Ontario’s Bill 160 receives royal assent

New chief prevention officer to be appointed, Ministry of Labour to lead accident prevention initiatives

Bill 160 received royal assent in Ontario on June 1.

The legislation, introduced in response to recommendations from the expert panel chaired by Tony Dean, passed third reading on May 18. The bill amends the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act and Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. Some key changes include:

•Establishing the Ministry of Labour as the lead for accident prevention, transferring it from the WSIB.

•Appointing a new chief prevention officer to co-ordinate and align the prevention system.

•Creating a new prevention council, with representatives from labour, employers, and safety experts, to advise the chief prevention officer and the minister

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