The provincial government is cracking down on workplaces that don't follow safety standards to ensure summer students and new hires don't get hurt on the job.
Labour Minister Monte McNaughton announced a province-wide summer workplace safety blitz while visiting the Thames park pool on Ridout Street in London on Monday. The blitz will see inspectors fan out to businesses in the retail, restaurant, food, beverage, hospitality, and recreational sectors to make sure they are following Occupational Health and Safety Act requirements.
"This is about prevention. This is to ensure that when kids begin working at their summer jobs when school is over for the year that they are going to be into a workplace that is safe." said McNaughton, who also serves as the MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. "We selected the sectors where the majority of young people work... All employers no matter what sector need to abide by the rules that are in place to protect our kids."
Inspectors will focus their efforts on newly registered businesses with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and those that haven't had a proactive health and safety visit in the last five years. The top priority for inspectors will be to make sure proper new hire orientation programs are in place and that the Occupational Health and Safety Act is being followed.
"Between 2014 and 2018, there were 24 fatalities of young workers in Ontario. One is too many for me," said McNaughton. "So there will be thousands of workplaces that will be visited throughout the summer.
A similar blitz last year saw inspectors visit 1,901 workplaces and issue 7,675 orders and requirements under the health and safety and its regulations, including 116 stop work orders.
New workers, those who have been on the job less than six months, are three times more likely to get hurt within the first month of their employment, according to McNaughton.
Mayor Ed Holder was on hand for the announcement of the safety blitz, pointing out that the city employs a number of students throughout the summer months.
"We have lifeguards, day camp councillors, staff who trim our parks, staff at Storybook Gardens, staff at Thames park," said Holder. "London is going to continue to support the ongoing joint efforts with the province to keep our workers safe and lock-step with our regional inspector partners."
The workplace safety blitz will run until August 30.