Ontario-based workers can now track their exposure to 11 hazardous substances through Canada’s first-ever occupational exposure registry (OER). The province’s newly launched online portal is designed to prevent workplace-related diseases and provides users with a long-term record for medical assessments and future compensation.
The OER follows legislative changes introduced through Ontario’s Working for Workers Act, 2023, and responds to recommendations from the 2023 Occupational Disease Landscape Review. A 2020 government-commissioned study, published by epidemiologist Dr. Paul Demers, revealed that fewer than 10 per cent of Ontarians with occupational cancers receive compensation because proving workplace attribution is challenging.
Occupational illnesses are caused by on-the-job contact with physical, chemical or biological agents, but they are frequently underreported and often difficult to diagnose due to long latency periods between exposure and the onset of symptoms. The most current data reveals they accounted for roughly 76 per cent of workplace fatalities between 2010 and 2019. In addition, there were 20,886 approved occupational disease claims in 2025, according to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), however, the real toll is believed to be higher.
Jeff Lang, president of WSIB, said the new registry will create more data, which in turn could expedite access to services. The tool can also generate meaningful discussions with employers who, under occupational health and safety legislation, are required to identify the presence of hazardous substances, assess exposure risks, and implement appropriate control measures.
To support the effort, workers can now anonymously submit information about how incidents occurred and what protective measures were in place, such as ventilation, training or personal protective equipment. They can record exposures to asbestos, lead, mercury, silica, arsenic, ethylene oxide, acrylonitrile, benzene, vinyl chloride, isocyanates, or coke oven emissions.
Exposure risks fuel delayed consequences
Asbestos poses the most significant risk in the mechanical insulation trade. Although Canada banned asbestos-containing products in 2018, many existing buildings still harbour the known carcinogen in their floors, ceilings, pipes and insulation.
There is no safe level of exposure, but inhaling or ingesting the fibres over time increases the risk of lung cancer. Mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer often caused by asbestos, can take 20 to 60 years to develop, making early diagnosis difficult. The most recent mortality data states that 472 Canadians died from the disease in 2022.
“For workers in trades like ours, exposure doesn’t always show its impact right away,” says David Gardner, business manager of Ontario Insulators Local 95. “Sometimes it takes decades. This registry is about accountability, transparency, and making sure no worker’s history is lost. But strong enforcement and ongoing health monitoring must continue to be part of the solution.”
Ontario Insulators, Local 95 is the provincial representative for the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators, which played a key role in advocating for the registry. Many of its members, who are also exposed to silica, face serious risks during asbestos abatement and redevelopment work in aging industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities. Tasks such as removing pipe insulation, boiler coverings, fireproofing materials, and spray applied products are dangerous if not properly controlled.
Yet even with rigorous safety training, advanced PPE, and strict procedures, exposure can still occur. Some variables like undocumented materials or inconsistent employer compliance, remain outside a worker’s control.
The sector believes centralized exposure tracking is crucial for health and safety because its members often move between employers and projects. Without a registry, exposure histories can become fragmented or lost.
While the new platform isn’t intended as an enforcement tool, Ontario Insulators Local 95 say health and safety obligations are non-negotiable.
“Stronger oversight, consistent inspections, and meaningful penalties for non-compliance are critical to ensuring standards are upheld across all jobsites,” it stated over an email. “Expanded presumptive disease coverage and continued research into occupational illnesses are also necessary to protect workers long term.”
This concern resonates across other industries. Last year, there were close to 580,000 construction workers in Ontario, all of whom were at risk of occupational exposures. In late February, Adam Melnick, executive director of the Construction Employers Coordinating Council of Ontario, agreed that a clear understanding of exposure history will strengthen prevention efforts.
“A well-designed registry can support better clinical communication and long-term health monitoring,” he maintained. “CECCO looks forward to working closely with the Ministry to ensure the registry’s implementation is transparent, avoids unnecessary duplication, and provides clarity for both workers and employers on how information will be used in practice.”
The occupational exposure self-tracker can be accessed here.
