Ontario’s regulatory landscape continues evolving and the newest change is catching many building operators and property managers by surprise. Besides fire code and occupational health and safety frameworks, restroom cleaning practices are now top of mind.
As outlined in the Working for Workers Five Act, 2024, which amends various statutes with respect to employment and labour, there are now legal requirements for the maintenance and cleaning of washrooms in Ontario workplaces.
The legislation mandates at least one daily cleaning, visual monitoring, and visible documentation of cleaning activities, including the name of the person who completed the task and time of completion.
While this is a welcomed move toward healthier and more dignified working conditions, it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage with outdated systems since fire protection, health and safety, and now custodial services each come with their own inspection, documentation, and accountability demands.
Managing inspections, audits, and committee activities across diverse regulatory frameworks cannot be sustained with paper-based systems or silloed spreadsheets. Facility managers are now juggling more while facing escalating pressure from boards, insurers, and regulators.
The solution isn’t more binders. It’s smarter technology
Integrated digital platforms are increasingly being used to bring greater order, accountability, and efficiency to modern building risk management. With features like customizable inspections, automated reminders, mobile access, and real-time dashboards with detailed analytics, building teams have new tools to stay organized and responsive – and able to prove their efforts instantly – with board ready reports.
They can log and track restroom cleaning and maintenance activities in line with the new Ontario legislation, ensure compliance with OHSA and fire code inspections, track security inspections and patrols (physically proving they inspected these critical areas), maintain accessible records for audits and board reports, escalate overdue or non-compliant items before they become liabilities and access critical analytics anytime, from anywhere.
David Nobrega, senior operations manager for RioCan, has spearheaded a transformative initiative, leveraging technology to revolutionize compliance management across one of its flagship centres in Toronto: the Yonge Sheppard Centre. The program, launched alongside a dedicated team of operations, security and cleaning staff, enhances the efficiency of daily operations and drives a value-driven strategy that improves occupant safety and boosts operational efficiency.
This initiative streamlines risk management and simplifies compliance inspections, empowering both frontline staff and back-office teams.
“Our investment in technology is an investment in our people,’ says Nobrega. “We’re supporting our teams with smarter tools that make their work more efficient and impactful. The tech allows us to track inspections, ensuring each task is documented with time and date stamps, while also automatically escalating any issues. This enables us to take immediate action, ensuring we maintain the highest standards of safety, cleanliness, and compliance for our guests.”
Compliance is no longer a narrow checkbox; it’s a daily, multi-departmental responsibility. From cleaning crews to life safety contractors, everyone now plays a documented role in keeping buildings safe, healthy, and code compliant.
As legislation continues to broaden its scope, property managers and owners must look to centralized digital tools to stay compliant and lead in transparency, professionalism, and occupant trust, thus setting a new standard for operational excellence.
Jason Reid is the senior adviser for Fire & Emergency Management with National Life Safety Group in Toronto. He has worked with international embassies, government, public and private sector critical infrastructure facilities; commercial/residential high-rise buildings; world class shopping centres and mass assembly facilities. He can be reached at: [email protected] Main: 647-794-5505 Toll Free: 1-877-751-0508 www.nationallifesafetygroup.ca.
