The Ontario government is taking extra measures to protect farmworkers during the pandemic by expand provincewide inspections to farms , nursery and other agrarian operations to guarantee wellness and safe measures are being followed . " Our government is taking action to protect essential temporary foreign prole who may be at a high jeopardy of contracting COVID-19 during the upcoming growing season , " say Monte McNaughton , Minister of Labour , Training and Skills Development . " We rely on these doer to ensure our grocery store shelves stay stocked and families have food on the mesa . These inspection will help stop the spread of COVID-19 on farm , and in our communities . "
The inspection will rivet on location that employ irregular foreign prole to ensure they are properly protect from COVID-19 through measures such as raise awareness of COVID-19 health and condom requirements through the statistical distribution of information and education to farm workers , supervisors and employers ; increase complaisance with workplace wellness and safety laws , include put protocols in place to ensure hand hygienics , masking , enhanced cleaning and disinfecting , and proper physical distancing between workers ; enhancing protective cover for irregular foreign agricultural proletarian survive and run on farming and agrarian operation by ensuring employers are actively test workers for COVID-19 , include completion of a daily COVID-19 questionnaire ; and finally cater compliance entropy and enforcement of public wellness measuring stick need under the Reopening Ontario ( A Flexible Approach to COVID-19 ) Act , 2020 to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the work and in the community .
InspectorsInspectors will also check on technology ascendency , movement of workers , whether a work safety plan exists as required under the Reopening Ontario ( A Flexible Approach to COVID-19 ) Act , 2020 , and whether occupational illnesses are being reported as require under the Occupational Health and Safety Act ( OHSA ) .
" Our farmers , agri - food for thought doer , glasshouse operator and food C.P.U. are working heavily to keep their operations good while continuing to render us with a steady and reliable food supply , " said Ernie Hardeman , Minister of Agriculture , Food and Rural Affairs . " Since last spring , we have taken several measures to bear out them , including reinforcing public health protocols , hit investments to increase operational mental ability and aid to speak labour challenges . Agri - food work review are part of our retain efforts to farm awareness , and prevent and control COVID-19 outbreaks . "
EnforcementInspectors may take enforcement legal action , as appropriate , in reply to any irreverence of the OHSA . Enforcement may crop from the issuing of ordering to the egg laying of charges . The maximum penalty upon conviction under the OHSA is $ 1.5 million for a corporation and $ 100,000 for an somebody . someone may also be imprisoned for up to 12 month on conviction .
These efforts progress on the provincewide " stay put Safe All daylight " run announced earlier this month that focuses workplace inspections in areas of high-pitched transmission , admit break of serve rooms . It also provide resource fabric to employers and workers to promote safe demeanour before , during and after work .
