Ontario Erectors Association

Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board plays a vital role in the health of our province’s economy and the well-being of its employees. Just like the workers and employers of Ontario, we literally keep the province working. For this and many other reasons, the opportunity to serve as the WSIB’s President and CEO is tremendously exciting.

The next few years promise to be an extremely important period for the WSIB. Thanks to recent transformation initiatives, the organization is in a steadily improving financial situation. Once returned to a fully-funded position, we will enjoy a wide range of new options and increased freedoms. Working with employers and workers, we will have important choices to make. Ensuring we arrive at that point on schedule, and thinking carefully about what to do once there, are among my top priorities.

Even more important is the support we provide workers to help them get back on the job in good time and in good health. In recent years, the system has achieved among the best recovery rates for injured workers of any compensation board in Canada. There is plenty of room left to innovate and improve further.

None of this would be possible, of course, without a dedicated and talented team. Across the province WSIB staff exhibit equal parts compassion and competence, helping employers, workers and even family members navigate challenging times and circumstances. I am thrilled to be working alongside such a committed group of people.

There is much to accomplish!

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We began this year by proposing a simple question: What will you do in 2016 to make your workplace a safer and healthier environment? And we were thrilled to hear your resolutions

Thank you to everyone who participated in our campaign to raise awareness about health & safety – let’s keep the momentum going all year round!

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Every year on April 28 we pay our respects to, and remember, the thousands of workers who have been killed, injured, or suffered illness as a result of work-related incidents. We also honour the many families and friends who have been deeply affected by these tragedies. In addition to commemorating those who have died, been injured, or suffered illness as a result of work, the Day of Mourning is a day to renew our collective commitment to the promotion of healthy and safe workplaces and the prevention of future fatalities. For more information, and to order Day of Mourning posters, visit www.wsibdayofmourning.ca.

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Health & Safety. Return to Work, Recovery & Fair Benefits. Financial Sustainability. Innovation. Our People. These are the five themes in our recently released 2016-2018 Strategic Plan that will help us strengthen our operations to provide Ontario’s workers and employers with even better service and value. The new plan is the result of careful analysis of our performance and financial results, operating environment, and feedback received through a series of conversations with internal and external stakeholders. Check it out here!

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We’re always looking to find faster, easier and more efficient ways for you to do business with us. That’s why we’ve created online versions of the services that you need. You can sign up for a free webinar to learn about the online services that you want to use, or to find out more about a service that you’ve tried in the past. We’re hosting a series of free webinars about ePremium/eStatement, eClearance, eForm7 and one for newly registered employers that covers all of our online services. For more details and to sign up for a webinar, click here.

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Over 67 contests, 2000 competitors and 20,000 spectators will fill the hallways of RIM Park in Waterloo at the Ontario Technological Skills Competition (OTSC) – Canada’s largest skilled trades competition – from May 2^nd – 4^th. This year, we’re proud to be supporting Skills Ontario, the not-for-profit organization which organizes the annual event, as platinum sponsors. Look for our WSIB booth at the competition, where you’ll find us engaging youth on workplace health and safety through an Instagram contest! For more information about Skills Ontario and the Ontario Technological Skills Competition, click here.

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Are you a small business owner who wants to comply with health and safety regulations but you don’t know where to start? From March – May we’re offering health and safety information sessions tailored for small businesses across the province. We’ll cover our mandatory coverage / clearance certificates, return-to-work responsibilities and our online services, as well as the Ministry of Labour’s Health and Safety Awareness training, Working at Heights training and Training Standards for Joint Health & Safety Committee Certification. Bonus: you’ll leave with free, easy to understand resources. For details on session dates and locations, and to register, click here!

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Threads of Life is a charitable organization that supports families who have suffered from a workplace fatality, traumatic life-altering injury, or occupational disease. To raise awareness about the devastating ripple effects of workplace tragedies, and how to prevent them, every spring the organization hosts a 5km walk called Steps for Life in more than 30 communities across Canada. In addition to awareness, last year Threads of Life raised more than $600,000 for their family support services. To volunteer, fundraise or get involved with the Steps for Life walk, click here.

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Tom Teahen has launched a Twitter account! Follow @WSIBPresident to find out what he’s up to and for updates about what’s happening at the WSIB. You can also follow our corporate Twitter account @WSIB for news about the WSIB.

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