The provincial government of Ontario will award employers recognized for maintaining occupational health and safety standards through a new program.
Unveiled last week, the “Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers” program will recognize employers who successfully implement health and safety programs. Employers who are recognized will be given awards in the form of Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) rebates over a three-year period.
“We know that good health and safety practices save lives,” said minister of labour, training and skill development Monte McNaughton during the launch event of the program. “But they also save money. This program is a reflection of that fact.”
McNaughton added that the government will do anything it can to ensure that not only are businesses saving money, but that their workers are safer as well. It was said in a press release that similar programs have been implemented in Europe and Japan, resulting in a decline in workplace accidents.
In conjunction with the program, the WSIB is also launching its own initiative, called “Health and Safety Excellence”. While the provincial program rewards employers with an existing health and safety management system, WSIB’s program is aimed at helping those employers without those systems.
“Keeping people healthy and safe at work is the right thing to do, and it’s also good for business,” said WSIB chair Elizabeth Witmer in a statement. “Our new program helps show businesses what health and safety excellence looks like and how they can take steps to achieve it.”
Health and Safety Excellence offers a comprehensive approach to workplace health and safety, serving as a guide to both businesses without a system and those looking to further optimize their processes. Those that complete WSIB’s program not only earn rebates, but also become eligible for the Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers program.
