Occupational health and safety hazards encountered by Ontario Public Health Inspectors

Public health inspectors (PHIs) are exposed to many occupational health and safety issues during their daily tasks. However, to our knowledge, no study has investigated the job-specific health and safety hazards among working PHIs. Our objective was to determine the type and extent of health and safety hazards faced by PHIs working for Ontario health units as well as their perception of risk with respect to these hazards. In early 2018, an invitation to a web-based survey was sent to all members of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors Ontario Branch. One-hundred and thirty-four respondents met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Results showed PHIs reported safety hazards (e.g., slips or falls), working alone, and chemical hazards as the top three types of hazards. Inspections of food and (or) nonfood premises were the duties most associated with encountering all types of hazards. In addition, a majority of respondents reported being somewhat concerned about their exposure to all types of hazards. This study provides novel information on the occupational health and safety risks as reported by Ontario PHIs. Further in-depth research is needed to investigate the specific hazards and concerns among PHIs as well as the level of prevention and monitoring within health units.