Workwell Audit Support
The Workwell program is an audit tool used by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario to implement section 82(1) of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. The Government's purpose for the auditing tool is to identify companies that unfairly add to the assessment burden of their rate group through high claim costs, or frequency, and recoup those costs through fines based on the organization's audit score. At 4S we provide a pre-Workwell Audit to help companies assess where they are in their Health and Safety programs and present a gap analysis detailing the cost, effort and time frame needed to meet the WSIB requirements.
Why do a pre-Workwell Audit?
It is important to do a safety audit to analyze where an employer is with their safety programs and how well they have implemented the program throughout the company. The safety audit references everything in a Workwell audit to see if the company is complying with all the applicable safety standards and regulations. As a result of doing the audit, employers are presented with a detailed report with information on whether or not the company is in compliance with safety standards. In areas where they are not in compliance with the Act and regulations, information is given as to what they need to do/have in order to meet the requirements. The audit document describes the standards and guidelines, which the employer is expected to have in place.
We apply the standard Workwell audit format to do the safety compliance audit. This involves an on-site evaluation and review of the employer's operations. The audit is a snapshot of the employer's health and safety program at that time. The audit process is designed to identify deficiencies in the employer's health and safety program and to recommend corrective actions or solutions.
Each audit is designed specifically to take into account the employer's size, the complexity of its operation and the risk associated with the industry.
How does the Safety Audit Work?
Step 1 - On-site, comprehensive safety audit of the workplace will be conducted; current policies and procedures will be reviewed along with a workplace inspection following the Workwell audit format.
Step 2 - A detail report will be presented with all the findings of the audit. If there are gaps in the employer's safety programs or non-compliance issues, then recommendations will be made to improve the safety program. This process will take few days.
Step 3 - A copy of the Safety Audit report will be presented to the employer for review. This audit report details the findings. Areas of non-compliance are listed in order of priority. Based on the priority of the non-compliance items a three phase approach is taken to resolve the issues. Phase one will focus on getting the most essential items done within a month or two, followed by phase two where other high priority items will be tackled. Finally phase three will cover all the remaining items.
Step 4 - A detailed cost analysis will be presented for all the different phases highlighting what needs to be done to meet the requirements. The following actions will be taken:
We will provide services such as writing the safety policy, safety manual with all the policies and procedures that are applicable for the employer;
We will spend time with supervisor, managers, joint health and safety committee (JHSC) or the safety representatives to implement the program.
Why come to us to implement your safety program?
Unless an employer has a full time Health & Safety Coordinator on staff that is proficient with writing safety policies and procedures, it will take the average person hundreds of hours to put together a safety program that will satisfy the WSIB workwell audit and meet the legislative requirements for a workplace health and safety program. In addition to costs associated with learning the material to implement a safety compliance program, it also takes time away from the regular duties of the employee. By hiring a consulting firm with experts in the field of the health and safety, the employer will have a safety program implemented within a few months for less than half the cost.
What is a Workwell Audit?
The workplace safety and insurance board (WSIB) auditors perform a Workwell audit. A Workwell audit is done to identify deficiencies in the health and safety program of the employer and to provide them with an opportunity to implement remedial measures.
Nearly 75% of the companies fail the initial Workwell audit.
How can one be targeted for a Workwell Audit?
There are number of reasons how an employer can be targeted for a workwell audit.
Employers who have demonstrated a poor health and safety record through increased injury rate or lost time injuries. The WSIB maintains records of employers with poor accident histories for their particular rate group, identifying those employers with above average accident costs and/or accident frequency. Employers with poor records are therefore prime targets for a Workwell audit.
A history of non-compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The Ministry of Labour (MOL) is one source of information from which a decision to audit may be made. Information from MOL will reveal the number of frequency of orders issued as well as the number of prosecutions under the OHSA that have been initiated against a particular employer.
Workwell audits may be triggered as a result of the findings of a financial audit performed pursuant to the Act, or as a result of complaints or referrals from workers, contractors, etc.
What happens when you fail a Workwell Audit?
If an employer fails to achieve a score of 75% on the initial audit, a second audit will be allowed prior to the imposition of a penalty. Failure of a Workwell audit can have serious financial implications for an employer, since the penalty for failure of a Workwell audit can result in additional premiums. The second audit is done in roughly six months following the initial audit. If the employer fails to achieve a score of 75% on the second audit, additional premium charges will be levied. The maximum penalty to be imposed is 75% of an employer's premiums, to a maximum of $500,000.00. The extent of those additional premiums will depend upon the degree of non-compliance.
Why should you pass the initial Workwell Audit?
Once an employer is classified as noncompliant, they can easily attract Ministry of Labour Inspectors, who can become frequent and costly visitors to the operation. Passing the initial Workwell audit with a high score can be an answer to lower premiums.
