Labour and Immigration

Workplace Safety and Health

Overview

Workplace Safety and Health enforces The Workplace Safety and Health Act and its three associated regulations in order to ensure Manitoba’s workplaces are safe and healthy.

Inspection and investigation activity focuses on improving legislative compliance in order to reduce workplace fatalities, serious injuries and illnesses.

Workplace Safety and Health enforcement targets high-risk hazards and sectors, as well as repeated or willful non-compliance. In addition to focused enforcement, random inspections are conducted to ensure consistency throughout the province.

For more information about current enforcement strategies, click here: Enforcement Strategies

Thermal Stress with Hot Summer Temperatures

As we move into a stretch of hotter, more humid weather, workplaces need to be proactive about protecting workers from heat‑related risks.

The Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSH Act) and its regulations do not set a specific maximum temperature at which work must stop. Instead, heat exposure must be assessed by considering both the work being performed and the environmental conditions, using screening criteria recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).

The regulation requires employers to implement safe work procedures and control measures to address the risks and safety posed by thermal stress.

Based on the humidex and the physical demands of the work, the ACGIH provides guidance on appropriate work-rest schedules, including the duration of rest periods for each hour worked.

New: Administrative Penalty for Failure to Report a Serious Incident

On May 15, 2026, amendments to The Workplace Safety and Health Administrative Penalty Regulation were passed to allow for the issuance of administrative penalties (APs) where an employer fails to report a serious incident to Workplace Safety and Health, as required.

Under the amendments, the AP amount would be set at $1,000 for a first contravention, $3,000 for a second contravention, and $5,000 for a third or subsequent contravention, consistent with existing notice-related penalties. As with other APs, issuance would be discretionary, and efforts would be made to educate employers on their reporting obligations prior to issuing a penalty.

For more information about this amendment, please refer to FAQs.

For a copy of the revised legislation, please refer to M.R. 42/2026, Administrative Penalty Regulation, amendment

New: Hot Water at Construction Sites under the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation

On March 20, 2026, amendments to the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation were passed requiring employers and prime contractors to ensure that hot water for handwashing is provided at certain construction project sites. These amendments will come into effect on April 1, 2027.

For more information about this amendment, please refer to www.manitoba.ca/labour/safety/faq/hotwaterhandwashing.html.

For a copy of the revised regulations, please refer to M.R. 26/2026, Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, amendment

New: Access to Menstrual Products Amendments in the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation

On March 9, 2026, amendments to the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation were passed to ensure that all workers who need menstrual products have access to them in the workplace. These amendments will come into effect on September 1, 2026.

For more information about this amendment, please refer to www.manitoba.ca/labour/safety/faq/menstrual-products.html.

For a copy of the revised regulations, please refer to M.R. 19/2026, Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, amendment

Asbestos Amendments in the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation

On December 5, 2025 amendments to the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation were passed. The majority of the amendments came into effect immediately, with requirements related to asbestos work registration and certification coming into effect in in June 2027.

For more information about this amendment, please refer to www.manitoba.ca/labour/safety/faq/new-asbestos-regulations.html.

For a copy of the revised regulations, please refer to M.R. 108/2025, Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, amendment

2022 - 2024 Report to the Minister

A review of the Workplace Safety and Health Act was conducted with focus on:

ensuring strong protections are in place that meet the needs of today’s workplaces;
improving harmonization and consistency with other jurisdictions;
ensuring requirements are clear and reasonable; and,
helping Manitoba meet its obligations under the Regulatory Accountability Act.

To view the report, click here: Report of The Workplace Safety and Health Act Review Committee 2022-2024

Statistics & Reporting

Safety and Health Officers conduct over approximately 5,500 inspections per year.
- Approximately 55% of inspections result in one or more orders being issued to an employer.
- Improvement orders are issued when a priority contravention is noted, and require measures to be put in place by a specified timeframe in order to ensure the safety and health of workers. Approximately 9,000 improvement orders are issued annually.
- When an officer observes an imminent hazard, they may order work to stop immediately, and remain stopped until the officer is satisfied that the hazard is appropriately dealt with. Approximately 400 stop work orders are issued each year.
Annually, Workplace Safety and Health receives over 8,500 phone calls and hundreds of emails, including general questions, tips regarding unsafe work and reports of serious incidents at workplaces.
- Approximately 1,400 tips are triaged to an officer for further follow-up, taking into account the level of risk, the circumstances of each, and the safety and health history of the employer.
On average, just over 1,500 serious incidents are reported to the Branch each year.
Administrative penalties range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are reserved for cases of wilful, severe or repeated non-compliance. On average 15-20 penalties are being issued each year.
Approximately 10-15 files are forwarded for review by Manitoba Justice.
Charges may be laid when:
- Injury or illness occur as a direct result of contraventions to safety and health legislation;
- Repeated or willful non-compliance to safety and health requirements; is noted; or,
- Work continues after a stop work order has been issued.

For more information on orders, penalties and convictions, click here: Stop Work Orders, Penalties & Convictions

For more information on enforcement statistics, click here: Reports

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