QUESTION
How long does an employer in Ontario have to retain its monthly workplace inspection sheets’
ANSWER
Ontario doesn’t specify a retention time but best practices dictate hanging onto inspection records for at least a year.
EXPLANATION
Ontario OHS laws require employers and safety committees to do monthly workplace inspections but don’t say anything about inspection records and how long to keep them. The only retention requirements pertain to specific types of inspections, such as cranes at construction project sites. The basic rule is that the employer must make the inspection records available to MOL inspectors and the workplace safety committee or representative for at least one year. And based on the OHS requirements outside Ontario, I think the one-year minimum is also advisable in Ontario (and other jurisdictions) that don’t have an express retention requirement for general workplace inspection records.
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