Ontario construction employers now have significant new opportunities to improve their safety culture and receive rewards and recognition, contractors learned recently at an educational forum hosted by the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) and the League of Champions.
The event, held in Mississauga Feb. 12, was billed as Opportunities for Safety: An Introduction to the New Ontario Safety Programs.
Safety incentives provided by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MOLTSD) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Bureau (WSIB) have changed, the contractors were told. The event featured presentations on Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employer Program (SOSE), the Health and Safety Excellence Program, and COR (Certificate of Recognition) 2020 to show where they fit on the roadmap to accreditation.
“We want to give a perspective on these programs,” said David Frame, director of government relations for the OGCA. “This is a huge change. Many of you who have worked with the WSIB health and safety system over the years know the old program. You probably all know CAD 7, many of you were involved in Safety Groups (program) and now incentives and programs have changed significantly and that’s why we’ve done this session.
“There is a great opportunity but you really have to understand the opportunity.”
The SOSE program was announced in November by the MOLTSD, recognizing employers who implement an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS). Successful employers are accredited through Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer (CPO).
The WSIB also announced the Health and Safety Excellence Program which will provide funding for employers who successfully complete its modules. Additionally, the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) is introducing an updated COR 2020 that is recognized by the CPO. Companies that are already COR certified can be accredited under the SOSE program.
You hear about recognition, you hear about accreditation, it’s one and the same,
— Bill Roy
Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
“SOSE, that’s the safety grail of where we all want to be,” said Dan Fleming, manager at NORCAT GTA. “With the Health and Safety Excellence Program you can join in at any point, you can either go through foundational, intermediate or advanced, it all depends on where your health and safety program is on the map.”
Bill Roy, a director with the MOLTSD’s strategy and integration branch, said one of the biggest takeaways is there are many different ways to get to excellence.
“There are so many roads that you can use to eventually get to recognition — the SOSE program — but along the way you can incentivize, that’s the exciting part of today,” said Roy. “If you are already COR certified we are going to address ways you can get to the next level with some incentives to help you with that investment and ultimately move you to that highest level of recognition.”
The SOSE program is made up of two parts: accreditation of an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) and recognition, both financial and non-financial, of employers who have successfully implemented an accredited OHSMS and meet other criteria set by the CPO. The recognition is provided by the CPO while the financial incentives and rebates are provided by the WSIB, Roy explained.
“You hear about recognition, you hear about accreditation, it’s one and the same,” explained Roy, adding there has been some confusion. “The reason it is broken up that way is because of the legislation. You have to accredit a system or a standard before you can then recognize an employer.”
The CPO has accredited the following national and international standards: COR 2020; ISO 45001:2018; CSA Z45001-19; and BS OHSAS 18001:2007.
“You can apply for accreditation with that alone or you can go the route of COR or you can do something proprietary,” Roy noted. “It’s wide open and there are systems and supports to help you.”
The Excellence Program is a performance-based rewards program that integrates the WSIB’s Small Business, Safety Groups and Workwell programs into a new model.
“We took what we heard from you worked from each of those programs…and we integrated them into one seamless journey from awareness to excellence that is going to give you more flexibility on how you do health and safety in your organization as well as greater financial and non-financial rewards,” said Diana Rea, stakeholder engagement lead at WSIB, noting companies work with a WSIB-approved provider throughout the program.
“The program is going to give you a rebate on your premium, it is aligned with the new premium-rate-setting model so it will help you lower your premium rate, you will get your name on our website, you are also going to get digital and printed badges.”
Twenty-nine of the 36 topics in the Excellence program are aligned with the original COR program and there are an additional four topics that can be taken to get to the updated COR 2020 standard.
Paul Casey, vice-president, programs and strategic development at IHSA, said the new approach will take away some of the barriers that existed before.
“We’re taking away that perceived barrier that companies had that it’s too expensive, it’s too difficult, it’s too hard,” explained Casey. “Now the conversation is, why aren’t you registered with the Health and Safety Excellence Program? Why aren’t you pursuing COR certification? Why are you not targeting accreditation?”
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