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usiness owners face various demands on
Btheir time, from managing relationships
with manufacturers and distributors, to
ensuring products meet clients’ needs on a
daily basis. Factor in labour shortages and
the rising costs of doing business, and it’s
easy to see how one of the most important
things to running a successful business, the
health and well-being of your team, can be
taken for granted.
No matter what part of the retail lumber,
building materials and hardware trade
you service or how many people are on
your team, you can take steps today to
reduce the risk of workplace injuries and
illnesses by improving your health and
safety practices. The result will be fewer
absences, less turnover, lower recruiting
and onboarding costs, and a more engaged
team.

The Health and Safety Excellence program
Joining a workplace health and safety
program can be a key part of your journey
to reduce the risk of workplace injuries and
illnesses.
The Workplace Safety and Insurance
Board’s (WSIB) Health and Safety Excellence
program provides a clear path to help
businesses make workplaces healthier
and safer. The program connects Ontario
businesses with a WSIB-approved health
and safety professional, known as a program
provider, to develop an action plan to
address your business’s unique health and
safety needs, from controlling a hazard to
emergency preparation and everything in
between.
Preventing injuries and illnesses is
the first step and your provider can help
you identify which areas of your business
pose the biggest risks to workplace health
and safety. This could be team members
being struck by objects or equipment, or injuries and illnesses, while also earning such as COR 2020, or ISO 450001. Once
workplace hazards that lead to sprains rebates on their WSIB premiums. a business has completed the Health
and strains, which many businesses in the Businesses can typically earn between and Safety Excellence program, and
lumber and building materials industry $1,000 and $50,000 (depending on their implemented and maintained a strong
deal with. And when workplace injuries or premiums from the previous year) in health and safety management system
illnesses do happen, your provider will help rebates for each health and safety area within their business, they should be
you improve your approach to supporting they address and can tackle up to five ready for the third-party audit required
getting people back on the job safely and in different areas at a time. And in 2023, to verify they meet one of the approved
a timely manner. smaller businesses with 1 to 99 full-time accreditation standards.
The program will help you learn how to employees can earn double their rebates,
involve your team members in meaningful plus receive an additional $1,000 toward Getting started
discussions about health and safety so that their health and safety action plan – just for Enrolling in the Health and Safety
you can create a stronger health and safety signing up. Excellence program is easy and starts by
culture. An environment where employees You can also earn recognition to show choosing a program provider that will help
feel safe and secure at work means a your commitment to health and safety to you develop your action plan to improve
happier and more productive team. your employees and community, helping workplace health and safety.
to attract top talent, customers, and secure Businesses can visit wsib.ca/
Success in the program contracts. healthandsafety to choose their provider,
When businesses join the Health and The Health and Safety Excellence talk to a program consultant about any
Safety Excellence program, they make their program can also help businesses achieve questions they have or sign up for an
workplace safer through reduced risk of best practice accreditation standards, information session to learn more.

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