Basic Health & Safety for Small Business – Ontario Checklist

New user-friendly tool helps busy managers establish procedures for basic health & safety for small business. 

The Ontario government has made available a new, online tool to help small businesses that have not yet put in place health & safety procedures.  The Ministry of Labour’s “Health and Safety Checklist” identifies required procedures related to health & safety for small business in Ontario.  This combination checklist and resource finder includes links to useful information that will help  small business owners quickly find the information they need so they can understand and put in place safety procedures that comply with Ontario health & safety laws.

Imagine a small business such as a small printing shop, a hairdresser, a community landscaping business or a professional office.  These types of businesses have few employees and are usually operated by individuals who are knowledgeable about a specific specialty service or product.  The business owners wear multiple hats, doing the work of customer service provider, supervisor, trainer, accountant, marketer and administrator.   With the little time they have left, it is challenging but still necessary to ensure that the small business also has the safety procedures required by law.

The MOL Health & Safety Checklist helps small business owners understand the health and safety procedures required by Ontario law.    The checklist identifies basic occupational health & safety act (OHSA) requirements related health & safety roles and responsibilities, records management, hazards in the workplace and training.  This tool can guide small business managers when setting up health & safety procedures for their workplace.

The Health & Safety Checklist is a starting point for organizations.  For some small businesses, the checklist will be all that is required to develop their safety program.  But for workplaces with many hazards that expose their employees to greater risks, additional research or professional help may be necessary to put in place additional required procedures beyond a basic health & safety program.  

Read more about basic health & safety for small business in Ontario.

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Audra Sayn-Wittgenstein

Audra divides her time as a business and Health & Safety manager establishing and maintaining management systems for Fusion and our clients.

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2 thoughts on “Basic Health & Safety for Small Business – Ontario Checklist

  1. So glad you found it useful … maintaining employee safety and proper H&S procedures is important and it takes some work. Good luck!

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