Carolyn Cuthbertson
Health and Safety Consultant, Public Services Health & Safety Association.
Ensuring workplaces are safe and workers are healthy should be a crucial priority in all workplaces. That’s why Ontario’s Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA) is working with organizations, including small businesses, to reduce workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities. Everyone deserves to go home safe and healthy at the end of each working day.
Small businesses represent over 80% of business owners in Ontario and have some unique operational challenges and typically don’t have the health and safety supports that a larger company might have. “We make it easy for small businesses to build or strengthen their health and safety program,” says Carolyn Cuthbertson, a health and safety consultant with the Public Services Health & Safety Association. “Investing in health and safety is the right thing to do. Organizations that value health and safety will better be able to recruit and retain staff.”
The association supports small businesses across Ontario’s public service sector, such as education and culture organizations, community and healthcare, municipal and provincial government, Indigenous Communities, and the emergency services sector.
Safety pays
With one-on-one consulting, sector-specific health and safety prevention resources, education and training opportunities offered by the association, businesses can begin and or continue on their health and safety journeys with PSHSA. PSHSA is also an approved provider of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s (WSIB) Health and Safety Excellence Program, providing a framework and clear roadmap for all organizations, regardless of size, to improve workplace health and safety and receive rebates, and recognition for their efforts. Small businesses that are registered in the program are eligible for rebates on WSIB premiums upon successful validation of topics they complete while enrolled in the program.
Investing in health and safety is the right thing to do. Organizations that value health and safety will better be able to recruit and retain staff.
Carolyn Cuthbertson, health and safety consultant with the Public Services Health & Safety Association.
Currently, businesses with less than 99 full-time employees can receive $1,000 towards a created action plan and earn double the rebates for each validated program topic completed up until the end of 2024, among other benefits. Members can choose from 39 topic areas that include leadership and commitment, health and safety responsibilities, and health and safety communication.
Health and safety doesn’t have to be complicated
“On top of the health and human resource challenges small businesses face, the pandemic in many cases impacted and changed the work environment, including where work is performed—at the office, at home, or a combination,” says Cuthbertson. “This new environment of a dispersed workforce can bring about challenges in communicating health and safety information. This is where our team of consultants can help.”
Workplace health and safety doesn’t have to be complicated. Small business owners can make health and safety a part of everyday operations by having regular conversations with staff about health and safety, performing frequent safety observation checks, and encouraging workers to identify and acknowledge hazards.
Health and safety is good for business. Learn how at pshsa.ca/sectors-priorities/small-business.
