Bill 36 explained in plain English
Heat Stress Act, 2025
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 44th Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The Heat Stress Act, 2025, aims to protect workers from heat stress by establishing a new Worker Heat Protection Standard under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, mandating employer policies, assessments, training, and providing for employee compensation during heat-related protective measures.
This bill, the Heat Stress Act, 2025, proposes to amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act to create new rules for protecting workers from heat stress. It requires the Minister to develop a Worker Heat Protection Standard that includes measures like engineering controls, adjusted work practices, provision of breaks and protective equipment at the employer's expense, and heat stress policies. Employers will need to conduct heat stress assessments, provide access to cool drinking water, and ensure employees receive heat stress training. The bill also specifies that employees will be compensated at their regular rate for time spent on breaks, training, or medical removal related to heat stress. For the first five years, the Minister must report annually to the Legislature on heat stress-related illnesses and mortality, as well as enforcement activities.
- Amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act to add a new Part IV.1 concerning heat stress.
- Requires the Minister to develop and implement a Worker Heat Protection Standard.
- Mandates that the Worker Heat Protection Standard include requirements for engineering controls, work practice adjustments, breaks, protective equipment, heat stress policies and programs, heat stress assessments, and access to cool drinking water.
- Requires employers to develop and review a Heat Stress and Protection Policy and Program.
- Requires employers to conduct heat stress assessments.
- Requires employers to provide employees with access to cool drinking water.
- Requires employers to provide training for employees and supervisors on heat stress.
- Specifies that employees will be compensated at their regular rate for time spent on rest, breaks, medical removal, or training related to heat stress.
- Requires that any training or written materials be provided in plain language in English and French, and potentially other languages understood by employees.
- Ensures that the new standard does not reduce existing worker heat protection.
- Requires the Minister to report annually to the Legislature for the first five years after the standard is implemented, detailing heat stress illness and mortality figures and enforcement activities.
- States that the bill comes into force 12 months after receiving Royal Assent.
- Workers exposed to heat stress.
- Employers with workers exposed to heat stress.
- The Minister responsible for the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- The Ministry responsible for the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- Health and safety representatives and committee members.
- The Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
- Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (through consultation).
- The Ontario Federation of Labour (through consultation).
- Employers have an obligation to develop and implement a Worker Heat Protection Standard, create and review heat stress policies, conduct assessments, provide cool drinking water, and ensure training.
- Employees have the right to receive compensation at their regular rate for periods related to rest, breaks, medical removal, and training under the Worker Heat Protection Standard.
- Employees have the right to training in recognizing heat stress symptoms and their rights under the new Part IV.1.
- Supervisors have an obligation to receive training on monitoring and responding to heat conditions and illnesses.
- The Minister has an obligation to develop and implement the Worker Heat Protection Standard and report annually to the Legislature on heat stress statistics and enforcement.
- The Act comes into force 12 months after the day it receives Royal Assent.
- The Worker Heat Protection Standard must be implemented no later than 12 months after the day Section 1 comes into force.
- The Worker Heat Protection Standard shall be updated no less than once every 12 months.
- Employers must review their Heat Stress and Protection Policy and Program no less than once every 12 months.
- The Minister shall report annually to the Legislature for the first five years after the Worker Heat Protection Standard is implemented.
- Employers are required to provide breaks, personal protective equipment, and cool drinking water at their own expense.
- Employees will receive compensation at their regular rate for time spent on specific heat stress-related activities.
- The bill mentions the Ministry's enforcement activities in relation to the Worker Heat Protection Standard in the reporting requirement, but does not specify penalties for non-compliance.
- The exact frequency for heat stress assessments is not specified and depends on future regulations ('prescribed frequency').
- Details regarding the content and approval of training for heat stress are subject to prescribed best practices and learning objectives.
- The bill does not specify penalties for employers who fail to comply with the proposed requirements.
- The bill refers to 'prescribed frequency' and 'prescribed best practices' which suggests further regulations may be needed to fully implement these provisions.
- The bill does not specify the process or criteria for the Minister's development and implementation of the Worker Heat Protection Standard beyond consultation requirements.
Adds a new Part IV.1 to establish rules for protecting workers from heat stress, including requirements for a Worker Heat Protection Standard, employer policies, assessments, training, and employee compensation.
Source: Section 1
The Act comes into force 12 months after it receives Royal Assent.
Source: Section 2
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
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Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
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