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Welcome to IAPA’s Small Business Centre
This site has been designed specifically to help small businesses
with less than 50 employees meet their health and safety obligations.
In many cases, you’re working
alongside workers who may be friends or family. You’re
concerned with their well being and you want to do the right
thing.
And, you’re also concerned about growing your business
and increasing your productivity. You’ve got to be aware
of tendering and pre-qualification programs, supply chain
pressure and trades certification programs.
A safe environment is a productive workplace. Health
and safety is not simply a legal obligation – it is
a business opportunity. Effective training and processes
reduce the cost of avoidable losses, insurance and lost-time
injuries. You can boost your bottom line through reduced injuries,
higher productivity and improved health and safety performance.
 New!
Small
Business Safety Calculator
What does an accident really cost? The Small Business
Safety Calculator is intended for small business owners to
help them better understand all the costs associated with
workplace injuries.
When a worker is injured on the job, WSIB pays for the claims
costs, including health costs, rehabilitation and disability
costs. But injuries cost small businesses in many other areas
that are not covered by WSIB insurance. This Safety Calculator
helps small businesses identify and add up all the additional
costs associated with an injury or accident in their workplace
– costs that come out of their own pockets.
Critical First Steps Checklist
There are some critical first steps you need to take.
At a minimum have you:
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Posted a copy of the Occupational Health
and Safety Act where workers can access it? |
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Identified hazards in your workplace and told your workers
about them? |
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Know what your responsibilities are to maintain a healthy
and safe workplace? |
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Posted a copy of the In Case of Injury at Work poster?
visit
the WSIB site to obtain the poster |
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Knowledge of what your first aid requirements are? |
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Developed and posted a copy of your health and safety
policy (employers with 6+ employees)? |
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Trained your workers to work safely? |
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Insist your workers use personal protective equipment
when necessary? |
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Instructed your workers on what to do in case of an
emergency? |
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Inspected your workplace on a regular basis (employers
with 6+ employees)? |
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Facilitated the election (from amongst your workforce)
of a health and safety representative (for firms with
6-19 employees and no designated substance) |
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Formed a joint health and safety committee (JHSC) for
your workplace (employers with 20+ workers, or when you
have designated substance)? |
Can’t answer these questions? Don’t know
how to? Keep reading. This site is for you:
Here you will find:
- An overview of how the health and safety system operates
within Ontario
- A 4-step program that will show you how to
- Understand your legal obligations and what they are
- How to recognize, assess and control hazards in your
workplace
- How you can provide information and training to your
employee
- How you can measure, evaluate and improve your health
and safety program
- A resource section to provide you with additional information,
forms and checklists
So….Let’s Get Started
The Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) should be
your first step. Register your business with the WSIB within
10 days of hiring your first full or part time employee. By
doing so, your workplace will have insurance coverage for all
of your workers and it will give you access to experts like
IAPA for your health and safety needs.
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