Manufacturing High Risk Strategy
The 2021–2023 Manufacturing High Risk Strategy (HRS) is designed to reduce the incidence of injuries in manufacturing by assisting employers in implementing their safety programs to control risks at the workplace. The strategy includes education, consultation, and inspectional activities.
- Our goals
- Our focus
- What you can do
Our goals
The goals of the 2021–2023 HRS are to:
- Prevent injuries in the manufacturing industry: In 2020, the injury rate in manufacturing was 2.6 time-loss injuries per 100 workers. This is 24 percent higher than the provincial injury rate average.
- Prevent serious injuries and fatal injuries in the manufacturing industry: In 2020, the serious injury rate in manufacturing was 33 percent higher than the provincial serious injury rate average.
- Prevent fire and explosion events in the manufacturing industry
Our focus
2022 inspectional approach
For 2022 inspections, prevention officers will take a risk-based approach to ensure that the most significant risks are effectively managed. This approach involves workers and employers identifying hazards, evaluating risks, and implementing the appropriate controls specific to the on-site activities. In addition, it focuses on employers ensuring these efforts are effectively communicated to workers and monitored through foundational occupational health and safety systems such as orientations, training, supervision, incident investigations, worksite inspections, and (where applicable) joint health and safety committees that are robust and well supported.
The 2021–2023 strategy will focus on the most significant risks within an industry, from among the following nine hazards:
- Machine safeguarding, de-energization and lock out
- Powered tools
- Hand tools
- Material handling
- Falls from elevation
- Falls on the same level (slips, trips and falls)
- Mobile equipment
- Combustible dust
- Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI)
Officers will focus their inspections on these industries or classification units.
What you can do
A healthy and safe workplace is a shared responsibility. The following resources will help you better understand and address some of the health and safety issues to focus on in your industry. For more resources and information, please visit our Manufacturing pages.
Managing risks in manufacturing workplaces: How to use the self-evaluation tool
This guide explains how to use the accompanying set of self‑evaluation checklists to see how you are identifying, controlling, and managing risks in your manufacturing workplace. The checklists...
Safeguarding Machinery and Equipment
This manual is mainly for employers, but it contains useful information for everyone who owns, operates, maintains, or sells powered machinery and equipment. Divided into three main parts, the content...
Manufacturing Inspection Checklist: Safeguarding, Lockout, and Combustible Dust
This guide is intended to make employers aware of the parts of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation related to common hazards in manufacturing, including safeguarding, lockout, and combustible...
Controlling Hazardous Energy: De-Energization and Lockout
De-energization and lockout prevents the release of hazardous energy that could cause injury to workers. This resource is mainly for employers, though the information is relevant for joint health...