Are You A High Opportunity Company?
How to prepare for the new MOL-WSIB health and safety campaign
In the next few months, 11,000 service sector workplaces with room for improvement in their health and safety performance, will be approached by one of Ontario's three prevention partners: the Ontario Service Safety Alliance (OSSA), Ministry of Labour (MOL), or Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB).
The outreach program was launched in April 2008, and replaces the MOL High Risk and Last Chance initiatives with a single, combined program, using new criteria. It is a five-year program intended to help the WSIB and MOL meet an aggressive goal called the "Road to Zero": to reduce lost-time injuries by 35 per cent over the next five years.
Hope for the carrot
If you're one of the 11,000 firms identified as "high opportunity," you want to hope you're one of the lucky ones whose letter comes from your designated health and safety association, the OSSA. This means you're being offered a "carrot"-an opportunity to work voluntarily and collaboratively with OSSA professionals to build on the positive things you may already be doing to drive down injury rates at your firm. Take advantage of this invitation to fine-tune your health and safety system, and avoid reappearing on the list next year.
Prepare for the stick
If, however, your visit or letter comes from the MOL or WSIB, it means you could be facing MOL orders or a Workwell audit. If inspectors have already arrived at your door, the two most important things you can do are cooperate fully, and don't procrastinate. Orders often have short deadlines, so invest whatever time and money is required to implement your fix, fast. See "Don't walk this road alone," below.
Avoid surprises
If you suspect you might be identified as high opportunity, but haven't yet been contacted, be prepared by being informed. Here's how the initiative works:
• The MOL and WSIB assessed all 200,000 of the active firms registered with the WSIB prior to 2006, comparing each firm's health and safety data with its predominant rate group; 37,000 firms were selected to receive assistance with their health and safety program, 11,000 of them in the service sector.
• The criteria for selection uses WSIB data and rate groups that firms are already familiar with, so you can understand exactly how you are doing and why you have been approached; for example:
• Overall injury and illness performance (as per lost-time and no-lost-time injury rates; claim costs; and growth in insurable earnings) in 2006;
• A traumatic fatality in 2005 or 2006;
• A record of safety incidents that is higher than that of the firm's peer group;
• An escalation of safety incidents year over year;
• Claims associated with one or more of the four priority hazard areas.
Don't walk this road alone
OSSA is your WSIB-approved provider of health and safety solutions. OSSA consultants have the experience and expertise you need to get out of trouble, and more important, help you build a durable health and safety culture in your organization. Ask for these OSSA interventions:
• Compliance checklist: it will walk you through the regulations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Professional review of your Joint Health & Safety Committee; health and safety policy and program; hazards; and orientation training. Find out what MOL inspectors typically look for.
• Practice Workwell Audit: be prepared by voluntarily stepping through the process.
• Customized recovery plan for your firm.
• Health and safety compliance training.
Do it your way
The best part about being proactive? You implement a health and safety program that prevents injuries, saves lives and reduces your costs-and you do it at your pace, on your terms, and bearing your brand. That's not all. By helping to drive down injury rates and costs across our industry, you'll be contributing to lower WSIB premiums and a happier, more productive workforce across the province.
If you have questions or need help, call the OSSA at 1-888-478-6772 or e-mail info@ossa.com .
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