Zero is the Only Acceptable Number of Workplace Injuries and Fatalities

WSIB Launches Public Awareness Campaign

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s (WSIB) has launched its boldest social marketing campaign ever. The campaign theme – There Really Are No Accidents – drives home the message that workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities are unacceptable, intolerable and 100 per cent preventable. 

“We don’t want to be overly harsh, but we need to shock people into understanding the staggering number of workplace injuries and fatalities,” said Steve Mahoney, WSIB chair. “This is not going to be a feel good campaign. We won’t feel good until workplace injury and fatality numbers start to decrease.” 

Last year in Ontario, close to 100 workers lost their lives due to traumatic injuries and other immediate causes, and just over 277,000 suffered from injuries or illnesses in the workplace. 

“No family should have to get the knock on the door that tells them that their wife, husband, mother, father, son or daughter has died at work or has been severely injured,” Mahoney said. “This is a fight worth fighting, and it’s time we all develop a new attitude about workplace safety.” 

The WSIB’s goal is to ensure that Ontarians keep workplace health and safety top of mind and to encourage them to take action in ensuring safe workplaces. To do this, the campaign uses a variety of communication channels to ensure the message reaches as many people as possible. Components include: television commercials, print ads, transit shelter and billboard ads, and internet advertising. In addition to English and French, print ads will also run in several other languages including Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Punjabi and Spanish. 

A special website – www.prevent-it.ca - will provide a wealth of workplace health and safety information and resources for all Ontarians. 

Workplace injuries can happen to anyone, but there are steps that everyone should take to avoid them. “This is not about laying blame,” Mahoney said. “Every person in every workplace, worker and employer alike, has to take responsibility for workplace safety.” 

Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) plays a key role in the province’s occupational health and safety system. The WSIB administers no-fault workplace insurance for employers and their workers, and is committed to the prevention of workplace injuries and illnesses. The WSIB provides disability benefits, monitors the quality of healthcare, and assists in early and safe return to work for workers who are injured on the job or contract an occupational disease.