On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, Michele Beckstead-Jackson from Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) discusses the importance of asbestos awareness in Ontario workplaces and the required training for workers and supervisors to ensure they are well-equipped to recognize asbestos hazards and know how to safely control them. Asbestos remains a dangerous material, particularly in construction and renovation projects. Proper training for worke...
Jul 21, 2025•25 min•Ep. 113
One common mistake organizations often make is using the terms "assessment," "inspection," and "audit" interchangeably. These terms have different meanings and serve different purposes in health and safety, making it essential to not confuse them. This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses the differences between assessments, inspections, and audits in workplace safety and features Michael Falls, health and safety management systems consultant with IHSA in the COR® department. Michael add...
Jul 07, 2025•17 min•Ep. 112
This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses the Office of the Worker Adviser (OWA) and features Kevin Brown and Kristen Lindsay from Ontario's Office of the Worker Adviser. The Office of the Worker Adviser is a resource that supports injured Ontario workers and ensures their rights are respected and enforced. The OWA team provides assistance in filing claims and navigating appeals, helping injured workers understand their rights and standing up for fairness. There is no charge for OWA serv...
Jun 24, 2025•46 min•Ep. 111
The Office of the Employer Advisor (OEA) is a little-known resource in Ontario that’s been quietly saving employers time, money, and stress, and it does not cost a thing. On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, OEA’s Director, Susan Adams, and one of their Employer Specialists, Dunstan Francis, discuss what the OEA does and how they assist Ontario employers. The OEA offers expert guidance, representation, and support to employers. They provide legal services and advice at no cost to help emp...
Jun 10, 2025•30 min•Ep. 110
This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast continues the discussion on the importance of an effective road safety program in preventing motor vehicle incidents (MVIs) and features IHSA’s Michelle Roberts. Michelle continues with the Plan–Do–Check–Act Model within a road safety program, emphasizing the importance of driver assessment and vehicle maintenance as crucial parts of the program. She highlights the need for regular assessments to ensure qualified drivers understand their responsibilities a...
May 27, 2025•23 min•Ep. 109
Motor vehicle incidents (MVIs) are a leading cause of workplace injuries in Ontario. With thousands of Ontario workers driving daily, including professional and non-commercial drivers, it is crucial for employers to invest time and effort in building a road safety program. On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, Michelle Roberts discusses how employers can build and implement an effective road safety program that can save lives and boost efficiency. Michelle states that employers have a lega...
May 12, 2025•26 min•Ep. 108
April 28 marks the National Day of Mourning—a time to honour those whose lives have been forever changed by workplace tragedies. It’s a time to remember, but it’s also a time to renew our commitment to safer workplaces for everyone. On this special National Day of Mourning episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, we welcome back Eugene Gutierrez to share his story of resiliency, hope, and the work being done across Canada to create safer and healthier workplaces. Eugene lost his father in a workplace...
Apr 22, 2025•48 min•Ep. 107
This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast is the final segment on the roles and legal requirements of Joint Health and Safety Committees (provincial legislation) and Workplace Health and Safety Committees (federal legislation) in Ontario, featuring IHSA’s Alain Leger and Doug Heintz. JHSCs & WHSCs play vital roles in Ontario workplaces. Alain and Doug iterate that a key function of both committees is to conduct regular monthly inspections in the workplace. On the provincial level, worker commi...
Apr 14, 2025•21 min•Ep. 106
This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast continues the discussion on the roles and legal requirements of Joint Health and Safety Committees (provincial legislation) and Workplace Health and Safety Committees (federal legislation) in Ontario, and features IHSA’s Alain Leger and Doug Heintz. JHSCs and WHSCs play crucial roles in identifying hazards, improving workplace conditions, and ensuring compliance with legislation. In Ontario, one half of the committee members must be worker members chosen b...
Mar 31, 2025•29 min•Ep. 105
This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses the roles and legal requirements of Joint Health and Safety Committees (provincial legislation) and Workplace Health and Safety Committees (federal legislation) in Ontario and features IHSA's Alain Leger and Doug Heintz. A Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) and a Workplace Health and Safety Committee (WHSC) are composed of workers and employee representatives who are mutually committed to improving health and safety conditions in the workpl...
Mar 17, 2025•13 min•Ep. 104
A health and safety representative (HSR) plays a crucial role when it comes to workplace safety, and IHSA’s Deb Moskal and Doug Heintz return to the IHSA Safety Podcast to discuss their importance in the workplace. On Episode 102, Deb and Doug explained the legislative requirements for a health and safety representative in Ontario small businesses. On this episode, they discuss the importance of having a health and safety representative and how employers can help them flourish in their role. The...
Mar 02, 2025•23 min•Ep. 103
On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, IHSA’s Deb Moskal and Doug Heintz discuss the role of health and safety representatives (HSRs) in Ontario small businesses. Deb and Doug explain when a workplace requires a health and safety representative, how they are selected, and their functions according to workplace health and safety legislation. There are similarities between federal and provincial legislation regarding health and safety representatives, but there are also differences. Within pr...
Feb 17, 2025•27 min•Ep. 102
On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, IHSA’s Maren Gamble discusses the importance of understanding legal and other requirements when building an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS). Employers, supervisors, and workers need to understand their obligations under Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) or the Canada Labour Code Part 2. To determine which requirements should be addressed, Maren suggests brainstorming with the right stakeholders, such as Joint ...
Feb 03, 2025•51 min•Ep. 101
During the winter months in Canada, the weather can get extremely cold, and workers in industries such as construction, transportation, and electrical utilities oftentimes endure frigid temperatures and face the risk of experiencing cold stress. On this 100th episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, Jasmine Kalsi, IHSA's Occupational Hygienist, revisits the topic of cold stress, a highly important topic that was discussed in depth on Episode 76 of the IHSA Safety Podcast. Cold stress occurs when the ...
Jan 20, 2025•15 min•Ep. 100
On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, Michele Beckstead-Jackson from Ontario's Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development discusses the importance of asbestos awareness and training in Ontario workplaces to ensure workers are well-equipped to recognize the dangers of asbestos and know how to safely control the hazard. Michele states that, although asbestos was mostly halted in construction projects by 1990, some products containing asbestos, such as cement pipes, stor...
Jan 07, 2025•23 min•Ep. 99
On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, IHSA’s Jennifer McKenzie discusses the 'See Something, Say Something' initiative and the importance of speaking up about unsafe conditions at work. Safety is everyone's responsibility, and speaking up protects not only oneself and their co-workers but also their loved ones from preventable heartbreak. The 'See Something, Say Something' initiative originated from the Bruin, Gerrard, and Maguire Coroner's Inquest, which highlighted a significant gap in w...
Dec 16, 2024•12 min•Ep. 98
Distracted driving has become a leading cause of collisions and fatalities in Ontario. Statistics show that, on average, one Ontario citizen is injured in a collision caused by distracted driving every half hour. On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, IHSA’s Michelle Roberts discusses distracted driving as a workplace hazard and the significant impact it can have on one’s safety. Distracted driving is a form of impaired driving in which a driver's judgment is compromised because they are no...
Dec 02, 2024•38 min•Ep. 97
On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, Jasmine Kalsi, IHSA's occupational hygienist, discusses the importance of respiratory protection programs for Ontario workplaces. A respiratory protection program is a formal program that outlines the requirements of respiratory protection for specific tasks in the workplace, and includes expectations on respirators, filters, responsibilities of different workplace parties, as well as training expectations. In Ontario, employers are required to have a ...
Nov 18, 2024•16 min•Ep. 96
On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, Jasmine Kalsi, IHSA’s occupational hygienist, discusses the importance of air quality testing and exposure assessments in Ontario's construction, transportation, and electrical utility sectors. These industries often expose workers to various airborne dusts and contaminants, which can have both short-term and long-term health effects. Ontario Regulation 833 regulates the control of exposure to biological or chemical agents, including steps for assessin...
Nov 04, 2024•16 min•Ep. 95
This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast features Bothwell-Accurate, a construction firm established in 1927, and discusses its successful transition to the COR® 2020 standard and recent recognition by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) under the Ontario Safe Employers Program. Bothwell-Accurate's Corporate Health and Safety Manager, Carlo Colozza, shares the story of the company’s recent transition to COR® 2020 standard. Carlo’s strong background in COR...
Oct 21, 2024•24 min•Ep. 94
This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses the importance of documentation in an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) and features IHSA’s Adam Carruthers, who shares his experience in writing policies, procedures, and processes. Adam discusses the critical need to have documentation in an OHSMS, particularly for small businesses. Smaller companies often face a higher risk of injuries due to insufficient knowledge, training, and experience in health and safety. It is th...
Oct 10, 2024•22 min•Ep. 93
This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses the impact of workplace injuries and features Amber Hiuser, occupational health and safety coordinator, who shares her experience with workplace injury and the impact it has had on both her personal and professional life. Amber’s interest in workplace health and safety began the moment her life changed when, as an 18-year old new on a job, she accidentally entangled her fingers with a blade while operating a CNC machine lathe. A few years later, ...
Sep 23, 2024•21 min•Ep. 92
This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses mental health in high-risk workplaces, as well as the partnership between IHSA and Opening Minds, a division of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, to deliver a new training program, The Working Mind for the Trades. Joining in the conversation are Charles Boyer and Derek Baranowski from the Mental Health Commission of Canada and IHSA's Kathy Martin, as they emphasize the importance of addressing mental health in the workplace. The Working Min...
Sep 09, 2024•30 min•Ep. 91
On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, IHSA’s Maren Gamble discusses the impact of senior management on the performance of an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS). A senior manager’s level of commitment towards their OHSMS is a critical factor to its success. For example, a senior manager's involvement, such as attending meetings, having knowledge of the system, and having a good understanding of the internal audit process, can significantly impact the success of the sys...
Aug 25, 2024•34 min•Ep. 90
On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, IHSA’s Maren Gamble discusses the distinction between two concepts that are often confused in health and safety: corrective action and preventative action. Corrective actions are taken in response to existing hazards or incidents in the workplace. Preventative actions, on the other hand, take a more proactive approach with the aim to minimize or eliminate hazards and prevent incidents from reoccurring. The difference between the two is that one focuses...
Aug 12, 2024•21 min•Ep. 89
For some people, the idea of a "diet" can be unpleasant and misleading. However, a diet has more to do with the choices we make when it comes to what we eat and drink. On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, IHSA’s Holly Baril discusses practical diet and nutrition tips for food and beverages. Holly explains the differences between carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, the three main energy sources for the body, and how they contribute to overall health. Carbohydrates are made of carbon, hydrog...
Jul 29, 2024•56 min•Ep. 88
This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s (MTO) Driver Certification Program (DCP), and features Brad Bird, Manager of Health & Safety Education and Accredited Programs at IHSA. The Driver Certification Program is a voluntary program that gives an organization authority from the Ministry of Transportation to train and test their employees for the purpose of upgrading or renewing classified licences and endorsements. Employees who successfully ...
Jul 12, 2024•31 min•Ep. 87
Summer in Ontario is typically hot and dry, which can cause heat stress for outdoor workers who work long hours. With Environment Canada predicting warmer-than-usual temperatures this summer in Ontario, it’s critical to take adequate measures to prevent heat stress. Heat stress is a seasonal hazard that can occur when the body's core temperature rises, causing severe dehydration that can be harmful if left untreated. We invite you to listen to a re-launch of Episode 60 of the IHSA Safety Podcast...
Jul 03, 2024•19 min•Ep. 86
Occupational illnesses can result from acute and long-term exposures to hazardous chemical agents. Controlling these exposures can help lower the risk of workers developing a workplace disease. On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, Jon Lee, Occupational Hygienist with Ontario's Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), and Jasmine Kalsi, IHSA's Occupational Hygienist, discuss occupational hygiene and the Ministry's campaign efforts regarding exposure to che...
Jun 17, 2024•20 min•Ep. 85
This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast takes on a more conversational tone as host Ken Rayner, IHSA’s VP of Market Development and Communications, and Jennifer Kahn, EllisDon's VP of Inclusive Diversity, discuss diversity and inclusion. Jennifer shares her personal experiences with diversity and inclusion, stating that diversity is a fact but inclusion is a choice that requires intention and effort. Jennifer also explores the concept of privilege, a controversial term, and its potential to prom...
Jun 03, 2024•51 min•Ep. 84
