WSIB Ontario Recognized with IAIABC Innovation Award

Madison, WI (WorkersCompensation.com) - The IAIABC is pleased to recognize the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario as the winner of the 2018 IAIABC Innovation Award, sponsored by WorkComp Strategies. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board was selected for the Innovation Award for its Health and Safety Index, a new tool used to measure the overall safety and health of Ontario’s workplaces.

The Health and Safety Index is an aggregate measure that includes components for prevention, worker empowerment, workplace culture, enforcement, and injuries. Worker interviews were used to help complete the picture when gaps in the data existed. Great effort was taken in the development of the Health and Safety Index so it could be easily adopted by other jurisdictions who are interested in a better understanding of their jurisdiction’s progress in improving workplace health and safety.

The first results of the Health and Safety Index were released on May 8, 2018, and indicated a 1.6% improvement in Ontario’s overall workplace health and safety. The results showed areas where performance could be improved upon, which are being used by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board in collaboration with provincial employers and other industry partners.

In its third year, the Innovation Award received submissions from seven jurisdictions on projects such as medical treatment petitions, a firefighting equipment grant, and virtual hearing centers. “The programs and projects submitted for the Innovation Award were quite impressive in their scope and outcomes. The judging panel found it challenging to select just one winner as all were worthy,” said Jennifer Wolf Horejsh, Executive Director, IAIABC. The IAIABC Innovation Award grew out of a desire to share new initiatives and showcase jurisdictional efforts on system improvement. Submissions were judged on criteria including business proposition, innovation merit, and outcomes.

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board will present their Health and Safety Index during the Awards Luncheon on October 3, 2018 at the IAIABC 104th Convention in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s Health and Safety Index will also be featured in the December 2018 issue of the IAIABC’s digital magazine, Perspectives.

About the IAIABC

The International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions is a not-for-profit association representing government agencies charged with the administration of workers’ compensation systems as well as other workers’ compensation professionals in the private sector. Its mission is to find solutions to reduce harm and aid recovery from occupational injuries and illnesses. Learn more about the IAIABC at www.iaiabc.org.

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