Understanding the business impacts of prevention activities in Ontario: A strategic data capacity and evaluation opportunity

Reasons for the study

Each year in Ontario there are more than 200,000 claims registered with the WSIB for injury and illness attributed to work, with more than 70,000 of these claims requiring time off work. In 2024, benefit payments from the WSIB exceeded $2.57 billion. Over the last decade, traumatic fatalities in Ontario have not declined while both critical injuries and mental stress claims have been increasing.

The Ontario economy is currently facing a large degree of uncertainty due to the threats of economic tariffs. At the same time, it is also projected to face an increased need for workers within the skilled trades, mineral extraction, infrastructure and health-care industries in the near future. Both are economic pressures that can act against investment in occupational health and safety (OHS) activities. Against this backdrop, it is important that Ontario businesses continue to invest in OHS, and that they have evidence that their employer contributions to the WSIB are effective in reducing the impact of workplace injuries and illnesses in the province.

It is well recognized across Ontario prevention system partners that there is a need to move firms from focusing on OHS as an issue of compliance, towards having firms develop and use proactive, leading-indicator focused prevention activities. However, this requires a shift in the mindset among many firms in Ontario from viewing OHS as a constraint that is placed upon them through regulations and legislation, to recognizing that having a high performing OHS system as a competitive advantage that improves many aspects of their businesses, including health and safety.
This project presents an opportunity to invest in the development of data and researcher capacity that will generate evidence on the broader economic business impacts of prevention activities and evaluate future prevention programs and interventions that are supported by the WSIB, and the provincially-funded health and safety associations, to make Ontario the best and safest place to work.

Ensuring Ontario businesses can remain internationally competitive and promoting Ontario as the best place to invest, work, live and succeed is an overarching mandate of the provincial government and a cross-cutting responsibility identified across multiple Ontario ministries. It is important that effective injury prevention is recognized as a pivotal activity in realizing this vision within the Ontario labour market.

Objectives of the study

Target audience

Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, OHS policy-makers and decision-makers in Ontario, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, employers, workers, labour, OHS professionals