The Ontario government has launched an occupational exposure registry that allows workers to record and track exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace.

The registry, which is the first of its kind in Canada, is an online, self-tracking tool for workers that aims to increase awareness, reduce harmful exposures and prevent occupational diseases.

Workers can securely and anonymously submit exposure information through the online self-tracker 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.

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 province says the registry can also support medical assessments if symptoms arise years later.

The government committed to launching the registry in its Working for Workers Act, 2023. The registry 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.

"All workers deserve to know that their health is being protected not just today, but throughout their entire career,” said Marc Arsenault, Business Manager and Secretary-Treasurer of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario. “The occupational exposure registry puts workers first by giving them a secure way to track exposures and take an active role in protecting their long-term health. By empowering workers with better information, we’re helping to prevent occupational illnesses and ensuring that workers can build strong careers and return home safely to their families.”

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.

Between 2010 and 2019, occupational illnesses accounted for approximately 76 percent of workplace fatalities in Ontario.

According to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, there were 20,886 allowed occupational disease claims in 2025.