NEW WORKER ORIENTATION: WHAT ONTARIO LAW REQUIRES

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New workers get hurt at a dramatically higher rate than experienced ones. According to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), workers in their first month on a job are more than three times as likely to suffer a lost-time injury compared to workers who have been on the job for over a year. For workers under 25, the numbers are even worse — young workers account for a disproportionate share of workplace injuries across Ontario.

Ontario law recognizes this reality and places specific obligations on employers to orient, train, and supervise new workers before they begin any task. Here is exactly what the law requires and how to do it properly.

The Legal Foundation: OHSA Section 25(2)(a)

The Occupational Health and Safety Act sets out employer duties in section 25. The most relevant provision for new worker orientation is section 25(2)(a), which requires every employer to provide information, instruction, and supervision to a worker to protect the health or safety of the worker.

This is not a vague suggestion. "Information, instruction, and supervision" is a three-part obligation that applies from the moment a worker steps onto your site for the first time. Courts and MLITSD inspectors look at all three elements. Providing a safety manual (information) is not enough if you did not walk the worker through the hazards (instruction) and then check that they understood and followed the procedures (supervision).

For construction employers, Regulation 213/91 adds further specifics. Section 21(1) requires that workers be adequately protected by one or more of the following: personal protective equipment, guards, or other safeguards. Section 26 requires fall protection at 3 metres. None of this works if the worker was never told about the hazards or shown how to use the protective measures.

Mandatory Health and Safety Awareness Training

Since July 1, 2014, every worker in Ontario must complete a basic occupational health and safety awareness training program. This is a legal requirement under O. Reg. 297/13. The training must cover:

• The duties and rights of workers under the OHSA: Including the right to refuse unsafe work, the right to know about hazards, and the right to participate in health and safety.
• The duties of employers and supervisors: So workers understand what they can expect from their employer and who is responsible for what.
• The roles of the joint health and safety committee (JHSC) or health and safety representative: How to access these resources and what they do.
• Common workplace hazards: A general overview of hazard types — physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial.
• How OHSA is enforced: What happens during an MLITSD inspection and what the consequences of non-compliance are.

This training is available at no cost through the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development website. It takes approximately one hour to complete online and generates a certificate upon completion. Employers must ensure every new worker completes this training and must keep a record of the completion.

This is the minimum. It is general awareness training — it does not replace task-specific or site-specific training.

The first 90 days on a new job are the most dangerous period for any construction worker. New workers are statistically far more likely to be injured because they do not yet know the site-specific hazards. Front-load your orientation — do not spread it out over weeks.

WHMIS Training

If a worker will be exposed to or handle any hazardous products on the job, they must receive WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) training before they begin work with those products. Under Ontario Regulation 860 (WHMIS), employers must ensure workers are trained on:

• Hazard symbols and pictograms: The GHS (Globally Harmonized System) pictograms used on labels and Safety Data Sheets.
• Safety Data Sheets (SDS): How to read and find SDS for every hazardous product on site. Workers must know where the SDS binder is located and how to use the information in an emergency.
• Labels: Supplier labels and workplace labels — what information they contain and what to do if a label is missing or illegible.
• Safe handling procedures: Specific to the products on your site. Generic WHMIS training covers the system itself, but workers also need site-specific instruction on the particular chemicals they will encounter.

WHMIS training must be completed before the worker handles, stores, or works near any hazardous product. On a construction site, this includes common substances like concrete dust (silica), solvents, adhesives, paints, fuels, and cleaning chemicals.

Site-Specific Hazard Orientation

The generic training programs above provide a foundation, but every construction site has its own unique hazards. A proper new worker orientation must include a site-specific component that covers:

• Site layout and access: Where to enter and exit, where equipment operates, designated walkways, and restricted areas.
• Specific hazards present: Open excavations, overhead work, live electrical, confined spaces, fragile surfaces, leading edges, and any other hazards specific to the current phase of the project.
• Emergency procedures: Location of first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and muster points. Who the first aid attendant is. How to call for help. Emergency evacuation routes.
• PPE requirements: What PPE is required on this specific site, where to get it, and how to use it properly. This includes any site-specific requirements that go beyond the general regulatory minimums.
• Fall protection plan: If the worker will be exposed to fall hazards, they must be oriented on the site's fall protection plan, including the specific systems in use, anchor point locations, rescue procedures, and their WAH certification requirements.
• Reporting procedures: How to report hazards, near-misses, injuries, and unsafe conditions. Who to report to. What forms to use.

The First 90 Days

Research consistently shows that the first 90 days on a new job are the most dangerous period for workers. WSIB data indicates that approximately one-third of all lost-time injuries in construction happen to workers in their first year on the job, with the highest concentration in the first three months.

This is not just because new workers lack experience. It is because they:

• Do not know what they do not know: Experienced workers recognize hazards instinctively because they have seen them before. New workers may not even realize a situation is dangerous.
• Are reluctant to speak up: New workers often hesitate to ask questions, refuse unsafe work, or report hazards because they do not want to seem incompetent or cause problems in their first weeks.
• Overestimate their abilities: Workers who have experience in a different trade or on a different type of site may assume their existing skills transfer completely, when in reality every site has unique hazards.

Employers should provide closer supervision during this period. Pairing new workers with experienced mentors, checking in more frequently, and explicitly encouraging questions can significantly reduce the injury risk during these critical first months.

Young Workers

Workers aged 15 to 24 face even higher risks. According to the WSIB, young workers in Ontario suffer approximately 30,000 workplace injuries per year. In construction specifically, young workers are significantly overrepresented in fall-related injuries and struck-by incidents.

Young workers often enter the construction industry through summer jobs, co-op placements, or apprenticeships with minimal prior safety training. Employers must be especially diligent with orientation for this group. Never assume a young worker knows the basics. Start from the beginning — what a hard hat is for, why they cannot walk under a crane load, how a harness works.

Documentation Requirements

If it is not documented, it did not happen. This is not just a cliche — it is how MLITSD inspectors and courts evaluate whether an employer met their training obligations. Keep records of:

• Health and Safety Awareness Training certificates: Keep a copy of every worker's completion certificate on file.
• WHMIS training records: Including the date completed, the topics covered, and the trainer's name.
• Site orientation sign-off: Have new workers sign a document confirming they received site-specific orientation, listing the topics covered and the date.
• WAH and other trade-specific certifications: Copies of all current certificates with expiry dates tracked.
• Toolbox talk attendance: Sign-in sheets for every safety talk, with the topic and date recorded.

Keep these records organized and accessible. An MLITSD inspector can ask to see them at any time. After an incident, they will be among the first documents requested.

The Bottom Line

Orienting a new worker properly takes time. On a busy construction site with tight deadlines, it can feel like a delay. But the cost of not doing it — in injuries, WSIB claims, MLITSD orders, fines, and human suffering — is vastly higher than the cost of a proper orientation session.

Cover the basics first: Health and Safety Awareness Training, WHMIS, site-specific hazards, PPE, and emergency procedures. Document everything. Provide closer supervision during the first 90 days. And create a culture where new workers feel safe asking questions. That is how you protect your people and your business.