WSIB Clearance Certificates for Cleaning Contractors in Ontario

When an Ontario business hires a cleaning company, most of the attention goes to price, schedule and the checklist. One document is easy to forget and can matter a great deal if something goes wrong: the contractor's WSIB clearance certificate. This guide explains what the certificate is, why it protects you as the business hiring the cleaner, how to check one, and how often to ask for a new one.

What WSIB is

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) runs Ontario's no-fault workplace insurance system under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997. Employers in covered industries pay premiums, and workers who are injured on the job receive benefits through the system instead of suing their employer. Most businesses in Ontario that employ workers are required to register with the WSIB. Cleaning is physical work: lifting, bending, wet floors, ladders and chemicals all carry real injury risks, so whether your cleaning contractor's workers are covered is not a technicality.

What a clearance certificate is

A WSIB clearance certificate is a document issued by the WSIB that confirms a business is registered and that its account is in good standing at the time the certificate is issued. It is specific to the business that hired the contractor (the principal) and the contractor, and it shows the period it is valid for. It is free, and contractors can request it for you, or you can look one up yourself through the WSIB's online clearance certificate service.

The certificate does not tell you whether the cleaning company is good at its job, and it is not the same as liability insurance. It answers one question: is this contractor registered with the WSIB and paying what it owes?

Why it protects you as the business hiring the cleaner

Under Ontario's workplace insurance law, a business that hires a contractor can be held responsible for premiums the contractor owes for work done for that business if the contractor does not pay them. In practical terms, if your cleaning contractor is not paying its WSIB premiums, the WSIB can look to you for the amount connected to your job. Getting a valid clearance certificate before work starts, and keeping it current while the work goes on, is how principals protect themselves from that liability.

There is also a simpler reason to ask. A cleaning company that is registered and in good standing is more likely to be running a proper business: payroll, training and supervision. A company that cannot produce a clearance certificate is telling you something about how it operates.

WSIB clearance is not the same as insurance

Property managers usually ask cleaning contractors for two separate documents, and both matter:

• WSIB clearance certificate: confirms the contractor is registered with the WSIB and its account is in good standing, which relates to injuries to the contractor's own workers
• Certificate of insurance (commercial general liability): covers things like damage to your property or injury to third parties caused by the contractor's work
• Some buildings also ask for proof of other coverage or for the contractor to name the owner or property manager as an additional insured on the liability policy

Ask for both. One does not replace the other.

How to check a clearance certificate

• Ask the contractor for a current clearance certificate naming your business as the principal, or search for the contractor yourself using the WSIB's online clearance certificate service
• Check the legal and operating names match the company on your contract and invoices
• Check the validity dates printed on the certificate, and note when it expires
• If the contractor uses subcontractors, ask whether those subcontractors are covered and request their certificates too
• Keep a copy with the contract so you can show it if questions come up later

How often to ask again

A clearance certificate only shows good standing for the period printed on it. For an ongoing cleaning contract, the safest practice is to get a new certificate before the current one expires, for as long as the contract runs. Many property managers set a calendar reminder or ask the contractor to send an updated certificate automatically. For one-off jobs such as a deep clean or a post-construction clean, check the certificate before the work starts and again before you make the final payment.

Construction projects have extra rules

If the cleaning happens on a construction project, for example a post-construction or site cleanup job before handover, the construction industry has its own WSIB coverage requirements and general contractors check clearance as a matter of routine. We include our clearance certificate and insurance documents with construction quotes, as explained on our page about post-construction cleaning in Toronto.

Questions to ask any cleaning company

• Are you registered with the WSIB, and can you send a current clearance certificate naming us?
• Are the people cleaning our site your employees or subcontractors?
• Can you send a certificate of insurance, and will you add our building as an additional insured if required?
• How do you train staff on safe lifting, ladders and chemical handling?
• Who supervises our site, and how do we contact them?

CMG Clean holds WSIB clearance and commercial liability insurance, and our crews are police-checked. We supply the clearance certificate and a certificate of insurance with every quote, or on request: request our certificates.

Common misunderstandings

• "They have liability insurance, so we are covered." Liability insurance and WSIB coverage protect against different things. One does not replace the other.
• "We checked the certificate when we signed." A certificate shows good standing only for its printed validity period. On a long contract, you need current certificates for as long as the work continues.
• "Our contractor's certificate covers their subcontractors." Each business has its own WSIB account. If your contractor brings in another company, that company's standing needs to be checked too.
• "It's only cleaning, so the rules don't apply." Cleaning is covered work like any other trade, and cleaners face real injury risks from lifting, slips and chemicals.

What to do if a certificate is not available

If a contractor cannot produce a clearance certificate, or the certificate shows the account is not in good standing, pause before work starts or before you pay. Ask the contractor to sort out its account and send a valid certificate. If you are unsure what your exposure is, contact the WSIB directly; it can explain how the rules apply to your situation. It is much easier to resolve this before the job than after an injury or a premium demand.

A simple process for property managers

Property managers with several buildings and several contractors can keep this manageable with a short routine:

• Collect a clearance certificate and certificate of insurance before any contractor starts
• Record expiry dates in one place, with a reminder a few weeks before each one
• Request updated certificates automatically for every ongoing contract
• Check certificates again before final payment on one-off projects
• Keep copies with the contract file for each building

How CMG Clean handles it

Our crews are CMG Clean employees, not subcontractors. We provide our WSIB clearance certificate and certificate of insurance with our quotes and send updated certificates when you need them for your records. For what else a property manager should expect in writing, see our page on a janitorial services contract.

This article is general information, not legal advice. For questions about your own obligations as a principal, contact the WSIB directly or speak to your advisor.