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- Is Your Workplace Ready for an Ontario Ministry of Labour Inspection?
Is Your Workplace Ready for an Ontario Ministry of Labour Inspection?
- Ministry of Labour
Michelle Ann Zoleta, Health & Safety Team Manager
(Last updated )
Michelle Ann Zoleta, Health & Safety Team Manager
(Last updated )
As an employer in Ontario, you may face a visit from inspectors of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MOL), tasked with verifying compliance under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). These visits can be triggered by proactive campaigns or reactive incidents. So, it’s vital that your health & safety programs, documentation, and workplace practices are always inspection ready.
Every year, the MOL carries out
inspection blitzes and compliance campaigns in specific sectors across Ontario. The schedule is published publicly, but individual workplaces are
not
notified ahead of time.
This blog explains the types of audits conducted by MOL health and safety inspectors, outlines what a typical proactive visit looks like, highlights key reactive triggers, and covers the major campaign focus areas for 2025-26 so you can ensure you are prepared.
Types of audits
The MOL’s health and safety audits fall into two main categories: proactive and reactive.
Reactive inspections
: These occur after a fatality, critical injury, a worker refuses unsafe work, or a formal complaint is received.
Proactive (blitz) inspections
: These are unannounced visits as part of larger sector-specific campaigns designed to raise compliance and awareness.
A typical proactive visit
When an inspector arrives:
They’ll show identification and introduce themselves.
They’ll ask to speak with management, the health & safety contact, and possibly the worker health & safety representative or a member of the joint health & safety committee.
They may review required documentation under the OHSA and check that it’s displayed and accessible to all employees.
They’ll survey the workplace environment: walk through the workspace, evaluate conditions, and ask for staff to accompany them or explain procedures.
Interviews may be conducted with you or your employees. Inspectors may use tools, take photographs or samples, or take measurements. They have the power to issue orders or fines.
If an immediate risk is identified, a stop-work order may be issued and work must halt until the order is addressed. Only after the inspector confirms compliance may work resume.
The inspector will provide a Notice of Compliance or orders. You must return the form with mandatory input from your health & safety representative or joint health & safety committee member.
At the end of the visit, you’ll receive a written field-visit report summarizing findings; you must post a copy in a visible workplace area and provide a copy to your health & safety committee/representative.
Being professional, respectful, and transparent during the inspection goes a long way toward a smoother outcome.
Reasons for a reactive visit
Reactive visits may arise from:
A work refusal by an employee
A complaint filed with the MOL
A workplace fatality or critical injury, which triggers immediate reporting obligations under the OHSA
Once the inspector’s investigation is complete, remedial orders may be issued and, on some occasions, charges may be considered for contraventions of the legislation.
What your business should know about the inspection blitzes
The MOL’s campaigns for 2025-26 are set and include the following highlights:
It’s worth noting: these campaigns are not exhaustive of what inspectors may look at. They may inspect any section of OHSA or its regulations during a visit.
How to prepare: your checklist for inspection readiness
Documentation
: Ensure your health & safety policy, procedures, training records, inspection logs, and committee minutes are up to date and displayed where required.
Training & supervision
: Confirm that all staff (including new and vulnerable workers) have received orientation, refresher training, supervisor training and that language or literacy issues are addressed (vulnerable workers remain a priority for the MOL).
Walk-through audit
: Before the inspection, conduct a walk-through of your work areas. Have someone lead the inspector through your work areas, explaining procedures and pointing out controls.
Equipment & workplace conditions
: Check that equipment is maintained, guards, PPE, lifting devices/ergonomics controls, ladders/scaffolding are all compliant.
Emergency controls
: Confirm stop-work/machine lockout procedures, fall-protection plans, incident reporting procedures, and health & safety committee functionality.
Internal responsibility system (IRS)
: Ensure you have active committee or representative, regular meetings, hazard reporting, and follow-up on issues raised.
Display requirements & post-inspection compliance activities
: After any inspection, post the field-visit report, comply with orders, and return any Notice of Compliance forms as required.
Sector-specific focus
: If you operate in one of the targeted sectors (construction, industrial, retail, healthcare) make sure you review the specific hazards in those campaigns and update controls accordingly.
Why this matters for you
By fulfilling your obligations under the OHSA, you’re not just protecting your employees but also your business from potential fines, shutdown orders, and reputational damage. Because Ministry of Labour inspections are unannounced, being proactive is far better than being reactive.
Do you need help preparing your workplace for health and safety inspections?
If you’d like help getting your workplace ready for an inspection, developing tailored health & safety policies or building stronger Health & Safety programs, our experts are here to assist.
Call us today at
1 (833) 247-3652
for support.
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