In Ontario, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) grants workers three core rights: the right to know about workplace hazards, the right to participate in identifying and solving health and safety problems, and the right to refuse unsafe work. These rights are crucial for ensuring a safe and healthy working environment.
RIGHT TO KNOW
This right ensures that workers have access to information about potential hazards in their workplace, such as the risk of falls, and are trained on proper fall prevention measures like harness use, guardrails, and anchor points.
RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE
This right ensures workers can take part in identifying fall hazards, reviewing safety procedures, and contributing to decisions about the equipment and methods used to prevent falls.
RIGHT TO REFUSE
This right protects workers from being forced to perform tasks that they reasonably believe are unsafe or dangerous to themselves or others. Workers have the right to refuse work if they have a reasonable belief that the work could lead to harm, and they are protected from reprisal for exercising this right.
To raise awareness and improve workplace safety, IHSA is leading Falls Awareness Week from May 5 to 9, 2025. IUOE Local 793 supports this initiative and remains committed to protecting every worker building and maintaining Ontario.
