Vision, objectives and measuring success

Ontario’s OHS system has a clear vision:

An Ontario where workplaces promote and practice health and safety in their everyday work and are free from occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

The four objectives of Prevention Works will empower the OHS system to achieve our vision. Each of the objectives is based on a priority problem the OHS system has identified and will try to solve. We have used evidence to create a list of activities we will do over the next 5 years to make a change towards improved occupational health and safety practices in workplaces.

In response to Auditor General recommendations, the OHS system is committed to measuring the effectiveness of Prevention Works as we make progress towards achieving our intended outcomes. The OHS system will collect the necessary data and build tools and infrastructure that will properly measure performance. We will work to measure and track across a number of key indicators that will help us understand successes and areas for improvement, with the implementation of our plan happening progressively over the course of this strategy to ensure the proper reporting systems are in place among OHS system partners, and the right information and data is being captured.

Objective 1: Build and use the best evidence to target initiatives, measure performance and increase system oversight

What is the problem we are trying to solve?

There are gaps and limitations in the timely, systematic collection and integration of evidence that affect our ability to target, develop, implement, monitor and evaluate our activities meant to prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

While Ontario has been successful in maintaining a solid OHS record, workplaces in the province can be healthier and safer and there is room for improvement. The ministry needs to do a better job of OHS system oversight and ensuring value for money, and the OHS system partners need to do a better job of measuring the effectiveness of prevention initiatives to understand their contributions towards healthy and safe workplaces. To this end, the ministry and the OHS system will obtain, use and share the best available data and evidence – including data and evidence on, for example, gender, race, Indigeneity, disability and income to establish a comprehensive picture when targeting, designing, implementing and measuring its work, with the ministry enhancing system oversight and evaluating partner programs along the way.

The OHS system recognizes that there are numerous hazards across workplaces and sectors, and that some hazards are higher risk than others and can result in more occupational injuries, illnesses and deaths. The OHS system also recognizes that evidence and research are needed to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate interventions that are designed to eliminate and / or limit the onset and progression of disease, injury or infection at work.^{footnote 10[10]} Using a risk-based approach, the OHS system will build evidence by working with sector partners to identify the hazards that could lead to injury, illness or death in their respective sectors, prioritize those hazards based on the likelihood of an unwanted event occurring and consequences if the event were to occur (i.e. their level of risk), and focus on preventing those highest-risk hazards from causing injury for the sector(s) in question. Following this risk-based process, the OHS system will continue to work with sector partners to identify the root causes associated with the highest-risk hazards, as well as the current successful or potentially successful controls / solutions that could address them.

To achieve Objective 1, the OHS system will engage in the following activities:

Build system capacity to conduct risk assessments and identify root causes of workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities. Use risk assessment and root cause analysis findings (and other evidence where necessary) to target prevention, compliance and enforcement initiatives and focus the OHS system.

Why we are doing it: Risk assessments ^{footnote 11[11]}and root cause analyses ^{footnote 12[12]} are effective ways of identifying, targeting and controlling high-risk workplace hazards.^{footnote 13[13]}

Target and evaluate OHS compliance and enforcement using relevant evidence.

Why we are doing it: To help the OHS system maximize our limited resources.^{footnote 14[14]}^{footnote 15[15]}

Work with system partners to develop new ways of collecting and managing data.

Why we are doing it: Identify with system partners the performance measurement framework which details the data, data sources, measures and indicators to improve program planning among the partners and to monitor the OHS strategy outcomes.^{footnote 16[16]}^{footnote 17[17]}

Obtain, use and share the best available data on known and suspected markers of workplace vulnerability (for example, gender, race, Indigeneity, disability^{footnote 18[18]} and income^{footnote 19[19]} ) – as well as factors that show how a worker is vulnerable (for example, empowerment to participate in injury and illness prevention)^{footnote 20[20]} – to develop interventions to better support vulnerable workers.^{footnote 21[21]}

Why we are doing it: To help the OHS system better understand who is being impacted by workplace injury and illness,^{footnote 22[22]} and to better support vulnerable workers in Ontario.^{footnote 23[23]}

Implement a common system-wide approach to supporting targeted, high-quality research^{footnote 24[24]}^{footnote 25[25]} and evaluation, knowledge exchange, and the translation of research into action.

Why we are doing it: To improve the impact of OHS research and value for money for Ontarians.

Broaden the evidence base (for example, by developing sector profiles^{footnote 26[26]}) to target sector-specific initiatives.

Why we are doing it: To enable the OHS system to develop and implement targeted initiatives for the sectors they serve.^{footnote 27[27]}

Using standard evaluation criteria, evaluate funded programs and collect outcome-based performance data that funded partners must be accountable for, track and monitor.

Why we are doing it: To help the ministry better manage partner funding and ensure the relevance and effectiveness of funded partner initiatives.^{footnote 28[28]}

Continue to use best available evidence to support regulatory changes.

Why we are doing it: To help ensure regulations achieve the ministry’s intended impact.^{footnote 29[29]}

Intended outcome: The OHS system’s prevention, compliance and enforcement initiatives are evidence-informed and targeted, with the OHS system able to demonstrate measurable contributions to preventing injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

Measuring success: We will track the extent to which we make use of data and evidence to inform operational, tactical and strategic decisions in the system. As a first step, we will focus on the programs that are reviewed, changed and developed using evidence enabled by the OHS system. We will also build an evidence base to reflect the impact of the prevention and compliance support efforts. Lastly, we will measure the contribution of risk assessment and root cause analysis in identifying, targeting and controlling hazards.

Objective 2: Improve OHS knowledge and practices

What is the problem we are trying to solve?

Workplace parties do not know where to find OHS information or resources, and high-quality OHS training does not reach enough workers in Ontario.

Not knowing where to find OHS information and resources was identified as a top concern during ministry consultations, with participants indicating that the OHS system should provide a single window platform for sharing key occupational health and safety information with the public. The ministry’s benchmark public opinion survey of over 5,300 Ontarians also found that four in ten respondents (40%) reported that they are not knowledgeable about OHS, and one quarter (24%) of respondents reported having never received or recall receiving any form of OHS training. In addition, one of the top OHS violations in Ontario in 2018^{footnote 30[30]} across all sectors was non-completion of basic occupational health and safety awareness training (as required under O. Reg. 297/13).^{footnote 31[31]}

The ministry also found during our province-wide consultation that common themes reported by participants were the need to provide more occupational health and safety training for all workplace parties – especially training that is targeted, and hazard / sector-specific – and that many workplaces face hazards that are more administrative in nature, including understaffing.^{footnote 32[32]}

To achieve Objective 2, Ontario’s occupational health and safety system will engage in the following activities:

Develop, implement and promote a single-window, public platform to improve the OHS system’s customer services as well as access to OHS resources and information.

Why we are doing it: To put customer service at the core^{footnote 33[33]} of the system’s work and improve access to OHS information and resources ^{footnote 34[34]}

Establish new and use existing communications partnerships to increase the reach of OHS information and resources, and compliance with OHS training programs.

Why we are doing it: To increase the reach of OHS information and resources, and compliance with training programs required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.^{footnote 35[35]}

Complete a comprehensive review of OHS training (training modernization).

Why we are doing it: To improve quality and better understand the effectiveness of OHS training in the province, and subsequently better target initiatives.^{footnote 36[36]}

Strengthen the CPO's role and oversight of OHS training delivery including standardization of learning objectives across key training programs.

Why we are doing it: To help the ministry ensure that learners are meeting minimum OHS training requirements.^{footnote 37[37]}

Use evidence (see objective 1) to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate new or improved OHS training programs that are sector-specific, and targeted to specific workplace parties.

Why we are doing it: To deliver OHS training that addresses key sector-specific OHS issues. ^{footnote 38[38]}

Based on evidence, develop, implement, monitor and evaluate online OHS's training options.

Why we are doing it: To deliver OHS's training in more cost-effective ways and to broaden reach. ^{footnote 39[39]}

Make OHS training more convenient and / or more affordable.

Why we are doing it: To improve uptake of OHS training (especially among small businesses).^{footnote 40[40]}

Make it easier, where appropriate, for workers from other provinces and / or territories to work in Ontario by recognizing out-of-province OHS training.

Why we are doing it: To remove the need for workers to unnecessarily duplicate OHS training.^{footnote 41[41]}

Intended outcome: Workplace parties can easily access OHS resources, information and training to enhance their OHS knowledge, improve their workplace health and safety practices and be prepared for work in Ontario.

Measuring success: We will measure the reach and uptake of resources, information and training as well as improved OHS knowledge as a result. Similarly, we will measure the customer experience and the extent to which training targets and contributes to sector-specific issues and outcomes.

Objective 3: Support workplace parties to fulfil their OHS roles and responsibilities and achieve excellence

What is the problem we are trying to solve?

There are still too many people in the workplace who do not know or understand what their health and safety roles and responsibilities are under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, or how to achieve OHS excellence.

The ministry’s benchmark public opinion survey indicated that one in five respondents had been asked to perform a task that they considered unsafe at their workplace, and among these respondents, only one quarter raised their concern to their manager / supervisor and refused the task. In addition, improving support for all workplace parties to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act was frequently raised by participants during our province-wide consultations. Workplace visits by ministry inspectors were suggested as an opportunity to provide compliance information and coaching to all workplace parties, specifically in the areas of education for employers, supervisors and workers on their rights and responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and how to identify and speak out against unsafe workplace practices.

While fulfilling OHS roles and responsibilities is critical to healthy and safe workplaces, the OHS system will also support workplaces to achieve OHS excellence. Other jurisdictions^{footnote 42[42]} that offer incentives for occupational health and safety excellence (similar to WSIB’s Health and Safety Excellence Program^{footnote 43[43]} and the ministry’s Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers (SOSE) Program^{footnote 44[44]}) have seen participating workplaces experience positive outcomes such as lower rates of lost-time injuries.^{footnote 45[45]}

To achieve Objective 3, Ontario’s occupational health and safety system will engage in the following activities:

Based on evidence, develop, implement, monitor and evaluate new or improved OHS programs and resources to assist^{footnote 46[46]} Ontarians in understanding and practicing their OHS roles and responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and set them on a path to achieve excellence.

Why we are doing it: To increase compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and set Ontarians on a path to achieving OHS excellence.^{footnote 47[47]}^{footnote 48[48]}

Help workplace parties comply with OHS laws through compliance commitments^{footnote 49[49]} and enforcement.

Why we are doing it: To increase compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.^{footnote 50[50]}

Through the Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEp), provide workplaces with a clear roadmap to improve their health and safety. ^{footnote 51[51]}

Why we are doing it: Workplaces that complete the HSEp program and / or are accredited and recognized through SOSE are likely to experience reductions in lost-time injury rates^{footnote 52[52]} and fewer workers will be injured.^{footnote 53[53]}

Through the Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers program, accredit applicable OHS management systems) used by Ontario businesses and recognize employers that have implemented an accredited system.^{footnote 54[54]}

Intended outcome: Workplace parties understand and adhere to their health and safety roles and responsibilities and take a systematic approach to identify and solve OHS issues at their workplaces to achieve excellence.

Measuring success: We will measure the extent to which OHS programs and resources, as well as compliance and enforcement activities, contribute to changing workplace party practices and how participation in HSEp and SOSE lead to improved OHS performance.

Objective 4: Make OHS easier for small businesses

What is the problem we are trying to solve?

There are still too many barriers for small businesses to be set up as healthy and safe workplaces.

The ministry considers small businesses to be those with fewer than 50 workers. In Ontario, small businesses represent 95% of all employers and they employ 28% of Ontario’s workers.^{footnote 55[55]} In comparison to larger businesses, small businesses often experience greater difficulty in controlling exposure to hazards in their workplaces because of the limited resources they can invest in OHS. Participants of the ministry’s province-wide consultations described several barriers faced by small businesses in improving occupational health and safety, including cost-prohibitive training programs, consultation services and educational resources, as well as a lack of occupational health and safety resources that are tailored to the specific needs of small businesses. The ministry heard that small businesses need help to understand the business case for OHS as a factor in improving productivity and profitability. Participants also noted the need to create engagement forums and improve flow of information, which could include increased small business representation and participation on the OHS system’s various advisory committees and bodies."^{footnote 56[56]}

To achieve Objective 4, Ontario’s occupational health and safety system will engage in the following activities:

Evidence – Create new ways of consulting with small businesses and collecting data to better understand issues unique to small businesses.^{footnote 57[57]}

Why we are doing it: To increase the impact and value for money of small business initiatives. ^{footnote 58[58]}^{footnote 59[59]}

Relevance – develop, implement, monitor and evaluate resources that are tailored to meet the specific needs of small businesses.

Why we are doing it: To improve small business OHS knowledge and practices.^{footnote 60[60]}^{footnote 61[61]}

Cost – provide convenient and / or more affordable OHS resources or programs to small businesses.

Why we are doing it: To reduce costs to small businesses and improve small business OHS knowledge and practices.^{footnote 62[62]}^{footnote 63[63]}

Consider the impact of regulatory changes for small business compliance.^{footnote 64[64]}

Why we are doing it: To consider how to support small business compliance with regulations.^{footnote 65[65]}

Value of OHS – help small businesses understand and embrace OHS roles and responsibilities and the value of OHS as a way to improve productivity and their bottom line.^{footnote 66[66]}

Why we are doing it: To help improve small business productivity and their bottom line.^{footnote 67[67]}^{footnote 68[68]}

Intended outcome: Small business workplaces are set up and operated to be healthy and safe because the OHS barriers that small businesses face are alleviated and / or removed.

Measuring success: We will measure small business access and use of OHS resources, services and supports and extent to which they contributed to improved OHS knowledge and practices.

Footnotes

footnote[10] Back to paragraph Canadian Public Health Association, working paper on a conceptual framework for public health
footnote[11] Back to paragraph Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Risk assessment fact sheets
footnote[12] Back to paragraph Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Incident investigation
footnote[13] Back to paragraph Technical Paper: Root cause analysis of distracted driving in Ontario logging operations
footnote[14] Back to paragraph Institute for Work and Health, Effectiveness of targeted OHS labour inspections
footnote[15] Back to paragraph International Labour Organization, Labour inspection and sanctions
footnote[16] Back to paragraph Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, 2019 Annual Report
footnote[17] Back to paragraph ACT Government Health, Leading data reform: The way forward
footnote[18] Back to paragraph Law Commission of Ontario, Interim report August 2021
footnote[19] Back to paragraph Law Commission of Ontario, Final Report December 2012
footnote[20] Back to paragraph Institute for Work and Health, OHS Vulnerability Measure
footnote[21] Back to paragraph A vulnerable worker refers to those workers at greater risk of injury. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Precarious employment and vulnerable workers
footnote[22] Back to paragraph Toronto Public Health releases new socio-demographic COVID‑19 data
footnote[23] Back to paragraph Ontario Human Rights Commission, When collecting data is a good idea
footnote[24] Back to paragraph Lost in knowledge translation: time for a map?
footnote[25] Back to paragraph Assessing the impact of healthcare research: A systematic review of methodological frameworks
footnote[26] Back to paragraph A sector profile is a descriptive analysis of an economic sectors’ OHS performance, mainly focused on sector injury administrative data (claims data), segregated by gender, age group, geographical location, occupation and employer size, among others
footnote[27] Back to paragraph Identify worker groups at risk from hazardous substances in the workplace
footnote[28] Back to paragraph Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, 2019 Annual Report
footnote[29] Back to paragraph Public Health Ontario, Supporting the policy-making process 2019 Annual Report
footnote[30] Back to paragraph 2019 statistics on Ontario’s workforce
footnote[31] Back to paragraph O. Reg. 297/13: Occupational health and safety awareness and training
footnote[32] Back to paragraph 2019 Consultation: Ontario’s next occupational health and safety strategy
footnote[33] Back to paragraph The public sector gets serious about customer experience
footnote[34] Back to paragraph 2019 Consultation: Ontario’s next occupational health and safety strategy
footnote[35] Back to paragraph World Health Organization strategic communications framework for effective communications
footnote[36] Back to paragraph Evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness of the Ontario working at heights training standard: Final report
footnote[37] Back to paragraph CSA group, Why do we need standards? frequently asked questions
footnote[38] Back to paragraph The Skills Factor in Productivity and Competitiveness: How Canada's Sector Councils are Helping Address the Skills and Labour Needs of Employers
footnote[39] Back to paragraph The potential of online learning for adults: Early lessons from the COVID‑19 crisis
footnote[40] Back to paragraph Improving health and safety in small businesses
footnote[41] Back to paragraph Ontario now recognizes fall protection training certificates from Newfoundland and Labrador workers
footnote[42] Back to paragraph Employers certified by COR programs have greater reduction in injury rates: studiesEmployers certified by COR programs have greater reduction in injury rates: studies
footnote[43] Back to paragraph WSIB Health and Safety Excellence program
footnote[44] Back to paragraph Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers Program
footnote[45] Back to paragraph Employers certified by COR programs have greater reduction in injury rates: studies
footnote[46] Back to paragraph Compliance assistance is when a ministry inspector or another OHS system partner provides information, guidance or other tools to help businesses and individuals comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its Regulations.
footnote[47] Back to paragraph Basic OH&S Program Elements
footnote[48] Back to paragraph Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Recommended practices for safety and health programs
footnote[49] Back to paragraph A compliance commitment may be used when a ministry inspector identifies non-compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act or its regulations and makes an informed decision that compliance can be achieved voluntarily without the use of a statutory tool (i.e. an order, ticket or summons).
footnote[50] Back to paragraph Evidence-based occupational health and safety interventions: a comprehensive overview of reviews
footnote[51] Back to paragraph WSIB Health and Safety Excellence program
footnote[52] Back to paragraph Employers certified by COR programs have greater reduction in injury rates: studies
footnote[53] Back to paragraph Government of Alberta, Partnerships in injury reduction
footnote[54] Back to paragraph Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers Program
footnote[55] Back to paragraph Inspection initiative results: New small business registrations and internal responsibility system
footnote[56] Back to paragraph Ontario’s occupational health and safety system
footnote[57] Back to paragraph Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Small Business Assistance Program
footnote[58] Back to paragraph Institute for Work and Health, Improving health and safety in small businesses
footnote[59] Back to paragraph Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Small Business Handbook
footnote[60] Back to paragraph Institute for Work and Health, Improving health and safety in small businesses
footnote[61] Back to paragraph Workplace Safety North, Health and safety checklist for small business owners
footnote[62] Back to paragraph Institute for Work and Health, Improving health and safety in small businesses
footnote[63] Back to paragraph National research center for OHS regulation, OHS in Small Organizations: Some Challenges and Ways Forward
footnote[64] Back to paragraph Government of Canada, Policy on Limiting Regulatory Burden on Business
footnote[65] Back to paragraph Reducing Regulatory Costs for Business Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 20, Sched. 4
footnote[66] Back to paragraph Government of Alberta, Occupational Health and Safety Tool Kit for Small Business
footnote[67] Back to paragraph The business case for safety and health at work: Cost-benefit analyses of interventions in small and medium-sized enterprises
footnote[68] Back to paragraph Public Services Health and Safety Association, Small-Business

Updated: June 16, 2022

Published: July 13, 2021