The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), one of the largest insurance organizations in North America, offers various supports and benefits to injured workers, including income replacement benefits, medical coverage, and assistance with returning to work or recovery. In this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, Suzanne McClelland, Manager, Stakeholder Relations at WSIB, provides a step-by-step process for addressing and reporting workplace injuries, illnesses, and possible exposure.

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is one of the largest insurance organizations in North America, covering over five million people in more than 300,000 workplaces in Ontario. WSIB provides wage-loss benefits, medical coverage, and other support to help people get back to work after a work-related injury or illness.

This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast focuses on falls from heights, and Ontario’s education and enforcement initiative aimed at improving jobsite compliance and worker safety.

At a busy workplace, there’s always something being moved around—materials, mobile equipment, vehicles, you name it. But each of these puts workers at risk. Struck-by hazards account for nearly one-third of all lost-time injury claims in Ontario. They are also a significant cause of workplace fatalities.

When it comes to investing in health and safety, most small businesses face challenges because they may not have the financial resources or expertise to implement effective safety measures. IHSA recognizes these challenges and provides free tools and resources to help small businesses protect their workers and meet their legal obligations under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. We also highlight success stories about small businesses in Ontario that have been recognized for their...

As we kiss our loved ones goodbye before they head off to work, we hope they return home in the same condition they left. Regrettably, this isn't the case for some of us who have experienced the loss of a loved one due to a workplace injury. In this episode of IHSA Safety Podcast, we invite Eugene Gutierrez to share his story of the event that transpired on November 27th 2017, a day that profoundly impacted his family's life with the tragic passing of his father in a workplace tradegy.

Statistics show that large vehicle crashes account for 21% of fatalities, with occupants of the smaller vehicles more likely to suffer. Large commercial vehicles are not like cars—they require extra skill and training to drive. Their size and weight can inhibit the drivers’ ability to react quickly to unexpected moves by other road users, and drivers of smaller vehicles may feel intimidated and react inappropriately when they perceive a large vehicle approaching. This episode of the IHSA...

Listen to the IHSA Safety Podcast on health and safety concerns in truck yards. Learn about root causes, prevention solutions, and industry initiatives for truck yard safety.

Small businesses are an integral part of Ontario’s economy. They also make up the majority of IHSA member firms. 90% of our member firms have fewer than 20 FTEs (full-time equivalent employees). IHSA recognizes the challenges faced by small businesses when it comes to investing in health and safety. We provide free tools and resources to help them protect their workers and meet their legal obligations under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Small businesses are an integral part of Ontario’s economy. They also make up the majority of IHSA member firms. 90% of our member firms have fewer than 20 FTEs (full-time equivalent employees). IHSA recognizes the challenges faced by small businesses when it comes to investing in health and safety. We provide free tools and resources to help them protect their workers and meet their legal obligations under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Small businesses are an integral part of Ontario’s economy. They also make up the majority of IHSA member firms. 90% of our member firms have fewer than 20 FTEs (full-time equivalent employees). IHSA recognizes the challenges faced by small businesses when it comes to investing in health and safety. We provide free tools and resources to help them protect their workers and meet their legal obligations under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Small businesses are an integral part of Ontario’s economy. They also make up the majority of IHSA member firms. 90% of our member firms have fewer than 20 FTEs (full-time equivalent employees).

The Fleet Safety Council (FSC) is an association of driver trainers and safety professionals working to promote safety within the transportation, transport, bus, and coach industries. The Council encourages the improvement of driver behavior through increased awareness and training. Working with government agencies and private organizations, the Council strives for a uniform system of safety requirements for drivers in Ontario. The Fleet Safety Council, and it 8 chapters (Cambridge, Durham,...

Whether you drive a commercial vehicle or a passenger vehicle, it’s always important to be fully aware of the hazardous road conditions created by winter weather. In this podcast, IHSA’s Ken Rayner and Michelle Roberts discuss winter driving tips and break them down into four basic principles: preparation, planning, patience, and practice.

Everyone has the right to return home healthy at the end of each day. In the same way that we need protection from hazards such as falls, we need protection from work-related illnesses such as lung cancer. These illnesses can range from acute to fatal. In some cases, symptoms can be reduced or reversed. But too often they become something people have to live with for the rest of their lives. The most important thing to know is that they are all preventable.

Host Ken Rayner and guest, Maren Gamble, IHSA’s Manager, Strategic Programs discuss WSIB’s “Health and Safety Excellence Program”, a performance-based rewards program. It integrates the strengths of the previous WSIB Small Business, Safety Groups, and Workwell programs into a new improved model. This new Excellence Program is designed to provide businesses with a clear road map to improving their health and safety processes and systems. Participants create safer workplaces and can earn both...

Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, including oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, and morphine. Opioid overdoses and deaths are a public health crisis affecting many working Canadians.

Everyone has mental health concerns from time to time. But what some may consider “normal” challenges can develop into a mental illness if left unaddressed. A mental illness is a medically diagnosed disorder that affects how a person thinks, behaves, and interacts with others. It can have a prolonged, negative effect on quality of life. • By age 40, about 50% of people will have—or will have had—a mental illness. • Approximately 11 Canadians die by suicide each day—about 4,000 people...

Mental health and physical health are similar concepts: they both refer to states of well-being. Mental health includes your thoughts and emotions, feelings of connection to others, and ability to manage life’s highs and lows. We all have mental health challenges, just as we all have physical health challenges, from time to time. It’s important to monitor your mental health and seek help and support if you are concerned. Resources mentioned during the podcast can be located below, and within...

Sam Pitaro, Lead COR™ Auditor, brings his experience with the external audit process to this episode as he outlines what to expect during the audit as well as how to achieve a smooth and successful experience. Sam and Stacey also talk about important timelines and administration associated with an external audit.

In this episode, Stacey Blea, HSMS Consultant, discusses what to expect during your internal audit results debrief. Sam Pitaro, Lead auditor, provides insight into this experience and how to maximize its benefits for the organization

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario) has been amended to require employers to provide naloxone kits and comply with related requirements if the employer becomes aware, or ought reasonably to be aware, that there may be a risk of a worker having an opioid overdose at a workplace where that worker performs work for the employer, or where the prescribed circumstances exist.

UBC’s Dr. Chris McLeod describes the methodology he and his team utilized in conducting their research on how the Certificate of Recognition (COR™) program affected lost-time and high-impact injury rates in Ontario. In this discussion, IHSA’s Paul Casey also shares what prompted IHSA to engage with Dr. McLeod and the University of British Columbia.

Toxic masculinity is a cultural norm that involves pressures on men to behave in a certain way—often based on outdated and unrealistic stereotypes of “manliness.” This does not mean that men are toxic. However, the pressures we place on men to live up to masculine ideals have been shown to be harmful to both men and women.

Stigma is a set of negative beliefs and prejudices about a person or group of people. It is often based on myths and outdated social norms, and can lead to discrimination—unjust treatment and behaviours directed toward a person or group. Many people are stigmatized or discriminated against for more than one reason, including sexual orientation, gender, culture, or physical disability.