Something we’re quite passionate about here at Caliber Communications is health and safety. We believe that implementing an effective health and safety program for your workplace is one of the best decisions a company can make – for both their employees and for their business. Although the focus of these programs for many companies may be based on fine and penalty avoidance, the core reason should be aimed at one thing: the safety and wellbeing of their workers.
In 2018, Canadian workers’ compensation boards across the country approved a total of 904 claims involving fatalities. This – plain and simply, shouldn’t be happening. It’s reasonable to state that accidents happen, but the vast majority of them can and should absolutely be avoided. In Canada, we’re lucky enough to have strict health and safety laws in place to protect workers from harm so they can safely return home at the end of their work day.
There are several other downfalls that are paired with health and safety violations – a significant one being hefty fines and penalties. On April 1st of last year, the Ministry of Labour introduced over 280 new and increased fines that can be issued on the spot by MOL inspectors during site inspections. Penalties for not complying to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) can include fines of up to $100,000 for an individual person and/or up to 12 months of imprisonment. A corporation can face fines of up to $1,500,000.
A devastating downfall that companies face when dealing with a workplace accident is the negative media coverage tied to the incident. The power of social media allows news to spread like wildfire. It could completely tarnish a company’s reputation and lead to major business loss.
On the flip side, enforcing occupational health and safety leads to a plethora of positives. A safe working environment produces happier employees. Premises are generally kept to higher standards for safety and as a result are tidier and orderly.
From a business perspective, fewer worker compensation insurance claims result in lower insurance premiums. Companies will face less downtime due to incidents, and will appear more desirable to potential clients.
A company’s most valuable asset is their people. It’s crucial to ensure their safety and wellbeing. If you want to chat about Caliber’s health and safety monitoring services or are interested in a free trial, contact us here.