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What the Working for Workers 7 Act Means for Ontario Employers in 2026 Ontario’s approach to enforcing workplace health and safety changed at the start of 2026 — and those changes have now been in force for six months. The Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025 (Bill 30) received Royal Assent on November 27, 2025, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) measures that matter most to employers took effect on January 1, 2026. They are the law today.  Three of those changes matter most, and they are live right now: Ministry of Labour inspectors can issue financial penalties for health and safety violations without going to court, qualifying construction projects must keep an automated external defibrillator (AED) on site, and repeat offenders face steeper fines. Here’s where each stands in mid-2026 — and what your organization should already have in place.  The Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025 is Ontario legislation that amends three core workplace statutes — the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (WSIA). It is the seventh instalment in Ontario’s “Working for Workers” series, and it put real teeth behind compliance. This guide focuses on what matters most to Ontario employers, HR and operations leaders, and health and safety coordinators.  Quick Overview: What Is Bill 30?  Bill 30 was introduced on May 28, 2025 and received Royal Assent on November 27, 2025. It amends the ESA, the OHSA, and the WSIA, touching hiring, terminations, layoffs, workplace safety enforcement, and WSIB obligations.  Some provisions were in force the day the bill passed. The major OHSA safety and enforcement changes took effect January 1, 2026, supported by a package of new regulations — and they remain in effect today.  The three changes Ontario employers should focus on:  Key Changes to the OHSA Under Bill 30  New Administrative Penalty (AMP) Framework  This is the change with the widest long-term impact. Since January 1, 2026, a new Part IX.1 (section 69.1) of the OHSA, implemented through Ontario Regulation 365/25 (Administrative Penalties), has given Ministry of Labour inspectors the power to issue administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) for contraventions of the OHSA, its regulations, or an order or requirement of an inspector, a Director, or the Minister.  An AMP is a financial penalty imposed through an administrative process rather than the courts. Think of it as a middle ground between an inspector’s order and a full prosecution — it carries a dollar cost like a prosecution, but it’s issued directly, without a trial. The stated purpose is to promote compliance, not to punish.  What every employer should understand about how AMPs work:  The critical nuance, six months in: the regulation still prescribes an AMP for only one contravention — failing to treat all Chief Prevention Officer–accredited health and safety management systems as equivalent during a public-sector construction procurement (a breach of section 3 of O. Reg. 364/25). That penalty is the lesser of $100,000 or 10% of the procurement contract value, and it applies only to government and public-sector organizations. In practice, most private-sector employers remain outside the AMP net for now.  But the enforcement architecture is built and operating. Ontario did not legislate a penalty regime — with full notice, review, collection, and public-naming machinery behind it — to govern a single procurement rule. In our read, the narrowness of today’s schedule is a starting point, not the finished design. Note too what that one penalty signals: a six-figure exposure attached to a contravention involving no worker injury at all. The framework isn’t going away — it’s positioned to widen.  Get ahead of enforcement, not caught by it. Phascorp helps Ontario employers run a practical compliance review — identifying gaps in health and safety programs, policies, training records, and documentation before an inspector does. Book a free compliance review →  AED Requirements on Construction Sites  Since January 1, 2026, Ontario has required an automated external defibrillator on certain construction projects. The obligation sits in section 27.1 of the Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91), added by O. Reg. 157/25. Bill 30 supplied the OHSA’s statutory definition of a defibrillator and the authority for the WSIB reimbursement program that supports it.  If you run qualifying projects, this is not a future obligation — you should already have a compliant AED on site.  Who it applies to: a constructor must install and maintain an AED on-site when a construction project is expected to last three months or longer and regularly employs 20 or more workers. Both thresholds must be met. The requirement also caught projects underway before January 1, 2026 that continued past that date.  What compliance actually requires. The AED must be licensed as a medical device by Health Canada, and it must be accompanied by a specific kit: one CPR mask, one pair of scissors, two pairs of disposable medical-grade gloves, one disposable razor, one garbage bag, and four absorbent towels.  The AED and those items must be stored together somewhere that is clear of obstructions, allows easy access, is clearly marked with the prescribed signage, and is protected from dust, moisture, and other substances on site that could affect the device. If it’s kept outdoors, it must also be protected from moisture, direct sunlight, and extreme temperatures. Under the regulation, the signage marking its location uses a symbol of a heart containing a lightning bolt together with the words “Automated External Defibrillator” or the acronym “AED” (or the French equivalent).  Maintenance and readiness are where paperwork trips people up:  Why this matters beyond compliance: about 7,000 people in Ontario experience cardiac arrest every year, and without intervention, only 1 in 10 survive. Using an AED with CPR in the first few minutes can improve survival rates by more than 50%, and survival drops by roughly 10% for every minute without defibrillation. Construction work is physically demanding, with an aging workforce and site risks like heat stress and electrical contact — which is exactly why Ontario targeted this sector.  On enforcement: ministry inspectors apply enforcement discretion to OHSA requirements case by case, and may issue orders regarding a constructor’s compliance with section 27.1.  The cost help is still open. The WSIB reimburses up to $2,500 for one AED per qualifying construction project, covering the initial purchase cost. The program opened January 1, 2026, AEDs purchased between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2027 are eligible, and the last day to submit a request is July 31, 2027. Applications run through the WSIB’s Business Safety Portal (via your WSIB online services account), and you’ll need supporting documents such as receipts and your Notice of Project.  One catch worth planning around: there

JHSC Certification Changes July 2026: What Ontario Workplaces Need to Know   JHSC certification in Ontario is changing on July 1, 2026 but here’s the part most employers are searching for first: if your workplace already has certified Joint Health and Safety Committee members, their certifications stay valid, and nobody has to start over.  On July 1, 2026, Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) is bringing updated standards for JHSC certification training into effect. The changes modernize how the training is delivered and strengthen what it covers. They do not reset the clock on certifications your people already hold.  A Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) is the in-house committee of worker and management representatives that Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) requires most workplaces with 20 or more regularly employed workers to maintain. At least two of its members one chosen by workers, one by the employer must hold CPO certification. This guide breaks down exactly what is changing on July 1, 2026, what stays the same, and what employers, HR and operations leaders, and current committee members across Ontario should do next.  Quick Overview: What Is Changing on July 1, 2026? According to Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), the CPO is amending the JHSC Certification Training Program Standard, the Training Provider Standard, and the related Training and Other Requirements, effective July 1, 2026. These standards set the rules every CPO-approved training provider in the province must follow. In plain terms, the update does three things: Widens how the training can be delivered including the addition of a hybrid learning option to improve access. Strengthens the safety topics the training must cover with more emphasis on workplace violence and harassment, occupational illness, and a stronger classroom code of ethics. Makes recertification simpler members whose certification has lapsed will be able to recertify through Refresher training instead of retaking the full program. Ontario has confirmed that current certification programs remain valid until June 30, 2026, and that the validity of existing JHSC certifications is unaffected by the change. What’s CHANGING (effective July 1, 2026)  What STAYS THE SAME A new hybrid learning delivery option is being added  The two-part structure Part 1 + Part 2 is still required to certify  Strengthened learning outcomes on workplace violence & harassment and occupational illness The three-year Refresher cycle to keep certification valid A stronger classroom code of ethics The 20-worker threshold and the rule requiring two certified members Expired members can recertify via Refresher instead of redoing Parts 1 & 2 The legal foundation in Section 9 of the OHSA The one-time Refresher exemption process is being removed CPO approval of all programs and providers Clarified, modernized learning expectations  The validity of every certification already issued Do You Need to Recertify? What Existing Certificate Holders Should Know Short answer: no.  If you completed JHSC Part 1 and Part 2 and currently hold a valid certification, the July 2026 update does not invalidate it. Ontario has stated plainly that the validity period of existing certifications is unaffected. You do not need to retake training simply because the standard changed.  What does still apply is the ongoing Refresher requirement. Under Ontario’s rules, a JHSC certification is valid for three years after you complete an approved Part 2 program, and you must complete an approved Refresher program within that window and every three years after, to keep your certification active. That rule is not changing.  In practice, the question we hear most from Ontario employers is what happens to a member whose certification has already expired. Before July 1, 2026, a member who let their certification lapse beyond the Refresher window generally had to retake both Part 1 and Part 2. That is one of the things changing and it’s good news. More on it below. What’s Actually Changing in the Updated JHSC Programs  Modernized Curriculum Delivery  The updated programs keep the same backbone but sharpen the content. Based on the CPO’s published summary of the changes, the refreshed curriculum strengthens learning in areas such as occupational illness and workplace violence and harassment, and tightens the classroom code of ethics that governs how certification training is delivered.  In practice, the updated programs push further into the areas where committees most often struggle. Occupational illness is a good example: exposures whose effects surface months or years after the fact are far harder for a committee to catch than a missing machine guard, and they rarely announce themselves during a walkthrough. Workplace violence and harassment demands a different skill set again — recognizing risk that is behavioural rather than mechanical. Expect the refreshed Part 1 and Part 2 content to spend more time in both places, alongside a tightened code of ethics governing how certification training itself is delivered.  Simplified Recertification and Refresher Requirements  This is the change most certified members will feel directly. From July 1, 2026:  For employers, that means a lapsed certification is no longer a multi-day rebuild. It’s a far lighter lift to get a committee back into compliance.  Expanded Access: Online, Virtual, and In-Class Options  The update broadens how training can be delivered by introducing a hybrid learning option, described by Ontario as a way to increase accessibility. Hybrid learning blends instructor-led and online components; the exact mode-by-mode availability for each part follows the updated CPO standard and each provider’s approved programs.  Here’s how the formats line up: Format  What it is  Typically available for  In person (classroom)  Instructor-led training, on site or at a training centre  Part 1, Part 2, Refresher  Live virtual (distance)  Instructor-led, real-time sessions delivered online  Part 1, Part 2, Refresher  Self-paced online (eLearning)  Complete the course on your own schedule  Part 1  Hybrid (new — July 2026)  Blends in-class and online delivery  Being introduced to expand access  The takeaway for buyers: Part 1 is the most flexible it can be taken in person, live online, or self-paced while Part 2 and Refresher are instructor-led, delivered either in person or through live virtual sessions.  JHSC Part 1 Training: What to Expect Under the New Framework  Part 1 is the generic foundation, and it’s the same starting point for every sector. It covers the rights, duties, and responsibilities set out in the OHSA, how to recognize and assess workplace hazards, how to apply the recognize–assess–control–evaluate approach, and how a Joint Health and Safety Committee is supposed to function day to day.  Under the updated framework, Part 1 carries the strengthened content described