Canadian Occupational Safety

10 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com PEOPLE & PLACES UPDATES FROM THE WORLD OF HEALTH & SAFETY No increase in Ontario workers' comp premiums in 2014: WSIB By COS staff W orkers' compensa tion premiums in Ontario won't rise in 2014, according to the province's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Elizabeth Witmer, chair of the WSIB, cited continuing improvements in recovery and return-to-work outcomes, along with an improved fi nancial pic- ture for the board, for the stability. "Results for the fi rst quarter of 2013 show the system is progressing well towards its fi nancial targets, includ- ing meeting funding requirements set under government regulation last year," she said. From 2010 to 2013, the board saw an additional $2.4 billion come into the system through premium rate increases and growth in insurable earn- ings, she said. "At the same time, lost-time injuries have decreased, and better outcomes for injured workers have reduced ben- efi t costs, saving the system more than $500 million a year," said Witmer. e WSIB said it realized "signifi cant improvements" in 2012 that helped it hold the line on rates for 2014. Among them: t/JOFUZUXPQFSDFOUPGBMMJOKVSFE workers with lost time injuries were back to work with no wage loss within 12 months of their injuries. t'PSJOKVSFEXPSLFSTVOBCMFUPSFUVSO to their pre-injury employers, for the fi rst two years of the Work Transi- tion program, 69 per cent of injured workers obtained employment a er completing their programs — an increase from 36 per cent success under the old, outsourced Labour Market Re-entry model. tć FMFOHUIPGUJNFPODMBJNBOEUIF number of workers requiring 100 per cent wage loss support has dropped signifi cantly. t2VJDLFS SFGFSSBMT UP IJHIRVBMJUZ health care providers resulted in fewer workers experiencing perma- nent impairments — down from 12.7 per cent in 2009 to 8.9 per cent in 2012. t*OUIFEFDBEFMFBEJOHVQUP health care costs were escalating. By the end of 2012, better management has decreased health care costs by 10.5 per cent while increasing the amount spent per worker. e WSIB also touted its faster deci- sion making. More than nine in 10 (92 per cent) of eligibility decisions are now made within two weeks of the claim being received, and more than one-half are made within 24 hours. Employers are also embracing eService off erings, it said. In 2012, 94 per cent of clearance certifi cates were issued online, use of ePremiums increased to 47 per cent and use of eRegistration increased to 66 per cent in 2012. And callers who phone the Employer Service Centre during regular operat- ing hours "can now count on getting a live answer, not voicemail," it said. e WSIB said it has reduced annual benefi t costs paid from $3.2 billion in 2009 to $2.7 billion at the end of 2012, a savings of more than $500 million annually. Also, in 2012, employer premiums fully covered operating costs, which meant about $1.3 billion of investment earnings could be applied against the WSIB's unfunded liability. In March, Witmer told Canadian Occupational Safety magazine the unfunded liability was down to about $13.3 billion. Dennis gets Amethyst award e Canadian Centre for Occupa- tional Health and Safety (CCOHS) announced Sophie Dennis, Ontario representative on CCOHS' Council of Governors, has received the Amethyst award. e award recognizes outstanding career contributions among members of the Ontario public service. "I was extremely pleased to learn of the Ontario government's decision to present Sophie Dennis with the Amethyst award," said Steve Horvath, presid ent and chief oper- ating offi cer, CCOHS. " is award recognizes not only her considerable achievements, but also her charac- ter and leadership qualities," he added. Dennis also works as assistant deputy minister with the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Her work at the ministry and her collaborative eff orts on the Council of Governors has "established her as an ambassador for labour standards and occupational health and safety in Ontario, and enhanced labour and safety program exposure for all workers in Canada," Horvath said. Workrite opens in Canada Workrite Uniform Company, a provider of flame-resistant work wear world- wide, has launched its Canadian operations, Workrite Canada, including local sales representation, inventory and a distribu- tion centre. e launch of Workrite Canada includes the creation of a product line specifi cally developed to meet Canadian standards and practices when it comes to protective clothing at the jobsite, the com- pany said. is new line of Workrite products includes a variety of coveralls, as well as an insulated bib, parka and hood, all made with leading FR fabrics such as 6MUSB4PęBOE/PNFYBOEJODMVEFTSFĘFDUJWFUBQFJO the CSA striping confi guration. is line is comple- mented by a full assortment of additional Workrite FR styles to meet the protection needs of customers in oil and gas, mining, utilities, manufacturing and fi re service, the company said. Biggin award recipient Patrick Dillon is the recipient of the 2013 Philip Biggin Memorial Award. Dillon is a member of the board of directors of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario. At a presenta- tion held at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) head offi ce in Toronto, Dillon received an award plaque and certifi cate from WSIB chair Elizabeth Witmer in recognition of his long-time support for injured workers, worker rights and workplace health and safety. e nomination received on Dillon's behalf praised his contributions to the construction industry and his leadership role in a number of initiatives, including the establishment of the Fair Practices Commission in 2003. e award was launched last year in honour of Philip Biggin, who worked on behalf of injured workers and their families until his passing in 2008. standard, employers need to fi gure out who is going to be involved and how they are going to integrate all the little pieces in the workplace, she said. As a best practice, HR, health and safety, senior manage- ment and the union (if applicable) should all be involved. It's extremely important for every workplace to have a cham- pion around the standard who will spearhead the planning pro- cess, said Ian Arnold, former chair of the Workforce Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Commission of Canada in Ottawa. "It's really important to do this planning right and move forward right because the planning tells you where you want to go with respect to what you bring into the workplace to address the areas of need," he said. " en it becomes a continuous improvement cycle." Having buy-in at the supervi- sory and management level is also critical, said Knowler. While the police force he worked for had an excellent employee assistance pro- gram (EAP) and other resources in place, his supervisor didn't care and responded to Knowler's inci- dent by saying, "Oh you're tough. You go home, have a few belts and go to bed." "A corporation could have the best groundwork, best program- ming in place, but if the people in a position to implement it don't, then it's just some useless paper," he said. Mental health forum continued from page 9 Elizabeth Witmer, WSIB chair

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