Ontario Launches Canada’s First Occupational Exposure Registry to Protect Workers

New digital portal will help track workers’ exposure, prevent occupational disease and build a healthier, more resilient workforce

As part of its plan to protect Ontario workers and their long-term health, the Ontario government is launching Canada’s first Occupational Exposure Registry (OER). This new secure digital portal includes an easy-to-use self-tracker that allows workers to record and track exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace. The portal builds on the government's work to strengthen workplace health and safety by taking action to increase awareness and reduce harmful exposures, while giving workers a secure record they can reference throughout their careers.

“Ontario’s future depends on our workforce, and this tool represents an important step in protecting workers’ health on the job,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “This first-in-Canada Occupational Exposure Registry will give workers the ability to securely track and better understand their exposure risks, helping inform prevention efforts and stop occupational disease before it starts.”

Starting today, workers can securely and anonymously submit exposure information through the online self-tracker in just a few minutes for one of 11 designated hazardous substances, such as asbestos, lead, mercury and silica. Workers can record details such as how their exposure occurred and what protective measures were in place, such as ventilation, training or personal protective equipment. Each submission generates a confirmation email and a record that can be downloaded. Having better information about harmful workplace exposures will help increase awareness and empower workers to better understand hazards and take steps to protect themselves.

Occupational illnesses are often underreported or difficult to diagnose due to long latency periods between exposure and the onset of symptoms. By giving workers the tools to track their own exposures over the course of their careers, the registry can also support medical assessments if symptoms arise years later.

“Our government is taking bold and innovative action to make it easier for Ontarians to stay safe and healthy in the workplace and beyond,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “The launch of Canada’s first Occupational Exposure Registry is one more way we are protecting Ontario workers and communities for years to come.”

The Occupational Exposure Registry was first committed to in the Working for Workers Act, 2023, and builds on Ontario’s broader work to protect workers by strengthening workplace health and safety. It also responds directly to recommendations from Ontario’s 2023 Occupational Disease Landscape Review by improving data collection, tracking exposure trends over time and providing an accessible digital tool to support workers, healthcare providers and disease prevention partners.

Quick Facts

• Ontario has been consistently strengthening workplace safety under our seven Working for Workers legislative packages, with measures such as requiring properly fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) for women and workers with diverse body types, mandating automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on construction projects with 20 or more workers expected to last three months or longer, and requiring naloxone to be available in workplaces where there is a risk of opioid overdose.
• Ontario’s Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers (SOSE) program is a voluntary recognition initiative for employers who go beyond compliance and demonstrate strong occupational health and safety management. With 101 employers now recognized, the program highlights organizations that have invested significantly in health and safety. Recognized employers have earned more than $4.5 million in WSIB incentives to date, helping build safer workplaces and supporting a stronger, more competitive provincial economy.
• An occupational illness is a condition that results from exposure to a physical, chemical or biological agent in the workplace to the extent that the worker’s health is impaired.
• In 2025, there were close to 580,000 construction workers in Ontario.
• Between 2010 and 2019, occupational illnesses accounted for approximately 76 per cent of workplace fatalities in Ontario.
• According to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), there were 20,886 allowed occupational disease claims in 2025.
• In Working for Workers Six our government directed WSIB to invest $400 million in health and safety programs for workers and employers, focusing on mental health, preventative and chronic injury care and recovery to ensure workers have the supports they need to return to work safely and quickly.