Occupational Health & Safety

Our Occupational Health and Safety Group (OHS) provides consulting, sampling, and training services in the areas of OHS management, safety, and occupational hygiene. The Group includes professionally-accredited staff including Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIH), Registered Occupational Hygienists (ROH) and Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (CRSP). Two senior consultants have been honoured with the designation “Fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association” (AIHA), demonstrating ECOH’s leadership in the OH&S field and our abilities to provide the highest level of consulting service. Our established quality control program (including a commitment to use only laboratories accredited by the AIHA) ensures our clients receive accurate, defensible survey results. We help you comply with occupational health and safety legislation and keep your employees safe at work.

Our Services Include:

Water Damage Assessments

We conduct investigations to determine the extent of water-damaged building materials and provide detailed recommendations for mitigation measures to minimize the potential for mould growth.

Occupational and Industrial Hygiene Surveys

We conduct qualitative and quantitative surveys for due diligence purposes, to address employee concerns, to assess exposure to chemicals used in the workplace, and propose mitigation measures or ensure your organization maintains compliance with regulations.

Mould and Bacteria

We perform assessments and sampling for mould and bacteria in response to employee complaints, leaks, floods, sewage contamination and the like. We provide remedial scope of work/specifications for safe mould and bacteria removal. We also offer inspection and clearance sampling services for remediation/abatement projects.

Radon

We have two Canadian – National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP) Certified Radon Measurement Professional on our team who are certified to provide air monitoring services for radon in residential, commercial and institutional buildings in every Canadian province and territory as per the Health Canada Guideline.

Health and Safety Audits

We help you assess your current health and safety program and develop policies and procedures to address gaps and meet your legal obligations. We help you implement your program and conduct audits to assess how well it’s working.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Assessments

We conduct investigations and sampling to assess building ventilation, occupant comfort and the presence of odours, dust, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals of concern. We evaluate the impacts of nearby construction activities and provide recommendations to ensure good indoor air quality is established and maintained.

Noise Surveys

We perform noise surveys to evaluate and control noise exposure in the workplace.

Confined Space Assessments

We assess whether your facility has confined spaces, as defined by the regulations in your jurisdiction. If they do, we help you develop a Confined Space Program and implement required health and safety measures such as entry plans, and training.

Health & Safety Program Development

We assist in the development, review and implementation of health & safety policies, programs and procedures.

Infection Control

We assist with the design and implementation of infection prevention and control measures for renovation, construction and demolition projects in healthcare facilities. We carry out inspection and air monitoring during projects to confirm that infection prevention and control (IPAC) measures are successful.

Frequently Asked Questions:

(Note – the answers to the following questions reference Ontario legislation. Call us if you have similar questions about other jurisdictions, or need help with other health and safety issues.)

Am I responsible for the health and safety of a contractor I engage to do work for me?

The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act defines an employer as “a person who employs one or more workers or contracts for the services of one or more workers…” This means that you have responsibilities to protect the health and safety of contractors as well as your direct employees. Some projects have a General Contractor who engages subcontractors. In such a case, the General Contractor (called a “Constructor” in the Ontario OHS Act) has obligations with respect to the health and safety of everyone on the project, including subcontractors. It is always a good idea to put your health and safety expectations of contractors in the contract agreement.

Do I need a Confined Space Program in my workplace?
The Ontario Confined Space Regulation (O.Reg. 632/05) requires employers to have a Confined Space Program if they have confined spaces in their workplace that a worker might enter. The Regulation defines a “confined space” as a fully or partially enclosed space that is not designed and constructed for continuous human occupancy, and in which hazardous air conditions may occur because of how the space is constructed, where it is located, what it contains, or what work is done in it.
It is not always easy to determine whether you have a confined space that meets the regulatory definition. If you think you have such spaces, you should assess whether they meet the definition of confined space. If they do, and workers may enter the space, you need a written Confined Space Program, specific entry procedures, among many other requirements.
As an employer, do I need to assess employee exposure to noise? If yes, how do I determine noise exposure?
The Noise Regulation (O. Reg. 381/15) applies to all workplaces covered under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and requires that employers take all measures reasonably necessary in the circumstances to protect workers from exposure to hazardous sound levels. There is an easy way to determine if you have a potential noise exposure issue based on the ease or difficulty of speech communication at a normal conversation distance of about one meter. If it is necessary to speak loudly to converse at one meter, the sound level probably exceeds 85 dBA (the exposure limit for an 8-hour workday). To confirm if there is a noise exposure issue in the workplace, the noise exposure can be measured by installing noise dosimeters on representative workers during a typical work day to determine if the exposure is above the 85 dBA exposure limit.
I am concerned about mould, what can I do?
The presence of mould growth is a legitimate concern, particularly in buildings that experience leaks, floods and other water damage. In order to determine if you have a potential mould problem, a thorough mould assessment of the building or area of concern should be conducted. The assessment should involve a review of the building’s history with respect to water damage and corrective measures taken; a visual inspection and moisture measurements of building materials; test cuts into suspect areas to identify potentially hidden mould growth; and bulk and air sampling for mould. Air sampling for mould alone is typically not enough to determine if there is a mould problem in a building.
I am concerned about the air quality at work, what can I do?
Air quality in a workplace can be influenced by many factors including the presence or use of hazardous chemicals, exposure to dust and fumes, the nature of work activities, and issues with ventilation systems. An air quality assessment can be performed which evaluates these and other factors to develop and conduct an appropriate air sampling strategy to identify any issues and provide recommendations to improve the air quality.

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    Mississauga Office: 75 Courtneypark Drive West,
    Unit #1, Mississauga, ON L5W 0E3

    Ottawa Office: 666 Kirkwood Avenue,
    Unit 100, Ottawa, ON K1Z 5X9

    Call Us

    Mississauga - O: 905.795.2800
    TF: 1.866.231.6855
    Ottawa - O: 613.699.2295
    TF: 1.866.231.6855

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    General Inquiries: info@ecoh.ca
    Careers: resumes@ecoh.ca
    Seminars: learning@ecoh.ca

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