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How Changes in Ontario’s Workplace Safety Regulations Affect Injury Claims

30 May, 2025

Ontario’s workplace safety landscape has undergone significant transformation in recent years, with sweeping changes to occupational health and safety regulations directly impacting how workplace injury claims are processed and resolved. These regulatory updates affect every aspect of workplace safety, from prevention measures to claim procedures, creating new protections and obligations that injured workers need to understand.

Enhanced Enforcement and Penalties

The most dramatic changes involve substantially increased penalties for workplace safety violations. The proposed Working for Workers Six Act, 2024 introduces mandatory minimum fines of $500,000 for corporations convicted of repeated OHSA offences resulting in death or serious injury within a two-year period. This represents a significant escalation from previous penalty structures and signals Ontario’s commitment to deterring workplace safety violations.

Maximum fines for corporations have increased to $2,000,000, while the maximum fine for individual violations of the ESA doubled, increasing to $100,000 as of October 2024. These enhanced penalties create a stronger financial incentive for employers to maintain safer workplaces, potentially reducing the frequency of workplace injuries and subsequent claims.

Expanded Coverage for Remote Work

Recent amendments to Ontario workplace safety laws now explicitly cover remote workers. The Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 amended the OHSA to apply to telework “performed in or about a private residence”. This change ensures that employees working from home are protected under Ontario workplace safety laws and can file injury claims for incidents occurring during remote work.

For injured individuals, this expansion means that home-based workplace injuries are now formally recognized under Ontario occupational health and safety regulations. Workers experiencing repetitive strain injuries, ergonomic problems, or other health issues while working from home can pursue compensation through the standard workplace injury claims process.

Streamlined Claims Processing

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has implemented several changes to improve claims processing efficiency. Decision-makers now have more latitude and clarity on weighing evidence, with new policies stating that “it is not necessary for the worker’s account of what happened to be corroborated by other witnesses to be accepted”. This change, effective March 2024, reduces barriers for injured workers whose workplace incidents may not have been witnessed.

The WSIB has also introduced a 14-day escalation process when an Intent to Object form is received, along with enhanced appeals intake and triage processes. These procedural improvements are designed to provide faster resolution of disputed claims and reduce delays in benefit payments.

Improved Protection for Vulnerable Workers

Ontario workplace safety laws now provide enhanced protections for vulnerable worker populations. The WSIB has changed how it interprets ‘suitable work available in the job market’ for foreign workers who are injured in Ontario workplaces. Previously, foreign agricultural workers were assessed based on work opportunities in Ontario even after returning to their home countries. The new approach considers available jobs in the person’s local labour market, ensuring fairer compensation calculations.

Additionally, ministry inspectors have been trained to identify labour trafficking practices in workplaces during their inspections, providing additional protections for workers who may be particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

Sector-Specific Safety Campaigns

Ontario has implemented targeted safety campaigns that directly impact injury claim patterns in specific industries. Current enforcement campaigns focus on falls from heights, struck-by incidents, airborne hazards management in mining, and industrial material handling. These proactive enforcement efforts aim to reduce injury rates in high-risk sectors before incidents occur.

For 2025-2026, new campaigns will target slips, trips, and falls in mines and mining plants, workplace violence prevention in healthcare facilities, and struck-by incidents across various sectors. Workers in these industries should expect enhanced safety oversight and potentially fewer workplace injuries as compliance improves.

Lower Premium Rates and Enhanced Benefits

The WSIB has reduced the average premium rate for Ontario businesses to $1.25 per $100 of insurable payroll in 2025, the lowest rate in more than 50 years. While this primarily benefits employers, stable or reduced premium costs help ensure the long-term sustainability of the workplace insurance system that provides benefits to injured workers.

The maximum insurable earnings ceiling has increased to $117,000 for 2025, compared to $112,500 in 2024, meaning higher-income workers can receive increased benefit amounts if injured.

What This Means for Injured Workers

These regulatory changes create several advantages for individuals filing workplaceinjury claims in Ontario. Enhanced penalties encourage employers to maintain safer workplaces, potentially preventing injuries. Streamlined claims processing and reduced evidentiary requirements make it easier to obtain compensation. Expanded coverage includes remote workers and provides fairer treatment for foreign workers.

However, injured workers should be aware that stricter enforcement means more detailed documentation of workplace incidents. Employers face significant financial penalties for safety violations, creating incentives for thorough incident investigation and reporting. Workers should ensure they properly document any workplace injury and understand their rights under the expanded occupational health and safety regulations.

The evolving regulatory landscape demonstrates Ontario’s commitment to protecting workers while ensuring fair and efficient resolution of workplace injury claims. These changes collectively strengthen both injury prevention and the claims process, providing injured individuals with better protection and more accessible pathways to compensation.