Small Business Safety Pro Health and Safety Compliance Checklist

The basics you need to keep workers safe, reduce injuries and avoid looking unprepared when inspectors come calling ...

Running a small business in Canada?

Health and safety compliance isn’t optional—it’s essential. But figuring out what you actually need can be confusing. That’s why we created the Small Business Health and Safety Compliance Checklist—a clear, actionable guide to help you meet your legal obligations and create a safer workplace.

The purpose of this list is to demonstrate the basic requirements for safety compliance. While there are minor differences among the provinces, this detailed list shows what you need to cover the basics of safety compliance. It is for information purposes only.

For more detailed information, policy templates, inspection forms and more, message me at www.smallbusinesssafetypro.com for a no obligation review and recommendations.

Small Business Safety Pro is a weekly publication catering to small business owners and managers who don’t have a dedicated safety professional on staff and want help with managing the requirements of occupational safety. It is published on Substack at www.smallbusinesssafetypro.com every Tuesday morning.

1. Policies & Procedures

· Written Occupational Health and Safety Policy (required for workplaces with 6+ employees)

· Written Workplace Violence and Harassment Policies

· Procedures for reporting and investigating workplace incidents (injuries, violence, harassment)

· Return-to-work program (for workplaces with 20+ employees or with a high injury frequency)

2. Training Requirements

· Worker Health and Safety Awareness Training (mandatory for all workers)

· Supervisor Health and Safety Awareness Training

· WHMIS 2015 (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) Training

· Job-specific hazard training (e.g., machine guarding, confined space)

· Working at Heights Training (if applicable)

· First Aid and CPR (based on size and risk of the workplace)

3. Health & Safety Representation

· Health and Safety Representative (if 6–19 workers)

· Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) (if 20+ workers)

· Meeting minutes and workplace inspections documented

4. Documentation & Postings

· Post a copy of the Occupational Health and Safety Act

· Post the Health and Safety Policy and Workplace Violence and Harassment Policies

· Post names and locations of JHSC members or Health and Safety Representative

· Post the “Health & Safety at Work: Prevention Starts Here” poster

· Post emergency contact information and procedures

· Maintain records of all training and inspections

5. Hazard Management

· Conduct regular hazard assessments

· Implement controls for identified hazards

· Maintain and inspect personal protective equipment (PPE)

· Procedures for lockout/tagout, confined space, machine safety, etc.

6. Reporting & Recordkeeping

· Maintain records of injuries and illnesses (Form 7 for WSIB)

· Report critical injuries/fatalities to the Ministry of Labour (MOL), JHSC, and union (if applicable)

· Keep first aid log and incident reports

· Maintain workplace inspection records

7. Emergency Preparedness

· Emergency response plans (fire, chemical spill, medical emergency, etc.)

· Conduct regular fire drills and evacuation training

· Ensure fire extinguishers, alarms, and exits are functional and accessible