The Ministry of Labour has announced a series of workplace safety blitzes aimed at all sectors—and in particular at workers in the construction sector.

Beginning October 1, and through December 27, inspectors will conduct focused inspections for practices that could lead to musculoskeletal disorders and respirator hazards. Construction will be one sector particularly targeted for these site visits.

According to statistics from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, musculoskeletal disorders are the most-reported lost-time injury. In 2017, workers reported more than 19,000 claims, and 462,000 lost days of work—or approximately one-third of all accepted lost-time claims at the WSIB.

Starting in January of next year and through to mid-March, inspectors will target personal protective equipment. Specifically, they will look for the lack and misuse of personal protective equipment such as foot, eye, hearing and respiratory protection devices.

A similar inspection blitz in 2017 resulted in nearly 7,500 orders issued for lack of personal protective equipment on projects. This was the second highest violation in construction workplaces for 2017.

By law, personal protective equipment should be provided to workers wherever there are health or safety risks that cannot be adequately controlled for in other ways. Personal protective equipment can include: respiratory protection devices, hearing protectors, skin protection, high-visibility clothing, face shields and eye protection.

Inspectors will focus on checking that appropriate personal protective equipment is being supplied and worn.