Resource Downloads are offered in Portable Document Format (PDF) and require Adobe Reader or a compatible PDF reader.
This guideline helps you understand the hazards associated with abrasive grinding wheels and how to control them.
420 KB pdf
Tractors are involved in many farm accidents--accounting for about two-thirds of all fatalities. Manufacturers have added many safety features, but these do not replace a trained operator who is aware of the potential hazards of operating a tractor safely.
381 KB pdf
Lead-acid batteries can produce explosive mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen gases when they are being charged. This guideline helps you understand the hazards and control the risks.
242 KB pdf
Preparing vehicles for body work or repainting involves many hazards to the eyes, skin, hearing and breathing.
306 KB pdf
Is your business prepared for a pandemic? Use this sample checklist to assess your readiness.
235 KB pdf
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a leading cause of chemical poisoning in both the workplace and the home. This guide will provide basic information about carbon monoxide, its hazards, detection and control.
1770 KB pdf
This guideline provides information about the hazards associated with changing engine oil in inboard motors and offers safe work guidelines to minimalize or eliminate the hazard.
265 KB pdf
This guideline highlights the hazards associated with cooking and baking and provides safe work guidelines to help minimalize or eliminate the risk.
265 KB pdf
An assessment survey to determine musculoskeletal disorders.
341 KB pdf
Completing a circle check is an important step in ensuring your safety, and the safety of others.
413 KB
Complete this questionnaire to determine your risk of workplace violence.
618 KB pdf
Published by the Union of Needletrades, Industrial Textile Employees, the Institute for Work & Health, and the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, Inc.
This book looks at conditions in the clothing industry to find out how wrist, shoulder, neck and back injuries can be prevented.
1497 KB pdf
This guideline sets out conditions for effective fire extinguisher use, fire extinguishing methods and types.
334 KB pdf
This guideline is designed to help you develop a fire protection program, or to identify areas in your existing program that may need improvement.
263 KB pdf
First Aid is the immediate care given to a person who is injured or who suddenly becomes ill. It can range from cleaning a cut and applying a bandage, to helping someone who is choking or having a heart attack.
655 KB
This guideline is designed to help you store flammable liquids safely in industrial workplaces where they are for incidental use or in closed containers.
232 KB pdf
Grain storage structures and handling equipment create hazardous work situations. Workers who work with grain--loading, unloading, or moving--must be aware of the hazards of flowing grain and ways to prevent a grain entrapment situation.
279 KB pdf
Experience has shown that good housekeeping is an essential part of your company's health and safety program and benefits both employers and employees.
228 KB pdf
The purpose of this tool, developed by the WSIB in collaboration with the HSO members, is to provide workplaces with a step-by-step approach to recognizing, assessing and controlling hazards, and monitoring the ongoing effectiveness of those controls.
60 KB pdf
Since each workplace is unique, no training program can provide information on workplace-specific hazard controls. That is why JHSC members must create an action plan to identify, assess and control the significant hazards in consultation with the employer. Use this electronic form to help you formulate your action plan.
393 KB pdf
Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act (the Act) is built on the principle that workers and employers must work together to identify and resolve health and safety problems in the workplace. To meet this goal, health and safety representatives are required by law in a large number of Ontario workplaces [section 8(1)]. This document provides answers to commonly asked questions about health and safey representatives.
223 KB pdf
Six chapters devoted to helping you establish a healthy workplace, including definitions, how to get started, and benefits versus costs.
496 KB pdf
Once damaged, hearing cannot be restored. Damaged hearing can affect job performance, health and productivity.
310 KB pdf
Use this guideline to help your company develop procedures for effective workplace inspections.
325 KB pdf
FAQ questions-human influenza, predictions, precautions, planning, travel issue.
339 KB pdf
Use these are instructions to help complete the "Injury Analysis Form".
370 KB pdf
Use of this form will help you document workplace injuries to determine whether there are gaps in your health and safety policy and program. See "Injury Analysis Form--Instructions to Complete" to help you complete this form.
428 KB pdf
Use this form to identify incident information, cause analysis, controls, costs and action plans.
412 KB pdf
These instructions will guide you in the use of the Investigation Form that helps to identify incident information, cause analysis, controls, costs and action plans.
499 KB pdf
The internal responsibility system (IRS) is part of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Everyone in the workplace has a shared responsibiliity. This primer will help you understand your role in this process.
682 KB pdf
Use this form to create agendas for your joint health and safety committee meetings.
712 KB pdf
Use this form to capture discussion, recommendations and actions from your joint health and safety committee meetings.
753 KB pdf
Use this form to post the names of your joint health and safety committee members.
505 KB pdf
Use this form to submit joint health and safety committee recommendations and reasons for them.
502 KB pdf
Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act (the Act) is built on the principle that workers and employers must work together to identify and resolve health and safety problems in the workplace. To meet this goal, joint health and safety committees are required by law in many Ontario workplaces. This download provides answers to commonly asked questions about joint health and safety committees.
226 KB pdf
Because of the nature of laboratory operations, and the type of equipment used, the results of exposure to these hazards may be more serious.
473 KB pdf
This guideline explains the types of ladders that you might have in your workplace and their proper use.
377 KB pdf
The biggest hazard in working with thse large machines is their physical size. Large bales of hay or straw can weigh from 225 kg to 1300 kg, and these can create additional risks.
253 KB pdf
There are many hazards associated with loading docks. This guideline outlines these hazards and offers some safe work guidelines to eliminate or minimalize the risk.
278 KB pdf
Lockout means to physically neutralize all energies in a piece of equipment before beginning any maintenance or repair work.
269 KB pdf
There are numerous potential hazards around machinery and equipment, such as cutting edges, gears, chains, revolving shaftes, rotating blades and levers.
1300 KB PDF
Most workplaces have a manual materials handling operation. Each handling task poses unique demands on the worker. These tasks can be performed safely and easily by implementing and upholding proper policies and procedures.
271 KB pdf
A checklist to assess the ergonomic risks of each job task.
215 KB pdf
This document will help you determine if there is a high risk of injury once the potential risk of a musculoskeletal disorder has been identified.
1130 KB pdf
Asthma is a common lung disease that makes breathing difficult. When it is caused by breathing in hazardous substances in the workplace, it is "occupational asthma". If you work in automotive parts, manufacturing, or in the foam or expanded plastic industry, you are at risk for getting occupational asthma.
247 KB pdf
Occupational dermatitis is a non-infectious disease caused by skin contact with substances used at work. Depending on the types of substances present, dermatitis may take two forms: (a) allergic contact dermatitis or (b) irritant contact dermatitis. Find out how you can reduce your risk for this common and potentially serious problem.
242 KB
This document outlines how workstation layout, lighting and task design can affect the physical and visual demands on people who work with computers.
368 KB pdf
This toolbox supports "Developing Workplace Violence and Harassment Policies and Programs: What Employers Need to Know". It contains information, tools and assessments that can be useful to employers as they develop a workplace violence policy and program, a workplace harassment policy and program, or a domestic violence program.
1392 KB pdf
This document and the accompanying toolbox have been developed to help Ontario employers meet the Occupational Health and Safety Act's requirements. The documents outline recommended approaches to assessing the risks of workplace violence, and contain important information on recognizing the signs of domestic violence and protesting workers should it occur in the workplace.
910 KB pdf
A companion piece to the Heat Stress Awareness guide and Poster, this tool helps you to determine actions based on temperature and humidity.
303 KB pdf
A companion piece to the OHSCO Heat Stress Awareness Guide, this poster can be displayed in your workplace and offers simple tips that can help your workers protect themselves from the deadly symptoms of heat stress.
1063 KB pdf
The Humidex Based Heat Response Plan, developed by the Occupational Health and Safety Council of Ontario's (OHSCO) Heat Stress Awareness Committee translates the wet bulb globe termperatures found in the 2007 American Conference of Governmental Hygienists (ACGIH) Heat Stress TLV® (Threshold Limit Value®) into a humidex reading.
55 KB pdf
The guideline, resource manual and toolboxes were developed in partnership with the members of OHSCO, which is comprised of the Ministry of Labour, the WSIB, the Institute for Work and Health and the health and safety associations. The Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) also assisted in its development.
This guideline describes a recommended framework for MSD prevention.
771 KB pdf
The guideline, resource manual and toolboxes were developed in partnership with the members of OHSCO, which is comprised of the Ministry of Labour, the WSIB, the Institute for Work and Health and the health and safety associations. The Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) also assisted in the development.
663 KB pdf
The MSD Prevention toolbox provides basic and simple-to-use tools and worksheets to help with your MSD prevention program. The toolbox is broken into three parts; this is part A.
1789 KB pdf
The MSD Prevention Toolbox provides basic and simple-to-use tools and worksheets to ehlp with your MSD prevention program. The Toolbox is broken into three parts. This is part A.
1824 KB pdf
The primary purpose of Toolbox B is to provide workplace parties with additional information and tools that they can use to enhance their current MSD prevention process and, if required, move beyond a simple MSD risk assessment. In this toolbox you will find a tool to help you review your MSD prevention process, information on calculating the costs of MSDs, a sample MSD prevention policy / procedure, additional MSD hazard recognition tools, an MSD risk assessment checklist, and a tool to help you communicate the results of an MSD prevention project.
0 KB pdf
The primary purpose of Toolbox B is to provide workplace parties with additional information and tools that they can use to enhance their current MSD prevention process and, if required, move beyond a simple MSD risk assessment. In this toolbox you will find a tool to help you review your MSD prevention process, information on calculating the costs of MSDs, a sample MSD prevention policy / procedure, additional MSD hazard recognition tools, an MSD risk assessment checklist, and a tool to help you communicate the results of an MSD prevention project.
497 KB pdf
The primary purpose of Toolbox C is to provide workplace parties with additional information on in-depth MSD risk assessment methods. The risk assessment methods described in this toolbox may be helpful if the simple risk assessment method described in the
381 KB pdf
This manual contains information on implementing the process described in the guideline, understanding and recognizing MSD hazards, assessing risk and controlling hazards.
1571 KB pdf
This manual contains information on implementing the process described in the guideline, understanding and recognizing MSD hazards, assessing risk and controlling hazards.
1394 KB pdf
Employees suffer a disproprotionate number of work-related injuries during the first three months of employer, underscoring the need for proper health and safety orientation for all new and returning employees.
551 KB PDF
A physical demands analysis (PDA) is a systematic procedure to quantify and evaluate the physical, cognitive, and environmental demands of the essential and non-essential tasks of a job. This is an instruction to help you with completing the physical demands analysis form.
242 KB pdf
In general, there are many types of jobs or tasks that require PPE to protect workers from harm. Always wear the appropriate PPE for the hazards that may be encountered in the job or that is rerquired by your employer, or by legislation.
428 KB
A physical deamnds analysis (PDA) is a systematic procedure to quantify and evaluate the physical, cognitive, and environmental demands of the essential and non-essential tasks of a job.
See "Physical Demands Analysis Instruction" for assistance to complete this form.
2044 KB pdf
Pictograms are visual representations of an action, thing, or idea, and deliver a message to viewers. They have typically been used as warning labels or for directional purposes.
A collaborative project between the Institute for Work & Health, Ministry of Labour, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and WSPS, involved developing pictograms and companion training for identifying and controlling hazards. This download includes hazard and control pictograms, a PowerPoint presentation for training purposes and an instruction sheet that explains how to use the materials.
23000 KB ZIP
This guideline highlights the hazards associated with preparing a boat for body work or repainting and provides safe work guidelines to reduce or eliminate risk.
258 KB pdf
Knives are always hazardous; whether they are sharp or dull and whether they are in use or being stored. This guideline provides advice on proper use and care of knives.
254 KB pdf
This guideline will help you understand symptoms, risk factors, and common myths as well as offering some practical information on prevention strategies.
256 KB pdf
Falls on walking and working surfaces account for significant lost-time injuries. Use this guideline to understand how slips, trips and falls happen, how to identify hazards and how to eliminate or minimize these hazards.
368 KB pdf
Preventive maintenance is predetermined work performed to a schedule with the aim of preventing the wear and tear or sudden failure of equipment components thereby protecting assets and prolonging the useful life of production equipment. It is an important, ongoing accident prevention activity, that should be integrated into your operations and product manufacturing processes.
280 KB pdf
Pumping sewage from boats may expose you to infectious agents including contaminated water. This guideline helps identify the hazards and provides safe work guidelines.
225 KB pdf
Removing air conditioning parts in vehicles can expose a worker to health and safety hazards, as well as environmental concerns.
485 KB
This guideline provides details about the hazards associated with removing and installing fuel tanks in boats and offers safe work guidelines to avoid risk of injury.
274 KB pdf
Fuel tanks are dangerous to work on or store; this guideline outlines hazards and recommendations for safe work practices.
264 KB pdf
Removing engines exposes you to hazards from gasoline, solvents, other flammables, oils, other lubricants, Freon and sulphuric acid, as well as improper use of tools and awkward positioning.
268 KB pdf
Different parts present different hazards; same removal requires caution and attention.
271 KB pdf
Removing parts with an oxyacetylene torch puts you at risk from welding fumes, flames, and compressed gases, as well as from sharp edges in the parts and from having to work at an awkward posture.
270 KB pdf
There are many phsyical hazards related to removing transmissions, including electrical shock, slippery floors, sharp edges, falling debris, noise and weight.
268 KB pdf
Replacing brakes may expose you to dangerous chemicals, asbestos dust, sharp edges and musculoskeletal disorders.
279 KB pdf
In Ontario, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) have requirements for recording or reporting workplace injuries and illnesses. This guideline helps you comply with these legislative provisions.
253 KB pdf
Scanning and bagging groceries is a key process and involves a large portion of employees in a grocery store. Most of the musculoskeletal injuries result from the physical demands of scanning and bagging groceries. Although environmentally responsible, reusable bags have contributed to a number of new concerns including sprains and strains for cashiers who are handling them. Existing cash stations were not designed to accommodate the new bags which come in many shapes and sizes. This guide explores current best practices and identifies possible solutions.
1030 KB pdf
To prevent falling accidents, ensure that there are proper procedures in place to prevent the worker from falling from the scaffold, or from it collapsing.
518 KB
This guide, developed by the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) provides information that farm machinery owners and operators can use for correctly connecting agricultural tractors to implements and other towed equipment such as wagons, grain carts, etc.
PAMI is an applied research, development, and testing organization serving manufacturers and farmers.
2037 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
1407 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
338 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
393 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
379 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
308 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
402 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
347 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
326 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
1501 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
395 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
1333 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
631 KB pdf
This self-assessment form was developed as a result of a study on occupational health and safety for small companies in the metal processing industry. Rresearchers determined that companies with limited resources and time most need these simple tools for rapid intervention on real issues.
The. zip file you will download contains two files; a user's guide and the self-assessment form.
396 KB pdf
This guideline explains the hazards associated with the servicing and storage of compressed gas cylinders and provides safe work guidelines to avoid risk of injury.
271 KB pdf
The purpose of this guide is to provide general information about silica to employees, members of joint health and safety committees, supervisors, and managers. The guide outlines uses and health effects of silica, and provides guidelines for setting up a program to determine and control workplace exposures.
448 KB pdf
Silos are an important part of many farming operations; they are also the location of many accidents.
256 KB pdf
There are many hazards associated with spray painting. This guideline helps you understand those hazards and offers safe work guidelines to help minimalize or eliminate their risk.
247 KB pdf
Employee health and safety are integral to productivity. A management system that integrates health and safety activities into all aspects of the operations will help achieve positive results in productivity, quality, and the health and safety of employees. This guideline highlights some critical health and safety program activities.
253 KB pdf
This guideline sets out the sources of static electricity, its hazards, control measures and applicable legislation.
693 KB pdf
There are many hazards related to stocking. This download will help you identify potential hazards and what to do to minimize or eliminate exposure to them.
261 KB pdf
Ontario’s occupational health and safety strategy is of great importance to the members and industries represented by WSPS, who collectively employ more than 3.8 million people. To that end, WSPS submitted its response to the Ministry of Labour’s Prevention Office Discussion Paper which was released to support the overall development of an Ontario Integrated Occupational Health and Safety Strategy.
399 KB pdf
While there are ethical reasons for creating healthy workplaces, many employers still look for business reasons to support these moral and ethical reasons. This report outlines those business reasons.
414 KB pdf
This guideline covers the hazards and safe work procedures associated with towing and launching boats from trailers and trucks.
298 KB pdf
There are many hazards that you can come into contact when working with or cleaning a deep fryer. These include hot oil, slippery floors and handling heavy items.
276 KB pdf
Backhoes and loaders pose a threat for serious injuries like crushed legs, arms or other body parts, hearing loss, and illness or death from carbon monoxide or nitrous oxide poisoning.
362 KB
This guideline provides information about the proper use and care of chainsaws.
138 KB pdf
This guideline identifies kitchen equipment hazards and safe work practices.
325 KB pdf
This guideline will help understand the general safety practices associated with the use of landscaping equipment.
342 KB pdf
This document provides information about potential injuries and safe work guidelines associated with the use of meat band saws.
123 KB pdf
Improper use of microwave ovens can cause burns from steam, hot food or containers, and may cause eye injuries.
250 KB
Compactors can present both mechanical and electrical hazards. They pose serious threat of injury or death, or amputation.
343 KB
Ventilation is a primary engineering control available to reduce the concentration of gases, dusts, vapours, smoke, and fumes in the air.
377 KB pdf
Walking and working surfaces--floors, stairs and ladders--are associated with slip, trip and fall accidents.
530 KB
A WHMIS program is required in all workplaces that may have controlled products.
774 KB PDF
The WHMIS inventory form can be used in your workplace to identify controlled products and assist with the development of workplace-specific WHMIS training programs.
468 KB
This document explains work permits and when they are needed.
327 KB pdf
Certain toxic substances have been specially designated under the Occupational Health & Safety Act and Regulation 490/09 sets out a series of required steps to control exposure of workers to the substance, including conducting an assessment to determine whether the health of a worker may be affected by exposure. This publication will help you conduct the assessment.
567 KB pdf
This guideline outlines the hazards associated with this type of work and provides advice on how to work safely to avoid risk of injury.
272 KB
Working as a sales representative can be a demanding and hectic position, where the risk of musculoskeletal injuries is increased.
219 KB
This guideline outlines the hazards associated with working in a dishwashing area and provides guidance on safe work practices to help reduce or eliminate the risk.
920 KB pdf
This guideline identifies the hazards associated with working in a restaurant service pick-up area. It also provides safe work guidelines that will help you eliminate or reduce the risk.
252 KB pdf
This guideline outlines the hazards associated with working with or near conveyor belts. It also offers safe work practices to help reduce or eliminate the risk of injury.
234 KB pdf
Some of the hazards associated with portable tools can be controlled through their proper use and care.
920 KB
Safe work practices associated with deflating and inflating tires, and mounting and dismounting tire and rim assemblies (including trucks) are outlined in this guideline.
298 KB pdf
A workplace hazard assessment is conducted by examining the workplace and other sources of information for hazards that may affect a workers health and safety. This form can help you conduct effective hazard assessments.
98 KB PDF
This form will help you identify potential hazards in your workplace as they relate to the security of your employees and visitors.
1124 KB pdf
Joint health and safety committee members can use this form to help classify hazards during workplace inspections. Revised August 2012.
243 KB pdf
Developed in cooperation with the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc., this guideline provides information about work-related asthma, cleaning products than can trigger work-aggravated asthma, who may be at risk, and ways to work safely with cleaning products.
268 KB pdf
Asthmas is work-related when it is caused or made worse by a substance that a person comes in contact with at work. Anyone working in a beauty, hair or nail salon may be at risk for work-related asthmas, depending on what chemicals are used in the workplace.
1000 KB pdf
Metal-working fluids are complex mixtures of ingredients that are used to cool and lubricate metal work pieces. They create mists as they pass over the work piece. When workers inhale these mists, those who have work-related asthma may find their condition worsens. For other workers, occupational asthma may develop.
242 KB pdf
The WSIB claims that hairdressers are more likely to get occupational asthma than many other workers. If recognized early, work-related asthma can be treated and managed. This booklet describes work-related asthma, the risks to this industry group, chemicals that may cause the disease, how to recognize work-related asthma and things you can do to manage your exposure.
3000 KB pdf
Developed in cooperation with the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc., this booklet is designed to help employers and joint health and safety committees to recognize work-related asthma, put into place general strategies to help prevent work-related asthma and to know when, where and how to get professional help.
598 KB pdf