The Ontario occupational health and safety / accident prevention system operates under the Ontario Ministry of Labour which is a branch of the provincial government.  It includes the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), created and operating under the authority of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997; Health and Safety Associations, as well as other groups involved in prevention, research and medical issues.

The Ministry of Labour has the provincial mandate to enforce occupational health and safety legislation and to ensure that workplace accidents, illnesses and injuries are prevented.  To help coordinate its safety activities, the Ministry has formed Client Service Health and Safety Councils across the province.  These councils share information and expertise to avoid duplication of activities and assist employers and employees in maintaining healthy and safe workplaces.  The Councils include representatives of the Ministry, WSIB, as well as any non-profit organizations involved in workplace health and accident prevention. 

Council membership varies in different areas, but typically, the members will include representatives from the Ministry, WSIB, Safe Workplace Associations, the Workers Health and Safety Centre, the Office of the Worker Adviser, the Office of the Employer Adviser, the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, and Human Resources Development Canada.

The mandate of the Client Services Health and Safety Councils is to review the workplace injuries in particular sectors and geographical areas, share information, and work with those sectors to promote a safe workplace through prevention.

The following are Ontario Client Service Health and Safety Councils that ESAO consultants are members of;