WSIB launches Health and Safety Excellence Program

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) will launch the follow-up program to its successful Safety Groups program later this week.

The Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEP) mirrors Safety Groups in the sense that it rewards participating firms for developing and augmenting elements of their health and safety plans, but it differs in one important sense: it is more flexible than the previous program. wsib

Companies that participate in HSEP may join the program at any point in a calendar year—unlike Safety Groups where groups opened at certain times of the year and participation required a year-long commitment. And where under Safety Groups, companies earned rebates based on the collective success of the group, HSEP rewards participants individually. In other words, rebates depend entirely on how well each individual performs.

HSEP begins with an online assessment that helps companies understand which among 36 elements may be most beneficial to them. Elements are grouped into three blocks. The Foundations block includes 10 topics, such as first aid, hazard recognition and worker participation. The Intermediate block includes 17 elements, such as competency, health and safety training, and document and record control. The final, Advanced block, includes nine elements, among them internal audits, management reviews, and corporate social responsibility.

Companies can choose from between one and five elements to work on per year. The elements form part of their individual Action Plans. As they participate in HSEP, they work with approved providers to develop their elements, and they have a year to do so.

Once elements are completed, companies submit them to the WSIB for validation. If they are successful, the companies will receive rebates for their efforts; if they fail their elements, they will be given 60 days to address any shortcomings and re-submit for verification.

Recognition for successfully completed elements comes in two forms. Financial rebates vary from 1.4 percent to 2 percent of a firm’s prior year annual WSIB premiums, and depend on the company’s predictability score. Firms can earn a minimum of $1,000 in rebates per completed topic, up to 75 percent of their annual premiums, and up to $50,000 per completed topic. The WSIB pays rebates every three months, and all elements are awarded the same rebates.

In addition, firms will also receive non-financial recognition for their successes. This comes in the form of digital badges they may use in their marketing and promotional materials, such as email signatures and responses to requests for proposals.

Open to anyone

The other key piece of news about HSEP is that it is open to any company—regardless of their experience with Safety Groups or even if they have already completed their Certificate of Recognition designation.

Learn more at the WSIB website.