Workplace Due Diligence – How Following Voluntary CSA Standards Benefits Your Workplace

In Ontario, following regulations is a must for businesses and employers. Think of OHSA’s regulations for worksites. Or take a look at our small but oversized ‘Green Books’, which are packed with information about rules sites should follow. 

In fact, in Ontario alone, there are 27 regulations (not including the Occupational Health and Safety Act) in the all-inclusive editions of the Green Book. 

Following all of them can seem overwhelming. Especially if you are just beginning your health and safety compliance journey – whether as an employer, or a Joint Health and Safety Committee member. 

But instead of fretting, read through our brief guide on CSA Standards to understand the rules and regulations and which ones you absolutely need to follow. And if your employees need training to stay compliant, Act First Safety, Ontario’s leading provider of certified safety training programs, is always here to help you! 

What does OHSA have to say about workplace safety? 

The Occupational Health and Safety Act and its Regulations set the minimum expectations for safety in the workplace. Some parts are very clear and tell you exactly what to do, like:

“207.(1) If a built-up roof is being constructed, repaired or resurfaced, a barrier shall be placed in the immediate work area at least two metres from the perimeter of the roof. O.Reg. 213/91, s.207(1).

(2) The barrier shall consist of portable weighted posts supporting a taut chain, cable or rope that is located 1.1 metres above the roof level.”

That’s pretty clear. We need to erect a barrier when we are constructing, repairing or resurfacing a roof, and it tells us what to make it from, how tall it needs to be, and exactly where to install it. Regulations, however, aren’t always so clear. Sometimes they will be something like this clause about welding and cutting in the section on construction regulations:

“123. Precautions to prevent a fire shall be taken when using a blow torch or welding or cutting equipment or a similar piece of equipment.”

Based on the above, it is clear we need to take precautions to prevent fire when welding or cutting, but it doesn’t give us any specifics on what exactly to do and how to do it. 

Fortunately, we have the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) to set acceptable protocols for workplace safety in such scenarios.

Take, for example, the section W117.2:25 Safety in welding, cutting, and allied processes, which details safety techniques, including a section on fire safety precautions during the process of welding and cutting materials. This standard is not mentioned in OHSA regulations, which means it is considered voluntary and must be followed on one’s own.

What is the difference between mandatory and voluntary standards?

Occasionally CSA standards and other standard documents are identified in the regulations. 

Examples include the requirement that ladders in construction meet the design, testing and marking requirements of Z11 – 12 Portable Ladders, or that safety nets used for fall protection on a construction project be designed in accordance with ANSI/ASSE Standard A10.11-2010, Safety Requirements for Personnel and Debris Nets. 

When a standard is specifically mentioned by its name in the regulations, it is considered ‘mandatory’. Such standards should be followed in the workplace as not doing so would be a violation of OHSA’s regulations while being extremely unsafe.

On the flipside, when a standard is not mentioned in the regulations, it is considered ‘voluntary’. Some may interpret that as there is no need to follow this standard, but what it really means is you don’t need to follow any specific standard. Workplaces are still expected to know of and follow industry best practices. This is what “due diligence” refers to in the clauses from the Occupational Health and Safety Act that mention taking “every precaution reasonable”.

Following a voluntary CSA standard has many benefits for a company. CSA standards are developed by committees of industry experts based on decades of experience and research. Companies that follow CSA standards in their policies and procedures are seen as industry leaders on safety. They do not simply treat safety as a choice, but as something that can boost the reputation of their company. 

Standards are also a useful tool because of their pre-established nature. They have been set by experts after years of field experience. So why spend weeks making a policy from scratch when all the information needed is already available, sometimes for free across the country.

Boosting competence

In many cases, OHSA regulations clearly state that a person must be competent to perform a particular task. 

Lift trucks, for example, can only be operated by a competent person, or when still in training, accompanied by a competent person. This requires achieving relevant certification, which is only possible by lift truck training. 

That said, though most of us recognize competence can be achieved with training, OHSA’s regulations don’t always include any information on what that training should look like. This is why at Act First Safety’s Scarborough training facility in Ontario, we choose to voluntarily follow CSA training standards. 

However, for certain courses, we follow the rules set by relevant regulatory authorities such as the Ontario Ministry of Labour Immigration Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) for Working at Heights training or Joint Health and Safety Committee certification (JHSC training), WSIB for First Aid training, or TSSA for fuels like propane training. 

In this way, we make sure our training meets industry best practices while inspiring confidence among our clients in the training we impart. Contact us to explore our roster of compliant certification programs. 

FAQs

Do Ontario workplaces have to follow only CSA standards when it comes to welding, cutting, etc.?

No, not necessarily. There is, for example, a National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) standard, NFPA standard 51B Standard for Fire Prevention During Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work. There is also ANSI Z49.1:2021 Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes. Both the NFPA and ANSI are American organizations and some of the guidance in them will be similar to what is found in CSA standards.

CSA standards do often reference standards from other countries and the committees that produce them do look at what other countries are doing when developing Canadian standards. It is up to the employer to decide at the end of the day which standards they want to implement in their workplace. CSA standards very simply have the benefit of having been developed with the Canadian market and industries in mind.

CSA standards offer an alternative form of information to help keep your workplace safe. You may find additional information from your trade associations, MLITSD, WSIB and other organizations to help you with safety compliance.

How do I keep up with all the changes?

That’s a tough one. Maybe you have a lot of responsibilities when it comes to safety such as an employer, supervisor or joint health and safety committee member would. Attending conferences, workshops, webinars, and receiving newsletters will keep you up-to-date with the most recent changes. Good safety training will always reference guidelines and standards so that you are learning the latest information.

Are CSA Standards free to access?

The CSA Group makes certain specific categories of standards free to view or download. It may also allow a free review of specific CSA standards mentioned in regulations once users make a free account on the CSA website (link). However, most general technical and safety standards still require a paid purchase or a specialized subscription.