Summary Statement
A guide for small contractors in Canada that describes steps to be followed to ensure safety, including a discussion of regulations and a listing of places to call for additional information.
Follow 5 basic steps.
 |
Register your company with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). As an employer, you're legally required to do so. You will gain immediate benefits:
|
 |
Report injuries to the WSIB and Ministry of Labour (MOL) as required by law.
|
 |
Know
your health and safety responsibilities as an employer and as a supervisor.
Register for CSAO's Basics of Supervising. You can take the program
in the classroom or at home.
|
 |
Train
your employees--or arrange training through CSAO. Realize the benefits
when workers know health and safety practices, rights, and responsibilities.
|
 |
Wherever
personal protective equipment or clothing is required by law or by
the work being done, be the first to wear it.
|
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Know the health and safety system.
| What must you do? | Who can help? | How? | ||||||||||||||||||
|
You must
|
Workplace
Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) www.wsib.on.ca
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
You must provide mandatory health and safety training and information:
|
Construction
Safety Association of Ontario (CSAO), now Medical Device Reprocessing Association of Ontario (MDRAO) http://www.mdrao.ca/ admin@mdrao.ca 1-800-781-2726 416-674-2726 416-674-2726 Fax 416-674-8866 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
You
must
|
Ministry of
Labour (MOL)
|
|
Understand the costs.
For various reasons, smaller construction companies have a higher rate of injury than larger companies. As a small contractor, you must pay particular attention to health and safety.
A single workplace injury can have a devastating effect on business. Costs include:
|
 |
Establish a health and safety policy.
An Ontario employer with more than five employees must "prepare and review at least annually a written health and safety policy and develop and maintain a program to implement that policy" (Occupational Health and Safety Act, Section 25). Even if this requirement doesn't apply to your business, it's still a good idea to have a policy and program in place to save lives and money.
 |
|
The policy statement must emphasize management commitment to accident prevention.
|
Sample
Policy It is our policy to perform work in the safest possible manner consistent with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the regulations made under the Act. Protecting employees from workplace injury and disease is a major continuing objective. Supervisors will be held accountable for the health and safety of workers under their supervision. All employees must work in compliance with health and safety legislation and with the practices and procedures spelled out in this policy. It is in the best interest of all parties to consider accident prevention in every activity. Commitment to health and safety must form an integral part of this organization. Compliance with the health and safety policy and program will be regularly reviewed at all employee levels and violations will be recorded. The procedures in this policy have been formulated as a guide to assist you in enjoying a safe, productive future. Signed_________________________
Date _________________________ |
 |
A
health and safety policy by itself is not enough. You need a program
to implement and support the policy. The program should cover areas
such as:
|
|
One phone call will do it. 1-800-781-2726 For sample
policies and programs, For
help in drafting your own policy and program, |
Be prepared on
site.
Construction employers are required by law to have certain items posted or otherwise available in the workplace. As a contractor, you are required to do at least the following.
Post on site
|
 |
 |
Have available
on site Material safety
data sheets for any controlled products used on site and covered
by the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
|
|
Know the law One book is absolutely essential for what employers and workers need to know about health and safety on site. That's the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations for Construction Projects (Ontario Regulation 213/91). Regulations covering every aspect of health and safety on construction sites are spelled out in the "green book." Topics range from protective equipment to housekeeping, from confined spaces to traffic control, from ladders and scaffolds to welding and cutting. Copies are available from Publications Ontario at (416) 326-5300 or from CSAO at (416) 674-2726 or 1-800-781-2726. |
 |
