Report: WSIB says Ontario’s manufacturing workplaces 1.6% less safe than last year

May 27, 2019 – Ontario’s manufacturing workplaces are 1.6 per cent less safe over last year, according to the 2019 results of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)’s Health and Safety Index.

The negative score in the manufacturing industry was impacted by what the WSIB says was a high number of severe injuries. The length of time a person requires to return to work (if at all) and the total overall number of injuries both affect the final results. While the number of injuries in the manufacturing sector dropped, the injuries that did occur were considered highly severe.

The index, which also measures Ontario’s overall workplace safety (rated as 1.9 per cent safer than last year), uses multiple indicators, from prevention and injuries to culture, empowerment and enforcement, and combines them into a single score. 

The manufacturing industry scored highly in employee empowerment and prevention, because of its focus on proactive inspections.

However, the workplace culture score for manufacutring dropped compared to 2018, when it was ranked the highest of all industries. The WSIB says respondents noted decreases in employee involvement in health and safety programs, prevention activities and safety support.

“An area that manufacturing can work on is improving their internal responsibility systems, where both businesses and employees have a direct responsibility for health and safety, making it part of their daily culture,” says Christina Hoy, VP corporate business information and analytics for WSIB. “For example, involvement in health and safety programs (a component of empowerment on the index), more workplace prevention activities and improved safety support.”

The Ontario Ministry of Labour has outlined tips on achieving a successful internal responsibility system.