Ensuring workplace safety is an asset, not a liability

Workwell


Workwell has undergone some changes:

About Workwell

Because unsafe companies increase insurance and compensation costs for everyone, the WSIB's Workwell Program performs on-site health and safety evaluations of firms when their injury experience indicates that there is a higher risk of injury at their workplace compared to other firms doing similar work.

These evaluations help workplaces identify weaknesses in workplace health and safety management systems.

Firms that make improvements see the benefits of reducing the risk of injury at their workplace. Fewer injuries and illnesses leads to improved production, less downtime and better morale. 

In addition, firms with better injury experience records are eligible for rebates and decreased premiums through their experience rating program (NEER, MAP, or CAD-7).

Health and Safety Performance Reviews

Selection

Every year, Workwell undertakes a review of all employers in Ontario to identify those companies whose injury experience indicates that a higher degree of risk exists in their workplace and that there are opportunities for improvement. 

For firms selected on or after November 30, 2012, we looked at firm injury cost performance over a three-year period and compared that performance to the average cost performance in the industry rate group. 

We selected firms for a Health and Safety Performance Review if their firm injury performance was worse than the average of their rate group.

The process

If we select your firm for a Health and Safety Performance Review, we will notify you in writing.

You are required to participate under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, s.132 and s.135.  

Here’s what you can expect if you are selected for a Health and Safety Performance Review on or after November 30, 2012:

1.      The Workwell evaluator will contact you to make an appointment for a visit.

2.      During the visit, the Workwell Evaluator will:

    • Review your health and safety performance data
    • Help identify areas of focus to prevent injuries and illnesses
    • Assist you in developing a six month plan of action (Risk Management Plan (RMP)) to address these areas
    • Give you a sample Hazard Management Tool - 16 pages (288.0kb, PDF) to help you  recognize, assess and control hazards in your workplace.

3. Following the visit, the Workwell Evaluator will send you a RMP plan of action. This plan will also be sent to the MOL and your industry’s safety workplace association.

Your firm will be given six months to complete the actions identified in the plan.

Workwell Evaluation

If we select your firm for a Workwell Evaluation, you are required to participate under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, s.132 and s.135.

Here’s what you can expect:

The Workwell Evaluator will:

1.    contact you to make an appointment for a visit.

2.    meet with you and a worker representative, and:

  • examine workplace documents and records that provide details of the health and safety policies, procedures and practices at your workplace,
  • observe the practices and procedures in action,
  • inspect the workplace,
  • interview workers, and
  • send you an audit report detailing the audit findings. This report will also be sent to the MOL and your industry's safe workplace association.

3.    If your firm fails the evaluation, you will have six months to make improvements.

4.    After six months the Workwell Evaluator will do a second evaluation. If your firm fails again, you will be placed on a risk management plan (RMP). However, the WSIB has the discretion to apply premium surcharges.

You can find out more about the evaluation process by downloading the Workwell Core Health and Safety Audit (2.4mb, PDF). 

To help you with your firm’s risk assessment, you can use the Hazard Management Tool.

Hazard Management Tool

To help you assess hazards in your workplace, use one of our tools:

This tool gives workplaces a step-by-step approach to recognizing, assessing and controlling hazards, and monitoring the ongoing effectiveness of those controls.

For more information, contact Sandra Beniuk, Manager, Workwell at 416-344-4046 or Norma Akinbiyi, Manager, Workwell at 416-344-3506.