Inspections & Enforcement
Information related to inspection results and enforcement-related activities is available through Check Before You Go!. You can find information about required and follow-up inspections, infractions, convictions, and orders imposed by Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
Initial and final reports of investigations related to infection prevention and control lapses are also posted online.
What is our role?
Ontario’s Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) (Government of Ontario) provides the legislative mandate for Boards of Health. The guiding purpose is to provide for the organization and delivery of public health programs and services, the prevention of the spread of disease, and the promotion and protection of the health of the people of Ontario.
Community health protection
The HPPA is the law that allows public health staff to inspect or cause the inspection of:
- food premises
- premises used or intended for use as a boarding or lodging house
- small drinking water systems
The purpose of these inspections is to prevent, eliminate, and decrease the effects of health hazards. Where a health hazard exists, public health officials may issue an order or direction. Enforcement can also include the issuance of set-fines.
Communicable diseases
The HPPA allows the Medical Officer of Health to have prescribed duties with regard to communicable diseases. Some of these duties include:
- issuing orders as they pertain to a communicable disease or outbreak
- sets out the duty for physicians, practitioners, hospital administrators, school principals, etc., to report reportable diseases
- sets out requirements with regard to immunization
Check Before You Go! Inspection and enforcement information
For inspection and enforcement information, visit Check Before You Go! or contact us. Check Before You Go! has information about routine and follow-up inspections, infractions, convictions, as well as orders imposed by Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
You can find information related to:
- food premises
- personal services settings
- public pools, spas, and splash pads
- public beaches
- small drinking water systems
- licensed child care settings
- recreational camps
- tobacco and electronic cigarette vendors
Information relating to enforcement powers
The Act allows the right of entry, powers of inspection, and appeals from orders. Rights of entry and powers of inspection are granted to Medical Officers of Health and public health inspectors.
In accordance with the Act, a Medical Officer of Health or a public health inspector may:
- enter and have access to, through, and over any premises
- make examinations, investigations, tests, and inquiries
- make, take, and remove or require the making, taking, and removal of copies, samples or extracts related to an examination, investigation, test, or inquiry
- not enter a room actually used as a dwelling without the consent of the occupier
- require an operator of a food premises or a small drinking water system to cease the operation of, to dismantle or to excavate, or to do any combination of them on, any equipment on, in or forming part of the food premises or small drinking water system for the purpose of an examination, investigation, test, or inquiry
The duties listed above can only be exercised at reasonable times.
Penalty for an offence under this Act
Obstruction of a public health official who is lawfully carrying out a duty under the Act is not permitted and can be subject to fines under the Provincial Offences Act.
- Any person who contravenes an order made pursuant to the Act is guilty of an offence.
- The penalty for an offence, if convicted, can be a fine to a maximum of:
- $5,000 for every day or part of a day on which the offence occurs or continues
- $25,000 for every day or part of a day on which the offence occurs or continues where a corporation is convicted on an offence
For more information, please contact us.
This item was last modified on November 12, 2024