Workplace Inspections

Legislation

Workplace inspections at TMU are in compliance by law with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) (external link) and the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Policy.

Purpose

Workplace inspections must be conducted annually and include all office spaces, kitchens and meeting spaces, research and teaching labs, storage spaces and any other rooms controlled by the department. Inspections are important as they allow inspection teams to:

listen to the concerns of workers and supervisors;
gain further understanding of jobs and tasks performed in their department;
identify existing and potential hazards;
determine underlying causes of hazards;
monitor hazard controls (personal protective equipment, engineering controls, policies and procedures); and
recommend corrective action.

Every inspection reporting process should aim to answer the who, what, where, when and how. Particular attention should be paid to items most likely to develop into unsafe or unhealthy conditions because of stress, wear, impact, vibration, heat, corrosion, chemical reaction or misuse.

How hazards are categorized

Workplace hazards may be categorized so that hazard-specific, appropriate action can be taken.

Hazard category
Chemical hazards: includes any form of chemical such as compressed gases, solvents.
Biological hazards: includes organisms or toxic substances produced by living things that can cause illnesses or disease in humans (e.g. bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, insects).
Physical hazards: includes noise, vibration, heat, cold and radiation.
Ergonomic hazards: includes design of the workplace and jobs that involve repetition, force and posture.
Energy hazards: includes pneumatic or hydraulic pressure, steam, heat and electricity.
Environmental hazards: includes comfort factors such as temperature and relative humidity, exposure to particulates, dust, moulds, and spores.
Machine hazards: includes hazards from moving parts like rotating shafts, belts, pulleys, blades and saws.
Work practice hazards: includes failure to have or follow safe work practices.

How risk level is identified

After identifying the hazard type, the hazard may be classified by risk level (i.e. class A is high risk, class B is moderate risk and class C is low risk) so as to assist in prioritizing the action plan.

Class type	Description
Class "A" Hazard (high risk)	A condition or practice with the potential for permanent disability, loss of life or body part, and/or extensive loss of structure, equipment or material.
Class "B" Hazard (moderate risk)	A condition or practice with the potential for serious injury or illness (resulting in serious or temporary disability) or property damage that is disruptive but less so than Class "A".
Class "C" Hazard (low risk)	A condition or practice with the potential for injury or illness, or disruptive (non-disabling) property damage.

Process

Departments are encouraged to complete inspections of all rooms under their control (e.g.

research and teaching labs, offices, kitchen spaces, meeting rooms) once per calendar year (from January 1 to December 31). Departments are not responsible for inspecting areas within their vicinity but outside of their control (e.g. washrooms, classrooms, hallways).

Formal workplace Inspections are conducted by the Joint Health and Safety Committee with support from EHS. Training is provided by EHS in addition to JHSC certification training.

Learn more about the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC), including meetings and their inspection schedule.

During the inspection

Inspection teams are expected to:

wear personal protective equipment (PPE) as required (if PPE is unavailable, the inspection team should not enter the area); and
identify and record any hazards

Inspection teams may choose to use these inspection checklists as required:

Following the inspection

Inspection teams are expected to notify their manager, chair or director of any hazard found during their inspections. The following information should be communicated:

describe the hazards, including location;
categorize hazards and identify risks;
recommend controls;

Inspection teams should ensure that all class "A" Hazard (high risk) items are addressed immediately and that controls are in place.

Supervisors’ responsibilities

Supervisors are responsible for maintaining a safe workplace on an ongoing basis. When hazards are communicated to them, it is their duty to ensure that corrective actions are taken.

Questions?

If you have any questions related to workplace inspections, please contact Environmental Health and Safety at ehs@torontomu.ca or 416-979-5000, ext. 553770.