Ontario proposing new 'heat stress' regulation to protect workers amid extreme temperatures
CBC
A new proposal by the Ontario government would see regulations added that the province says will better protect workers in Ontario by limiting heat stress and heat-related illnesses, as temperatures across Canada and the globe continue to rise due to climate change.
The proposed bill, published this month, would add a new "stand-alone" heat stress regulation under Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS) and would apply to all workplaces where the OHS applies.
According to the proposal, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development will conduct a regulatory impact analysis of the amendments in order to identify and assess potential benefits and costs.
"Heat stress is a significant cause of occupational illnesses that may also lead to death," the proposal reads.
"[It] occurs when the heat load on a worker from the combined contribution of environmental factors, physical activity, and clothing overcome the body's natural cooling system."
The ministry says due to changes in the climate, extreme heat events are a "growing health risk" to workers.
Referring to the Canada in a Changing Climate: Regional Perspectives Report, the average temperatures in Ontario are increasing, and heat waves and heat-related illnesses are expected to become more frequent, the ministry said.
Labour Minister Monte McNaughton says there will be more to come about the proposal in the coming months but did not offer further details.
"The health and safety of every worker is our government's top priority," McNaughton said at an unrelated news conference in Etobicoke Tuesday.
"Employers have a responsibility to keep workers safe but I will not hesitate to take more action in the coming months."
The Rachel Notley government's consumer carbon tax wound up becoming a weapon the UCP wielded to drum the Alberta NDP out of office. But that levy-and-repayment program, and the wide-ranging "climate leadership plan" around it, also stood as the NDP's boldest, provincial-reputation-altering move in their single-term tenure.