Ontario inspectors will take a zero-tolerance approach. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Inspectors for the provincial ministry of labour in Ontario are targeting forklift enforcement during a month-long effort to make workplaces safer.

Inspectors intend to take a zero-tolerance approach to any regulatory contraventions.

The government under Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has made a commitment to eliminate workplace injuries and, among its activities, is focusing on hazards involving forklifts and lifting devices. The province's Safe-At-Work strategy was launched in June 2008.

The ministry says that the forklift safety blitz will include mushroom farms and greenhouses for the first time and that inspectors will review workplace activities during evenings and weekends as well as regular weekday hours.

Inspectors will focus on lifting device inspection and maintenance, the qualifications of individuals operating a lifting device and existence of a safe work environment.

Ministry statistics report at least 18 workers have died since 2003 as a result of incidents involving lift trucks, reach trucks, forklifts and tow motors.

More than 25% of those deaths occurred last year, the ministry says, with five workers being killed between January and August.

The province's workplace safety and insurance board says the average forklift lost-time claim resulted in 67 days lost from work between 2003 and 2007.

The occupational health and safety council of Ontario reports the occurrence of 9,455 forklift-related incidents involving a lost-time injury between 1996 and 2008.

The labour ministry says causal factors include a lifting device striking an object such as a racking system; a worker being struck by forklift trucks, other lifting equipment or improperly-secured loads; and lack of preventative-maintenance and load-capacity examinations.

Ontario employs 430 full-time occupational health and safety inspectors.