According to a recent study highlighted by Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), workers in small businesses are 44% more likely to experience work-related injuries than their counterparts in larger companies. This increased risk may be attributed to less robust health and safety policies and procedures in smaller firms, as well as the numerous challenges that business owners face in today’s economic climate.

To support small businesses in prioritizing the enhancement of their health and safety measures, the WSIB has extended additional incentives through its Health and Safety Excellence program, initially introduced in June 2022, until the end of 2024. As a result, small businesses (with up to 99 full-time employees) will benefit in the following ways for the years 2023 and 2024:

– They can earn twice the rebates.
– They will receive $1,000 to assist with their health and safety plan in both 2023 and 2024.

Rod Cook, the Vice President of Workplace Health and Safety Services at the WSIB, expressed, “Extending these supplementary incentives until the end of 2024 to help more small businesses double their rebates while fostering safer workplaces was an easy decision. Every business that invests in health and safety ultimately reduces the number of injuries, so it’s crucial for us to provide assistance.”

The Health and Safety Excellence program facilitates the connection of Ontario businesses with approved providers within their respective industry or community to develop a customized plan based on 39 available health and safety topics. For each completed topic, businesses can earn rebates on their WSIB premiums. Since its inception in 2020, the program has disbursed over $45 million in rebates, as reported by the WSIB.

Smaller businesses interested in learning more about and enrolling in the Health and Safety Excellence program can find additional information on the WSIB’s website.