What’s New — Workplace Safety Regulatory Changes in Ontario (2022–2025)

The Legal Shift: New Amendments under the “Working for Workers” Laws

Over the last few years, the Ontario Provincial Government has passed a succession of omnibus labour bills — under the banner “Working for Workers Act, 2023 (Bill 79)”, followed by Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 (Bill 190), Working for Workers Six Act, 2024 (Bill 229), and most recently Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025 (Bill 30). Collectively, these have introduced some of the most significant changes to OHS (and related employment) law in more than a generation. Ford Keast LLP+4Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP+4Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP+4

In addition to changes under OHSA, these laws affect employment standards, insurance, layoffs, and workplace-related processes — but for the purposes of workplace safety and employer obligations, the OHSA amendments are most relevant. Hicks Morley+2Lexology+2

Key regulatory changes now in effect (or soon to be) include:

• A substantial increase in maximum fines for corporate offences under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA): from CAD $1.5 million to CAD $2 million per charge. mccarthy.ca+1

• Establishment of a minimum fine of CAD $500,000 for repeat offenders convicted of a second or subsequent offence that resulted in death or serious injury of one or more workers (within a two-year period). Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP+2Stringer LLP+2

• Introduction of a new Administrative Monetary Penalty (AMP) regime under OHSA, giving regulators an alternate enforcement/penalty path (instead of, or alongside, criminal or POA prosecution) for certain violations. Ontario Newsroom+1

• New requirements for workplace facilities, including washrooms: as of July 1, 2025, any washroom facility provided to workers must be maintained in a “clean and sanitary condition,” with employers required to maintain cleaning records as prescribed by regulation. Soloway Wright LLP+1

• Stronger obligations and clarity around workplace violence and harassment, including risk of covering remote/virtual harassment and other forms — reflecting changing workplace dynamics (remote work, hybrid models, digital communication). Peninsula Canada+2Ford Keast LLP+2

• Reinforced expectations regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) — including suitability and fit — to ensure that PPE obligations under OHSA can't be treated as mere formalities. WHSC+1

Collectively, these changes mark a sharpening of regulatory teeth: heavier penalties, lower thresholds for enforcement, and expanded obligations to address modern workplace conditions (e.g., harassment, remote work, hygiene).

What Employers and Employees Should Watch Out For

Given these recent changes, there are now higher stakes — and a broader scope of employer responsibilities. Here’s what both employers and workers need to be aware of.

For Employers: What You Must Do Differently (or More Thoroughly)

1. Review and strengthen health and safety programs — comprehensively.

   • Ensure that written health and safety policies reflect the updated obligations: hygiene/washroom maintenance, harassment prevention, PPE standards, and remote-work risk.

   • Maintain cleaning logs or records for washroom/facility hygiene, if your workplace provides facilities. Soloway Wright LLP+1

   • If there is remote work or hybrid work, ensure that worker safety (including psychological safety, harassment prevention) is considered under OHSA obligations (as amended). Wikipedia+2Ford Keast LLP+2

     
     

2. Take PPE more seriously.

   • Ensure PPE is appropriate for tasks, is properly fitted, maintained, and used. Don’t treat PPE as a checkbox — it must actually safeguard workers. WHSC+1

     
     

3. Enhance workplace violence and harassment prevention.

   • Conduct regular risk assessments (including for remote/digital interactions), implement updated harassment/violence prevention policies, and provide training where needed. Ford Keast LLP+1

     
     

4. Be aware of enforcement changes — and the consequences.

   • With higher maximum fines and minimum penalties for repeat serious offences, business leaders must treat compliance as non-negotiable. mccarthy.ca+3Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP+3Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP+3

   • Prepare for possible inspections tied to targeted government campaigns (e.g., upcoming health and safety compliance campaigns for 2025–2026 around workplace violence, material handling, etc.) Ontario

   • Ensure due diligence: training supervisors, identifying hazards, documenting safety practices, and having active internal safety committees if required.

     
     

5. Monitor changes under the newest legislation (Bill 30) and be ready to adapt.

   • Bill 30 may introduce additional training requirements, broader coverage (e.g., psychosocial hazards), and new enforcement tools. Ford Keast LLP+2Hicks Morley+2

   • Workplaces should stay tuned to regulations or guidance issued under the new AMP regime. Ontario Newsroom+1

     
     

For Employees: What This Means for Your Safety and Rights

• You now have stronger protection against poor hygiene, unsafe facilities, harassment (including online/virtual), and inadequate PPE.

• If a workplace is non-compliant — in providing clean facilities, appropriate PPE, harassment prevention, etc. — you (or coworkers) have even more reason to report the hazard or non-compliance.

• Knowing that fines and penalties are sharper than before can give more leverage to health and safety committees or representatives to push for improvements.

• If a serious accident or injury occurs and you suffer harm, there is greater incentive (for both you and the employer) to treat health and safety proactively, which — over time — may reduce risk of recurrence.

  
  

What Happens If You Don’t Comply — Fines, Penalties, and Enforcement

Because of the recent legislative changes, failure to meet OHS obligations can now bring heavier consequences than ever before. Some key penalty regimes:

• Under OHSA, a corporation convicted of an offence can now face a maximum fine of CAD $2,000,000 per charge. mccarthy.ca+1

• For a second or subsequent offence resulting in death or serious injury (within two years), there is a mandatory minimum fine of CAD $500,000 for corporations. Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP+1

• Regulatory inspectors now have the option to issue Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) for certain violations — potentially offering quicker, more administrative enforcement than criminal or prosecution routes. Ontario Newsroom+1

• For smaller offences or set-fine contraventions (for example under certain construction-notification breaches), there remain ticket-level fines (e.g., failure to notify the ministry of a project may yield a set fine). Ontario Courts+1

• Given the scale of fines, even a single conviction — or repeated minor violations — can be financially devastating, especially for small or medium-size businesses.

  
  

A recent case underscores the stakes: in April 2024, a corporation was fined CAD $600,000 and a director was fined CAD $80,000 (plus surcharge) for an OHSA violation — one of the largest fines to date under the Act. wardanduptigrove.com+1

Practical Checklist: What You Should Do Right Now

Here’s a “to-do” list for employers (and safety-minded employees) to reduce the risk of fines and — more importantly — to foster a genuinely safe workplace.

✅ Action	📌 Why It Matters / What It Achieves
Review and update your workplace health and safety policy (or create one if none exists)	Ensures compliance with OHSA under current standards; integrates hygiene, harassment, PPE, remote work risks.
Conduct a hazard assessment (physical, ergonomic, psychosocial) for all work modes (onsite, hybrid, remote)	Identifies risks — especially under expanded obligations like harassment, sanitation, remote-work safety.
Ensure PPE is appropriate, properly fitted, maintained, and used correctly	Meets legal obligations; helps avoid fines and prevents injury.
Implement or strengthen workplace violence & harassment prevention programs — including remote/virtual aspects	Required under recent amendments; supports worker safety and reduces liability.
Maintain records (e.g., cleaning logs, training attendance, PPE inventory, incident reports)	Documentation helps demonstrate due diligence; critical in case of inspections or prosecutions.
Ensure supervisors and managers are trained and aware of their OHSA duties	Because enforcement now expects more proactive compliance; lack of supervisor awareness is a common risk factor.
If required, maintain or (re)activate Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) or health & safety representative	Encourages worker participation, helps spot hazards early, and supports compliance culture.
Stay informed about upcoming guidance/regulations under new AMP regime	Helps prepare for potential non-criminal enforcement actions; avoids surprises.
Monitor job conditions and worker feedback (especially from remote staff or vulnerable workers)	Helps identify emerging hazards (psychological, ergonomic, harassment) early — and shows good faith.

What This All Means — And Why It Matters

The recent regulatory changes in Ontario reflect a sharpening of enforcement and a recognition that modern workplaces require more than just “basic compliance.” Between remote work, evolving hazards, and shifting societal expectations around harassment, hygiene, and worker well-being, the law now expects employers to be more proactive, more comprehensive, and more accountable.

For employers, that means health and safety cannot be seen as an afterthought or a bureaucratic chore. Instead, it must be central to workplace planning, culture, and day-to-day operations. Fines of up to CAD $2 million — or mandatory minimum fines of CAD $500,000 for repeat serious offences — are no longer theoretical; they are real risks.

For employees, the changes strengthen protections and expand rights. They underscore that safe, healthy, and respectful work — whether in an office, on a construction site, or remotely at home — is not optional: it’s legally required.

Final Thoughts

If you’re an employer in Ontario: now is the time to audit your workplace safety practices, update policies, and ensure you’re not leaving anything to chance. If you’re an employee — especially if you are part of a safety or worker-rights group — use the updated legal framework to advocate for real protections for yourself and your colleagues.

In the end, compliance is not just about avoiding fines. It’s about creating workplaces where people can actually do their jobs — safely, respectfully, and with dignity. The recent changes to the law raise the stakes, but also present an opportunity: to build a stronger, more modern, and more humane standard of workplace safety in Ontario.