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Health and safety is a critical component to running a successful landscape and nursery business. Landscape Ontario has worked cooperatively with Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) and its predecessor Farm Safety Association to help make landscape and growing operations healthier and safer. This site provides you quick access to the information, resources and tools you need to understand and meet your legal responsibilities and protect the health and safety of your employees, the most important resource to your business.
OH&S Act – What applies to landscape?
Legislative compliance
Ontario’s workplace health and safety legislation is anchored on the principle of the internal responsibility system — meaning that everyone in the workplace has rights and responsibilities. The law sets minimum standards and expects employers, supervisors and workers to work together to create a safe and healthy environment.
Workplaces with 20+ employees must have a joint health and safety committee (JHSC) comprised of at least one management representative and one worker representative. The worker representative must be selected by the workforce. Workplaces with fewer than 20 employees must have a health and safety representative. Two JHSC members (one management and one worker) must be certified, which involves training in health and safety law assessment, and control of hazards. Consider Certification training for others in your workplace as well. This could include supervisory, maintenance and human resources personnel, health and safety representatives, or owners/CEOs looking for basic "how do I start" information.
WSPS has resources to help with legislative compliance. Please refer to the Topics and Hazards page for additional information.
Option for more background content
Access to legislation and guides from Ontario Ministry of Labour
Nursery growers – Farm operations
Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act applies, with some limitations and conditions, to all farming operations that have paid workers under the Act. By giving the same basic rights under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to paid farm workers that are already given to other Ontario workers in provincially regulated workplaces, these workers will be better protected and farms will be safer.
Get the key information you need to understand how the OH&S Act applies to your Farming operations.
Health and Safety news
Keeping informed on the latest news and developments
Subscribe to Network News, for workplace health and safety news, prosecutions, alerts and updates provided on a monthly basis. There is a special issue for Agriculture workplaces.
Keep informed and get resources to prepare for upcoming MOL Blitzes.
Industry specific news
Getting started
What you need to know and how to get started
Small businesses are the engines of economic growth in Ontario – they keep people working and face the daily challenge of ensuring the workplace is productive, profitable and sustainable.
We’re here to help you make that happen by providing you with the tools, resources and assistance you need to keep your employees, friends and family safe in the workplace.
Three options for getting started
- Closing the Loop – Setting up a Health and Safety System in Your Small Business – A downloadable workbook and guide to help you navigate through the rules and regulations that govern workplace health and safety. Includes a self-assessment tool to help you get started.
- Getting Home Safe – Every Time – Check through the resources and tools provided on this website to help determine what you need to do and where you need to start to make your workplace safer and healthier.
Start by downloading and completing the easy to use Workplace Health & Safety Assessment Check-up Tool. Only eight key questions to get you started. Access the resource links under each question for help on how to get started.
- Landscape Safety Guidelines – Industry Developed guidelines to help understand and implement health and safety in your landscape and growing operation
Safety in Landscape Industry – overview of what you need to do to manage health and safety in your landscape or nursery business.
Landscape Safety Topics – provides helpful safe practices on the most common work activities and equipment used in the landscape industry. Useful tool to help you lead tailgate talks with your workers before they begin the work.
Landscape Ontario Industry Safety Manual – for Landscape Nursery Industry – Includes Tailgate Talks for:
- WHMIS
- Slips trips and falls
- Safe lifting and carrying
- General housekeeping in workplace
- Eye protection
- Tractor over-turns
- Power takeoff
- Protecting hearing – mod
- Protecting against sun
- Heat stress
- Equipment hazards – mod
- Skid steer loader safety
Training
Add introduction to importance of training and ways to access.
LO Seminars
Resources
Resources to help you with specific topics and issues
How to contact WSPS for further assistance:
Visit website: www.wsps.ca
Call customer care: 1-877-494-WSPS (9777)
E-mail – customercare@wsps.ca
Contact Landscape Ontario for further assistance:
1-800-265-5656 |
