Statistics from Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) show that the job fatality rates of small businesses are 6.7 times higher than those for larger businesses and lost-time injury rates are 10% higher.

 

This is why the IAPA (Industrial Accident Prevention Association) has launched the Small Business Safety Calculator, so that for the first time, small businesses can be able to estimate the real out-of-pocket costs of a workplace injury.

 

When a worker in Ontario is injured on the job, the WSIB pays for costs associated with the injury claim, including health, rehabilitation, and disability costs. However, injuries cost small businesses in many other areas not covered by WSIB insurance, such as incident, investigation, damage, replacement, and productivity costs. “Many small business employers may be unaware of their legal obligations and the potential benefits of a health and safety program to overall business improvement.” says Michael Abromeit, vice-president of operations, IAPA “It is an opportunity to strengthen one’s business by reducing injuries, increasing productivity, and improving their health and safety performance.”

 

IAPA’s Small Business Safety Calculator is modeled after one created by WorkSafe BC. With their cooperation, the calculator methodology was re-engineered for use in Ontario and specifically for those companies that fall within one of IAPA’s 12 industry groups: Glass, Stone and Ceramics; Chemical and Plastics; Food and Beverage; Agri Business; High-Tech; Industrial Auto Sales; Leather, Rubber, and Tanners; Metal Trades; Office and Related Services; Printing Trades; Textile and Allied Trades; and Woodworking. Based on real life examples, accident scenarios for these 12 industry groups have been developed and include the applicable profit margins and industry wage rates related to the cost of a workplace accident.