Elite Agri Solutions strives to provide background information on topics which are hard to research. In cases where no reputable print resources were available for us to reference, we interviewed industry experts, so it is inevitable that the contents of this document will contain inaccuracies and bias. Use this as a resource to help you ask the right questions, not as a source of definitive answers. Elite Agri Solutions and its employee will not be responsible for the consequences of any decision made based on this guide. Where text or data has been copied directly, the sources have been noted, otherwise it can be assumed that all the information in this guide has only been curated by Elite Agri Solutions and is not our original property.

(Information in this document was gathered from the relevant Ontario acts, regulations, inquiries to the ministry and the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association.)

As the owner of a project, there are certain responsibilities that the farmer should be aware of. If a farmer is to undertake a build acting as the General Contractor, they should also be aware of the responsibilities, liabilities and implication under the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.

In this document, the red colored text is taken directly from the Ontario Health and Safety Act, black colored text is commentary on the act. We have gleaned from the act the sections that are of interest and applicable to farmers. There may be other parts of the act that are applicable to your individual case, that we have failed to include. In any case ensure that you use this as a guide and reference the Act yourself before taking actions.

Any farmer with employees must abide by the Occupational Health and Safety Act regardless of whether they are undertaking a construction project or not. Specific to building ‘O.Reg. 213/91: Construction Projects’ is made under the ‘Occupational Health and Safety Act 1990’. The Ontario Government puts out a ‘green book’ guide called “Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulation for Construction Projects”. The green book contains the entire act and regulation for construction projects. A copy can be ordered on the Ontario Publications website and should be kept at the project site for reference.