ORN THE ONLY SOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL ICI ROOFING CONTRACTORS IN ONTARIO ONTARIO ROOFING NEWS – ISSUE 2 2026 11 Section 21 info@amherstroofing.com 87 Bakersfield St., Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1Z4 Tel: 416-787-0649 Fax: 416-787-0640 Email: service@crawfordroofing.ca www.crawfordroofing.ca - PMI Programs - Metal Roof Systems - Emergency Services - Roof Top Decks - Modified Bitumen - Waterproofing - Roof Anchors - Sheet Metal Committed to Safety, Quality & Service for 40 years Services Fully Bonded & Insured - Built Up Systems - Restoration - Single Ply - Inverted Industrial Commercial Institutional Roofing Solutions Committed to Safety, Quality & Service for 43 years This article was first published in IHSA Health and Safety Magazine, Volume 25, Issue 2. We reprint it here with permission. S ome committees that work for health and safety improvements have a direct line to those who set the law. Section 21 of Ontario’s Occupa- tional Health and Safety Act (OHSA) gives the Minister of Labour, Im- migration, Training and Skills De- velopment (MLITSD) the ability to appoint committees to offer advice on anything that comes up under the Act or to look into anything else that they request. There are two Section 21 commit- tees in the industries that IHSA serves: • The Provincial Labour-Manage- ment Health and Safety Com- mittee (PLMHSC); and • The Provincial Labour- Management Safety Committee for Electrical and Utilities (PLMSC-EU). Their bipartite memberships – meaning equally made up of la- bour and management representa- tives – meet monthly to provide the MLITSD with input on industry- wide safety priorities. Both committees set strategic direc- tion for IHSA’s wider Labour-Man- agement Network, while focusing their own efforts on high-impact ac- tivities, such as advocating for revisions to training standards (e.g., working at heights, rigging, powerline work) and laying the groundwork for regulatory improvements. They engage directly with the MLITSD on technical re- views and proposed amendments to the OHSA and the Regulation for Construction Projects (O. Reg. 213/91). The Construction Legislative Review Committee, a subcom- mittee of the PLMHSC, often carries out the work related to the Regulation for Construc- tion Projects by reviewing and refining submissions for regula- tory change before they go to the MLITSD. This process makes sure that proposals are technical- ly sound and based on real work- place experience. Importantly, the Section 21 committees also serve as hubs for cooperation among industry, government and system partners. They maintain ongoing relation- ships with the MLITSD, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), colleges, unions and trades councils. Because these committees are established and recognized by pro- vincial legislation, their work and insights carry significant author- ity – giving them unique powers to work for systemic health and safety improvements in the construction and electrical utilities sectors. Driving Legislative Change The Labour-Management Net- work has consulted on and pro- moted awareness of many impor- tant health and safety developments since 2024, including: • The first annual report of the Construction Death Re- view Committee; • Regulation for Construction Projects (O. Reg. 213/91) amendments on crane safety and menstrual product avail- ability on jobsites; • Proposed changes to the Coroners Act (R.S.O. 1990, c. C.37) and Ontario’s Build- ing Code (O. Reg. 332/12); • Updates to the Electrical Utility Safety Rules and Util- ity Work Protection Code; • Working for Workers Five Act and Working for Work- ers Six Act; and • Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations. Dive Deeper Watch our Learn More About the Labour-Management Network video on YouTube to understand how committee members improve workplace health and safety in On- tario: www.youtube.com/watch?v =1Y0bB2731C0&list=PLFibW EIxd6vNbbRxIKleQrLD95A9E- Ao_9&. Two groups in IHSA’s Labour- Management Network directly influence provincial acts and regulations The Power of Section 21 Committees Explained
View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.