, organised into 5 categories, ready to assign to an owner as soon as you activate the framework.

Can I track OHSA alongside other frameworks?

Yes — most teams activate several frameworks at once. Controls that overlap across frameworks can share the same evidence, so you don't collect the same document twice.

How long does it take to set up OHSA in ComplianceDesk?

Activating OHSA instantly seeds its full control library. Most teams assign owners and get their first controls moving within a day.