Labour

Workplace Safety and Health



New Requirements For Washroom Access - Effective May 30, 2023

Private Member’s Bill 227 – The Workplace Safety and Health Amendment Act (Access to Washrooms for Delivery Persons) – was introduced in the Manitoba legislature in March 2023. The Bill added provisions to the Workplace Safety and Health Act that came into force on May 30, 2023 as a new section 45.3 of the Act.

Under the new requirements, owners of a workplace must provide access to washroom facilities to a delivery person attending the workplace for the purposes of collecting or making a delivery. The mandated access is not required if:

  • the owner can demonstrate that access would pose a risk to the safety or health of any person in the workplace;
  • the owner can demonstrate that the measures required to provide access would cause undue hardship due to the activities in the workplace, the security requirements, and the layout of the workplace; or,
  • the washroom is only accessible via a dwelling.

Overview

Workplace Safety and Health enforces The Workplace Safety and Health Act and its three associated regulations in order to ensure Manitoba’s workplaces are safe and healthy.

Inspection and investigation activity focuses on improving legislative compliance in order to reduce workplace fatalities, serious injuries and illnesses. 

Workplace Safety and Health enforcement targets high-risk hazards and sectors, as well as repeated or willful non-compliance. In addition to focused enforcement, random inspections are conducted to ensure consistency throughout the province.

For more information about current enforcement strategies, click here: Enforcement Strategies

Statistics & Reporting

  • Safety and Health Officers conduct approximately 5,000 inspections per year.
    • Approximately 50% of inspections result in one or more orders being issued to an employer.
    • Improvement orders are issued when a priority contravention is noted, and require measures to be put in place by a specified timeframe in order to ensure the safety and health of workers. Approximately 7,500 improvement orders are issued annually.
    • When an officer observes an imminent hazard, they may order work to stop immediately, and remain stopped until the officer is satisfied that the hazard is appropriately dealt with. Approximately 400 stop work orders are issued each year.
  • Annually, Workplace Safety and Health receives over 8,500 phone calls and hundreds of emails, including general questions, tips regarding unsafe work and reports of serious incidents at workplaces.
    • Approximately 1,450 tips are triaged to an officer for further follow-up, taking into account the level of risk, the circumstances of each, and the safety and health history of the employer.
  • On average, just over 1,000 serious incidents are reported to the Branch each year.
  • Administrative penalties range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are reserved for cases of wilful, severe or repeated non-compliance. On average 15-20 penalties are being issued each year.
  • Approximately 10-15 files are forwarded for review by Manitoba Justice.
  • Charges may be laid when:
    • Injury or illness occur as a direct result of contraventions to safety and health legislation;
    • Repeated or willful non-compliance to safety and health requirements; is noted; or,
    • Work continues after a stop work order has been issued.

For more information on orders, penalties and convictions, click here: Stop Work Orders, Penalties & Convictions

For more information on enforcement statistics, click here: Reports

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