Introduction to health & safety at work

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As an employee, you have rights that protect you against health and safety hazards on the job. You have the right to participate in workplace health and safety issues and to know about any potential hazards. You also have the right to refuse work that you believe is dangerous and to stop working in certain circumstances.

These rights may be guaranteed by provincial laws, by federal laws or by union contracts. Sometimes an employee's rights may be guaranteed by both provincial and federal laws.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1990, (OHSA) is the Ontario law that governs health and safety in the workplace.

The law is divided into seven main parts:

who is covered under the law
the role and function of the Health and Safety Committees
health and safety requirements on the job, including training
duties of employers and others such as supervisors
the right to refuse work
the right to stop work
the control of toxic or hazardous substances on the job
enforcement by government inspectors to ensure compliance with the Act and regulations and to ensure that the internal responsibility system is working.

You can find answers to your questions under the menu to the left. You can also go directly to our ministry website and download the Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

This information is provided as a public service by the Government of Ontario. Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the currency and accuracy of the information presented on the site, but readers should verify information before acting on it.

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