HEALTH & SAFETY

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Keeping your team safe and healthy at work is good for business. The Health & Safety Excellence Program (HSEP) through WSIB provides a clear roadmap for you to improve safety in our workplace, whether you are just getting started or want to improve systems and processes you already have in place. The program connects businesses of all sizes with WSIB-approved providers to help you develop a program that is suitable for your business.

In order to participate in the Health and Safety Excellence program and qualify for financial and non-financial incentives, businesses are required to select and register with a WSIB-approved provider, such as The Construction Association of Thunder Bay. Approved Providers work with businesses to access the digital platform, guide them toward the implementation and completion of the program’s health and safety topics and ensure they understand the validation process and the requirements.

Currently the program has a targeted focus in helping businesses stay pandemic ready and safe.

Benefits include:

Pandemic readiness materials, to help businesses meet the challenges of operating safely during a pandemic

Support and guidance from an experienced provider
Reduced risk of hazards and a better health and safety culture in your workplace
Rebates on premiums and money saved by improving your safety experience
Recognition to show employees, customers, and investors your commitment to health and safety
Opportunities to network and share best practices with other like-minded businesses

The Construction Association of Thunder Bay became a WSIB Safety Group Sponsor in October of 2002. The first year for the Group was 2003. Over the years this program, formerly called “Safety Group” has saved businesses thousands of dollars and provided invaluable health & safety training and guidance to grow their businesses.

The program has three levels – foundations, intermediate and advanced. There are 36 topics spread across the three levels.

Steps diagram of program levels: 1. Foundation, 2. Intermediate, 3. Advanced. Foundation has 10 topics. Intermediate has 17 topics. Each topic focuses on eliminating or controlling a hazard. It includes the detail, standards, equipment and procedures required to complete the topic and improve this particular area of health and safety.

Foundations

Essential topics to start building your health and safety program. Examples of topics include: first aid, health and safety responsibilities and control of hazards.

Intermediate

Topics to build and customize your health and safety program or management system. Examples of topics include: emergency prevention and preparedness, return to work roles and responsibilities and corrective action.

Advanced

Topics to integrate and optimize your health and safety management system. Examples of topics include: change management and procurement, health and safety continual improvement planning and external audit. You’re on your way to achieving excellence.

Validation

Once you’ve completed your health and safety topics, it’s time to submit evidence of your work so you can earn rebates and other recognition. Your provider will help you prepare for the validation process. Our health and safety experts will review and validate your submission.

The program administrators may select a business for an onsite validation to ensure that specific health and safety topics are part of your workplace culture. This is not an audit of your entire health and safety program – it is an opportunity to receive feedback from our health and safety experts, identify best practices and get recommendations for improvement.

Rebates

The Health and Safety Excellence program fits with the premium rate-setting model. Businesses with less ability to impact their rates will receive a 2% rebate per topic. Businesses with more ability to impact their rates will receive a 1.4% rebate per topic. This is because these businesses will see greater reductions in their premium rates as their health and safety experience improves. Rebates are based on annual WSIB premiums.

For small businesses, the program offers a minimum rebate of $1000 per completed topic. To learn more about minimum and maximum rebates, see the Program Guidelines.

Use the online rebate calculator (XLS) to estimate your potential rebate. You will need to know:

Your total premiums for the past 12 months (you can calculate this using your premium rate statement)

Your predictability percentage (you can find this on your annual statement or by logging in to Compass in our online services)

The number of health and safety topics you are planning to complete.

Recognition

Aside from the financial rebate, you can also receive recognition badges to use on your website, email signature and advertisements, to show others your commitment to workplace health and safety. Your badges will also show up on your business profile on our website when people search for safety stats.

Anyone interested in Joining the Construction Association of Thunder Bay HSEP please contact us directly.

For More Information on WSIB HSEP click on this link.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HSEP:

https://www.wsib.ca/en/health-and-safety-excellence-program-frequently-asked-questions