Understanding OHS motivations and needs in small business

Reasons for the study

Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) launched the Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEP) in late 2019. The program aims to enrol a minimum of 4,000 Ontario employers to participate in the adoption of up to 40 health and safety best-practice elements that align to the ISO45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System.

The participation of smaller firms in the HSEP is substantially less than the proportion of all firms registered with the WSIB. While employees of smaller firms represent 26 per cent of the WSIB’s covered workforce, half of traumatic fatalities and 45 per cent of critical injuries occur in smaller businesses. To improve the participation of smaller businesses, the HSEP has adjusted several program features, with the broad objective of increasing the enrolment and participation of smaller businesses in HSEP.

This project will fulfil the commitment of the WSIB and Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) to undertake a study of small business engagement.

Objectives of the study

Target audience

WSIB; MLITSD; Ontario's health and safety associations; small businesses in Ontario