In this article, we’re outlining 5 key things you need to know about the importance of health and safety in the workplace.

We can’t understate the importance of health and safety in the workplace. Acute Safety & Safety Services prioritizes getting you trained and back home safely to your family on a daily basis. Contact us today to learn more.

Keep reading to learn more about this topic. We will discuss how and why you should help build a culture of safety at your workplace. Now let’s dig right in.

Importance Of Health And Safety In The Workplace: 5 Things To Know

Health and safety in the workplace is important because those who adhere to these governing principles are more like to return safely home on a day to day basis.

Workplace injuries and even deaths are reported on a monthly basis in Ontario, and adopting these five tips can help your workers avoid becoming another statistic.

1. There Are Posting Requirements

To make sure workers have all the necessary health and safety information at hand while on the job, there are a few workplace health and safety posting requirements in Ontario.

All workplaces covered by the Employment Standards Act must put up an employment standards poster. This poster:

Describes important rights and requirements under the Employment Standards Act
Can be printed in colour or black and white
Is to be printed on paper that is at least 8.5 × 11 inches (letter size).
Must display the most recent version (7.0)
Is to be displayed in English and the majority language of the workplace if a version in that language is available from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Must be provided to employees who are covered by the ESA within 30 days of their date of hire.

You can order hard copies from ServiceOntario, or download and print for free here.

Additionally, workplaces covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act must post a health and safety at work poster. All employers who are covered by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) must put up an in case of injury poster.

Here’s the new look for this poster, and you can download it here

2. Safety Checklists Prevent Injuries

A safety checklist is a must for employers and workers in all sectors. It reminds us of what we need to do to avoid accidents and injuries while on the job. This safety checklist provides Ontario employers with resources to understand and implementing the province’s training and posting requirements.

Download the FREE Employee Safety Checklist today!

3. You Should Keep Employers Accountable

If you spot unsafe conditions at your workplace, make sure to inform your supervisor.

According to Steps To Justice, “you and your employer are both responsible for keeping your workplace safe.”

As a worker, you must tell your employer if you see anything that could hurt you or someone else. Additionally, tell your employer if you see anything that breaks the rules in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

Therefore, if we all keep the importance of health and safety in the workplace at the top of mind, we all benefit.

Workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility

4. Some Of Us Learn Best Through Visuals

We all have different learning styles. Workplace safety videos are a great way to remind your employees of ways to prevent accidents and avoid injuries. You may want to show one or two videos a week to help get the message across.

The video below, for example, comes from the Accident Help Zone and outlines five workplace safety tips for 2019.

From the video description: “Let’s face it; nobody wants to be injured at work. Even though some paid time off might sound appealing at first, most people give up that idea as soon as the pain and suffering of the injury kicks in. While a lot of your safety in any given job is the responsibility of your employer, there are best practices that you can employ to help prevent on the job injuries before they happen.”

Quiz your employees after showing the video to ensure retention.

5. Preventing Workplace Injuries Is The Ultimate Goal

Workplace injuries will happen from time to time.

According to a recent snapshot of occupational health and safety in Ontario, the provincial workforce is broken down as follows:

“7.13 million workers employed in Ontario
6.55 million workers employed in workplaces under provincial jurisdiction
percentage of workers employed under provincial jurisdiction by sector:
- agriculture, mining, utilities and other primary industries—2%
- construction—8%
- manufacturing—12%
- trade—16%
- financial services—5%
- professional services—10%
- education—8%
- health care and social assistance—13%
- other service industries—23%
- public administration—3%”

From April 2017 to March 2018, there were 56,529 lost-time injury claims and 126,251 no lost-time injury claims. Furthermore, there were 81 traumatic fatalities.

As you can see, these numbers highlight the importance of health and safety in the workplace. Acute Safety & Safety Services is here to help you prevent workplace injuries. We, therefore, make sure you and your workers get the best training you need to stay safe on the job. Check out our online course calendar and register today.

Importance Of Health And Safety In The Workplace

Trust ACUTE To Help Reinforce The Importance Of Health And Safety In The Workplace

Why get workplace safety training with ACUTE? Here are just some of the benefits of choosing to work with us:

Open Door Instructor-Student Partnership – ACUTE’s training services emphasize client participation. Staff foster relationships with clients and serve as a touchstone for advice anytime moving forward.
Serving Your Team and Industry – With a vast array of clients in manufacturing, construction, health, academic, and government sectors, ACUTE brings the best safety practices from across the spectrum to your workplace.
100 Years Combined Experience – ACUTE provides comprehensive health and safety training, on-site safety services, and consulting services. Therefore, with over 100 years of combined experience, our company staff offer more than theoretical or abstract ideas. ACUTE offers solutions.
Track Record of Success – ACUTE is rated 4.9/5 stars on Google reviews, demonstrating a commitment to our clients, quality, and passion for training.

“Acute Safety tailored the Hoisting and Rigging training to suit the needs of our municipality. The trainer was knowledgeable and engaging, and brought lots of hands-on materials so everyone could try out what they learned. Then, when I need proof of training, they promptly responded to my request by providing the training booklet and list of trainee’s two years after the training occurred – which was very much appreciated.”