Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) Pre-Start Health and Safety Review (PSR)

The Pre-Start Health and Safety Review (PSR) process is in essence a risk assessment of the machine hazards. The safety review report documents the hazards of the machine and offers suggestions on ways to mitigate the hazards to acceptable levels as determined by the reviewing Engineer. The safety review (triggered by specific criteria) is intended for new machinery to be installed in the province of Ontario. The intent of the review is to ensure that any new equipment, including alterations or additions, are in accordance with the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act regulations (OHSA). Inspections are machine specific, and are required for each machine falling under the OHSA guidelines. Thereafter, reviews are conducted only in situations where a new apparatus, structure, protective element, or process is constructed, added, modified, or installed, or in instances where new or modified engineering controls are incorporated.

It is the responsibility of the owner, lessee, or employer to ensure that the review is conducted by an authorized P. Eng. registered in the province of Ontario prior to operating any machine with new equipment or processes deemed to fall under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act. Reports deal with mechanical and electrical safeguarding, but do not cover such Ontario OHSA requirements as building code, ventilation requirements, or relationships with other processes, which are considered to be the responsibility of the end-user of the equipment.

Typical considerations that are assessed as part of the safety review include: mechanical pinch points, crushing hazards, entanglements, guarding requirements, mechanical safeguarding, interlocking devices, safety gates, limit switches, Emergency Stop buttons, electrical safety circuit designs, and electrical and pneumatic lock-out procedures. The review includes the appraisal and application of applicable safety codes within the jurisdiction of the installation.

When Wexxar machines are integrated into existing production or assembly lines, such as when an integrator acts as an intermediary between Wexxar and the end-user of the equipment, the health and safety conditions of the system as a whole are considered above the conditions of the machine, such that the risk assessment for a specific machine may be modified due to safety considerations at the point of installation.

Although the responsibility for PSR appraisal lies with the end-user, it is important for Wexxar inside sales and field sales personnel to ensure that end-users are aware of Ontario’s OHSA safety regulations. Wexxar is able to offer pre-certified stand-alone machines. This value-added service allows the end-user to make full use of the equipment as soon as it arrives at their facility. By performing the inspection in advance, Wexxar is able to pre-empt downstream installation issues before they occur, ensuring that no downtime is required to review the equipment or make modifications as a result of the review.

Transparency and full disclosure with Wexxar end-users regarding the review process and related expenses are essential in order to avoid customer grievances in cases where the end-user may otherwise consider the added expense to be an unpredictable or unspecified cost. Customers who take advantage of Wexxar’s PSR pre-certification service are made aware of the final cost up front, including additional hardware and software expenses that accrue as a result of the PSR appraisal, rather than having to respond to production and setup delays attributable to post-installation reviews. Moreover, customers with existing packaging machines that wish to expand their production capacity can rely on engineering recommendations from a single source, rather than depending on safety certification criteria that may differ in interpretation from one engineer to the next. Ontario customers should be directed to Section 7 of the Regulation for Industrial Establishments, or the Occupational Health and Safety Act.