Workplace inspections are a core pillar of every credible occupational health and safety program in Ontario. Under Section 9 of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act, Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs) — required at workplaces with 20 or more workers — must inspect all or part of the workplace at least once a month, completing a full inspection of the entire workplace at least once every calendar year. At workplaces with 6–19 workers, a designated health and safety representative must inspect the workplace at least once a month. These are minimum legal requirements, not best practices. Failing to conduct inspections — or conducting them without proper documentation — is consistently cited in MOL orders and creates significant liability when a worker is injured.
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Inspections must be performed by a certified JHSC member (worker co-chair or employer co-chair) or the health and safety representative — both parties should be represented for maximum credibility and legal compliance
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Create a written inspection checklist specific to your workplace hazards — a generic checklist may miss industry-specific risks and will not impress a MOL inspector or COR™ auditor
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Document every inspection with a written report that identifies hazards observed, assigns responsibility for corrective action, sets a deadline, and tracks follow-up — an inspection without a written record is legally equivalent to no inspection
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Prioritize hazards using a risk matrix: high-severity, high-probability hazards must be corrected immediately (take the equipment out of service if needed), while lower-risk items are scheduled for correction with a tracked deadline
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The JHSC or H&S rep must provide inspection reports to the employer in writing — the employer is legally required to respond in writing within 21 days, indicating action taken or the reasons for disagreement
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Critical inspections — such as pre-use equipment checks, scaffolding inspections, fall protection system checks, and confined space pre-entry inspections — are in addition to the monthly JHSC inspection and must be documented separately
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Inspection records are a key document in any MOL investigation following a serious incident — gaps in inspection records create significant liability; keep all records for at least three years
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For COR™ certification, workplace inspections are a scored element — your program must demonstrate that inspections are conducted, documented, hazards are tracked to closure, and results are communicated to workers
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