WSIB Excellence Program

Why Every Ontario Employer Should Participate in the WSIB Excellence Program?

 Workplace injuries affect all business sectors, it’s not only in the high-risk industries such as construction and manufacturing.  In 2018, the WSIB reported that 74 people lost their lives at work and accepted over 64,000 claims related to time off work as a result of a workplace injury or disease.

What is the WSIB Excellence Program?

In Ontario, the newly launched Excellence program changes how WSIB works with employers to  instill a company-wide culture of health and safety in order to develop a safer and prosperous province.

The goal of this program is to reward its safest employers and make available up to $250,0000 in rebates on an annual basis, with restrictions, to each of the current 300,000+ Ontario employers.  This incentive-based program is the first of its kind in Canada, replacing Safety Group, SCAP programs previously in place.  The program makes available $140 million is premium savings to Ontario employers.

5 Reasons Why an Employer Should Join the Program

  1. The program totally changes how WSIB works with employers by rewarding its safest employers and making available rebates up to 75% of their WSIB premium.
  2. The program is a simple and fair roadmap for all Ontario employers. From small business to large corporations, the program helps employers strive for health, safety and wellness excellence.
  3. The pace of the journey is flexible for employers in terms of timelines, goals and immediate cost savings.
  4. The program is well organized and easy to start. The exact plan or order in which an employer completes the program modules is between the employer and the provider It begins with health and safety foundational building blocks and then moves onto intermediate and more advanced topics to achieve excellence.
  5. The journey is yours: It’s a framework that uniquely fits each company’s health and safety vision.

Where Do We Begin?

WSIB Requirement – Regulation 1101

Do you know if your business is compliant with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) First Aid Program, and meets the first aid requirements for Canada Labour Code?

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) regulates workplace safety education in Ontario, and has set laws regarding first aid called Regulation 1101.

Per Regulation 1101: “All employers covered by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (the Act) are required to have first aid equipment, facilities, and trained personnel in all workplaces.”

In short, this means that your first aid boxes and stations must be in the charge of workers who hold valid first aid certificates issued by WSIB-approved training facilities.

View the full Regulation 1101 in PDF.

WSIB First Aid Requirements for Workplaces 

To help employers understand their responsibilities with regard to worker safety, WSIB Regulation 1101 has specific guidelines that apply to all businesses in Ontario. Here is a sample of what is required of employers under this regulation:

  • Different size companies have different requirements for their first aid stations. The type of first aid certifications required depend on how many employees are working per shift at any one time. Please see the below table for details, or learn the specific requirements for your workplace.
Number of Employees Working per Shift (at any one time) Type of Certificate
5 or less Emergency First Aid
6 or more Standard First Aid
  • The contents of your fist aid kits need to be kept visible, accessible, and in good working order. The type and number of items in your kit also vary, depending on the number of employees working per shift at any one time. Learn the specific requirements for your workplace.
  • Each first aid station should have WSIB Form 82 (“In All Cases of Injury/Disease”) prominently posted where everyone can read it. It outlines the legal responsibilities and obligations of both the employer and employees in the event of worker injury or illness.
  • Apply first aid immediately in the event of an accident. Be sure to make detailed notes about the first aid treatment you applied.
  • The injured employee should be taken to a hospital, clinic, or doctor’s office as soon as possible.

SOS First Aid and Safety Training

As a Canadian Red Cross Training Partner and Affiliate of the Lifesaving Society, SOS First Aid & Safety Training instructors are fully qualified to teach First Aid & CPR. Our First Aid & CPR programs confirm to WSIB first aid requirements and meet standards established by Federal Occupational Health and Safety Act and Ontario’s workplace safety and training regulations.

Our onsite workplace first aid training programs will help your organization meet the requirements of WSIB Regulation 1101, and provide recertification for your team when you need it.

Contact us about our on site first aid and safety training courses 905-844-9813, or email us today!