The two documents that run every site
The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, is Ontario's core workplace safety law. It sets the duties, the enforcement powers, and the general framework everything else hangs off.
Ontario Regulation 213/91 (Construction Projects) is the regulation that governs construction sites specifically. It sits under the OHSA and applies the Act's general duties to the day to day work of a project.
What the Green Book actually is
"The Green Book" is the trade name for the printed compilation of the OHSA and its key regulations that lives in trailers and gloveboxes across Ontario. The book is a commercial print; the law itself is free on e-Laws at the links above. A printed copy goes stale the day the regulation is amended, so always confirm against the online version.
Who enforces it
The regulator is the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD). MLITSD inspectors can enter a project unannounced, require documents, and issue orders, including stop-work orders.
The OHSA works on the Internal Responsibility System: employers, supervisors, and workers each carry their own duties under the Act.
- Employers carry duties under section 25 of the Act.
- Supervisors carry duties under section 27 of the Act.
- Workers carry duties under section 28 of the Act.
Most workplaces with 20 or more workers need a Joint Health and Safety Committee. Smaller workplaces need a health and safety representative instead.
The training your crew must hold
Every worker in Ontario must complete basic occupational health and safety awareness training under Ontario Regulation 297/13.
Construction workers who may use fall protection must also hold valid Working at Heights training from an approved provider before working at heights. The province sets the approval and the standard for that training.
Our toolbox talks run recorded five-minute talks you can log between courses to keep the rest of your crew's training current.
The paperwork the law creates
Most construction businesses in Ontario must register with the WSIB, and general contractors ask for WSIB clearance certificates before letting a sub on site. Check your status or register at wsib.ca.
A Notice of Project must also be filed with the ministry before certain projects begin, with thresholds set in Reg 213/91. The pages below cover the filings and logs the law expects you to keep.
Build the Notice of Project filing before your project starts.
NOP rules and finesWhat triggers a filing, and what to expect if you skip one.
FLHA templateA field level hazard assessment template for site use.
Safe Work Procedure templateA safe work procedure template for tasks your crew repeats.
WSIB Form 7, explainedWhat the employer's report covers.
Washroom cleaning log rulesWhat a washroom cleaning log needs to show.
When the inspector shows up
MLITSD inspectors can enter a project unannounced, ask for documents, and issue orders, including stop-work orders. Our inspection compliance walkthrough covers what they typically check first. Hot weather changes what an inspector expects on site too, so see our heat stress policy guide for the paperwork that goes with it.
Ready when an inspector asks
Blue Crane keeps the records this page describes: certs, sign-offs and safety documents filed to the worksite they belong to, ready when an inspector asks. Free for 30 days, no card.
Common questions
Is the Green Book the law?
The Green Book is a printed compilation of the law: the OHSA and its key regulations. The law itself is the Act and regulations on Ontario's e-Laws site, which is always current. Treat the book as a field reference and e-Laws as the truth.
Do I need a Notice of Project for every job?
No. The Notice of Project thresholds are set in Regulation 213/91, and many small jobs fall under them. Check the current thresholds on e-Laws before you rely on an exemption, and file before work starts when one applies.
What training does every worker need before day one?
Basic occupational health and safety awareness training under Regulation 297/13, plus Working at Heights training from an approved provider for construction workers who may use fall protection. Trade-specific and site-specific training come on top of that.
Read more on the safety hub, or compare every province's equivalent law.