Implementing an Effective Safety Program: A Smart Strategy to Reduce WCB Premiums
Beginning with the basics and creating a solid foundation is key to ensuring a successful outcome and workplace safety is no exception. A well implemented health and safety management program (HSMP) lays the groundwork for how employees operate throughout their day and perform their job duties. Not only does it foster a positive work environment, but it can have a significant impact on the financial bottom line by reducing workers compensation claims and ultimately WCB premiums. Here’s how: First and foremost, an effective HSMP creates a proactive culture of safety within the organization. By establishing clear safety policies, procedures, and training programs, businesses can empower their employees to identify and mitigate workplace hazards. This proactive approach reduces the number of accidents, injuries, and illnesses, which results in fewer worker compensation claims. Fewer claims and less severe injuries will naturally lead to lower WCB premiums over time. Secondly, a strong HSMP […]
Understanding the Significance of Physical Demands Analysis
In today’s post-pandemic, fast-paced and ever changing world, ensuring the health, safety, and productivity of employees is becoming increasingly more important and challenging for organizations across all industries. Employers need to focus their time and resources on what is within their control rather than what is not. An effective health and safety management program is one that embraces prevention, preparedness and planning in an effort to avoid or address incidents, accidents and injuries. A key component of any health and safety management program is a current and accurate Physical Demands Analysis (PDA) of all positions in the organization. Physical Demands Analysis Defined: Physical Demands Analysis is a systematic approach used to evaluate the physical requirements of job tasks. By analyzing the demands placed on employees, organizations can identify potential risks, design appropriate interventions, improve overall workplace ergonomics and facilitate return to work options for injured or ill workers. A PDA […]
Construction Safety Hazards and How to Address Them
Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, but what about the construction biz? Even though construction is ongoing throughout the year, springtime marks the start of the busiest period for the industry as a whole. Roadwork, excavation, erecting buildings and other outdoor work have all been on hiatus, or at least cut back, through the winter months just waiting to ramp up as soon as the weather allows. With this increase in productivity is an increase in risk of injury or accident on the jobsite. Now is the time to start reviewing safety hazards and educating your workforce on how to avoid workplace incidents. There are several common construction safety hazards that workers may face on construction sites. Here are a few examples: Falls: Construction workers often work at heights, which can lead to falls. These can occur from ladders, scaffolding, roofs, or other elevated surfaces.Electrical hazards: Workers may come […]
Mental Health in the Workplace – Tips and facts for a healthy workforce
Canada will be activating a three-digit number for suicide prevention on November 30, 2023. If you’d like to know more about this, please visit the Government of Canada website. If you are in Canada and you, or someone you know, need help now, please continue to call 1.833.456.4566 any time, or text 45645 between 4 p.m. and midnight ET. Blue Monday, possibly the saddest day of the year, was January 16th and Bell Let’s Talk Day is January 25th. We are heading into the depths of winter and into the fourth year of dealing with the physical, financial and emotional impact of the COVID pandemic. It’s no wonder everyone is talking about mental health. The recent focus on the awareness and acceptance of mental illness and the effects that stress has on our overall well being only highlights the connection between workplace safety and a psychologically healthy work environment. ‘Blue […]
So Long 2022! What’s in Store for 2023?
For many it’s good-bye and good riddance with the promise of a better year to come. For others, especially employers, this will continue to be unprecedented times as the world, and the economy, finds its new equilibrium. Rising inflation, interest rates and production costs combined with managing a workforce, whether it is new hires, returning workers, remote working, hybrid work setups or health and safety modifications, the challenges facing employers are significant. So as we head into 2023, here are three major things to consider: WCB Premiums. Workers compensation boards across the county have recently issued their premium rate statements. The impact that the pandemic has had on operations over the past couple of years could affect how a business should be classified. A careful review of your premium calculations could uncover hidden savings Not sure what to look for, here are 10 things to check on your premium rate […]