Accreditation Coming Soon
Have Your Say About A Historical
Development in Construction Health and Safety
Early in 2007, the Workplace Safety and
Insurance Board (WSIB) and the Construction Safety Association of Ontario
(CSAO) will open public discussions about establishing an accreditation program
for construction contractors.
HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAM
Under such a program, employers would be
accredited if they can demonstrate that their companies operate successful
health and safety programs.
Most provinces in Canada have a Certificate
of Recognition (COR) program that grants accreditation to employers whose
health and safety programs meet certain standards.
In some provinces, the workers’
compensation boards give rebates on premiums or reduced premium rates to
accredited contractors. Having a Certificate of Recognition can also be a
pre-requisite for bidding on construction contracts.
CULTURE SHIFT
An accreditation program in Ontario could
have profound and far-reaching effects on the health and safety performance –
and culture – of the province’s construction industry.
“For years we’ve been exploring how we can
influence companies to integrate injury and illness prevention into the way
they do business,” said Roy O’Rourke, CSAO’s executive vice president and
general manager. “An accreditation program will provide a number of incentives
for contractors to do just that.”
“Accident and illness prevention should be
part of a company’s culture,” he said. “An accreditation program will be a key
step towards changing the health and safety culture in Ontario construction.
The WSIB’s decision to pursue this issue actively is significant. Accreditation
may be the key element for improvements in the industry’s health and safety
performance.”
WE WANT YOUR IDEAS
While there is currently no specific
proposal for Ontario construction, the WSIB would like stakeholder input on a
number of issues before developing a proposal.
CSAO and the WSIB will conduct information
and feedback sessions around the province in January, February and March 2007.
The schedule for these sessions has not
been confirmed at this time, however dates, locations and further information
will be posted on CSAO’s web site at www.csao.org.
