Ontario introducing occupational exposure registry
· Toronto Sun
OTTAWA — In an effort to protect the province’s workers from debilitating work-related illnesses, Ontario will be the home of Canada’s first Occupational Exposure Registry (OER.)
Announced Friday by Ontario’s Labour Minister David Piccini, the initiative will allow workers to self-report exposure to a number of toxic and hazardous materials via an online portal.
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“Ontario’s future depends on our workforce, and this tool represents an important step in protecting workers’ health on the job,” Piccini said.
“This first-in Canada Occupational Exposure Registry will give workers the tools they need to track and understand their exposure risks while helping prevent occupational disease before it starts.”
Exposure to 11 hazardous substances will be tracked
Workers will be able to use the online portal to anonymously report exposure to one of eleven designated hazardous substances, detailing how and when the exposure occurred, as well as what protective measures were in place — including personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilation, as well as reporting proper training.
Substances tracked under the portal include silica, lead, mercury and asbestos.
Submissions to the portal create an online and downloadable record of the exposure and its circumstances — helpful for future medical intervention and to increase awareness and empower workers to better understand hazards in the workplace.
Occupational illnesses account for majority of workplace deaths
The program also aims to reduce underreporting of hazardous material exposure — a chronic problem as illnesses from exposure to these substances normally take years for symptoms to manifest.
The latency period for mesothelioma, for example, can last anywhere from 20 to 50 years from a worker’s first asbestos exposure.
Jeff Land, president of Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB,) described the new online portal as a “big step forward” in keeping Ontario’s workers safe.
“More information and data about what people are exposed to will help improve prevention and could lead to faster access to WSIB services and supports for people with occupational disease claims,” he said.
Data from between 2010 and 2019 show fatalities from occupational illnesses accounted for around 76% of workplace fatalities.
Creation of the Occupational Exposure Registry stems from 2023’s Working for Workers Act , legislation meant to increase workplace safety in the province, as well as the 2023 Occupational Disease Landscape Review , which recommended increased awareness and reporting of occupational illnesses.