Overview: Critical Safety Requirements in Healthcare Environments
Healthcare and residential facilities are complex workplaces where the health and safety of workers are intertwined with patient-care, building systems and infection control. To address these unique hazards, Ontario has the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and a specific regulation for this sector: Ontario Regulation 67/93 – Health Care & Residential Facilities.
This guide provides a simplified summary of the regulation and its practical implications for hospitals, labs, long-term care homes, psychiatric facilities and other care establishments (as defined in the regulation).
What Ontario Regulation 67/93 Covers
Ontario Regulation 67/93 applies to hospitals, laboratories or specimen collection centres, psychiatric facilities, long-term care homes, developmental support residences and certain related facilities such as on-site laundry operations.
Key Areas of Focus
- General Measures and Procedures: Employers must establish, document, review and train on health & safety procedures specific to the facility setting.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Rules requiring correct selection, use, maintenance and training for PPE.
- Premises & Work Environment: Requirements regarding lighting, ventilation, heating, hygiene facilities, work surfaces and confined spaces.
- Equipment, Material Handling & Scaffolds: Standards applicable for ladders, scaffolds, suspended scaffolds, material handling equipment and workplace structures.
- Specific Care Hazards: Employers must develop written procedures for hazards specific to healthcare environments, including antineoplastic agents, biomedical waste handling and safe disposal of sharps.
Why This Regulation Matters
Healthcare environments differ significantly from standard industrial workplaces—they involve vulnerable patients/residents, complex building systems, frequent movement of equipment and materials, chemical and biological hazards, and high stakes for safety outcomes.
Understanding Regulation 67/93 helps facility leaders to:
- Meet legal obligations under OHSA for the healthcare sector.
- Demonstrate due diligence in protecting workers while maintaining safe care environments for patients or residents..
- Integrate safer practices into care operations, maintenance and facility management.
- Reduce risk of regulatory orders, staff injuries, or adverse events related to infrastructure or environmental systems.
Simplified Compliance Checklist
Use this high-level checklist to assess your readiness under Ontario Regulation 67/93:
|
Area |
Compliance Focus |
Status |
|
Measures & Procedures |
Written, reviewed, includes infection control, PPE, waste, safe work practices |
☐ |
|
PPE Use & Training |
Staff trained in PPE for their roles; equipment maintained |
☐ |
|
Environmental Conditions |
Adequate lighting, ventilation, hygiene facilities, safe work surfaces |
☐ |
|
Equipment & Structures |
Material handling, scaffolding, access, ladders inspected and safe |
☐ |
|
Chemical/Biological Agent Controls |
Safe handling of drugs, anaesthetic gases, cleaning/disinfecting agents |
☐ |
|
Records & Review |
Written health and safety measures and procedures must be maintained, reviewed periodically and updated as workplace conditions or practices change. |
☐ |
If any of these boxes remain unchecked, it may be time to review your facility’s safety and systems approach.
Next Steps for Healthcare Facility Managers and Directors
Effective compliance with Regulation 67/93 begins with awareness and regular review. Consider the following steps:
- Review your facility’s current safety programs and physical environment against the regulation’s requirements.
- Conduct an internal audit or engage expertise to evaluate your procedures, building systems and operational hazards.
- Ensure that all staff—including maintenance, housekeeping, clinical and support teams—are trained on the relevant measures and their role in compliance.
- Keep your safety program dynamic: review and update procedures when new equipment, renovation, changes in use or new hazards are introduced.
- Document your processes, keep training and inspection records, and integrate the facility’s risk profile into your governance and reporting systems.
Questions or support needed about how Ontario Regulation 67/93 applies to your facility?
Contact T. Harris Environmental Management Inc. →