New Inspectors will help Keep Workers Safe on the Job during COVID-19
Farmers can take steps to reduce liabilities when hiring companies to complete building projects
• Ontario in Second Wave of Pandemic
• All Ontario Employers Now Required to Pro-Actively Screen Employees
• Pre-Budget Consultations Underway
• 2019-2020 Public Accounts Reveal $8.7B Deficit
• First Three Pillars in Government’s Six Pillar Plan
Fatality & Critical Injury Year-to-Date Overview – Construction
As provinces across Canada have started to reopen the economy, infection control has become a priority for all businesses. To help you better understand COVID-19 exposures and work site infection control best practices, experts in occupational health and safety are providing you with free access to a risk management training program designed to help you understand the risks and how you can create a plan to control infection exposures.
At the WSIB, we understand the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Ontario businesses. To continue to help reduce the financial burden on businesses during this difficult time, any repayment of deferred WSIB premiums as part of our financial relief package will not begin before January 2021.
Our financial relief package deferment period comes to an end on August 31, 2020. Regular reporting and payment schedules for all businesses who report and pay monthly, quarterly or annually based on their insurable earnings will resume in September.
Reporting and paying deferred amounts:
Reporting: Schedule 1 businesses are encouraged to start reporting deferred premiums now and will have to report all deferred amounts by October 31, 2020. You can report your deferred premiums by:
• using our online services
• emailing us at employeraccounts@wsib.on.ca with each outstanding period clearly defined. For example: August 2020 – payroll = $100, premiums = $10
• complete the premium remittance form for the corresponding reporting period and mail to P.O. Box 4115 Station A Toronto M5W 2V3
Payment: Repayment of deferred WSIB premiums, claim payments and administrative fees between March to August 2020, will not be due before January 2021 for all Schedule 1 and 2 businesses. Businesses may choose to start making deferred payments prior to January 2021. We will provide more information on the repayment schedule for deferred amounts, along with 2021 premium rate information, in the fall.
We recognize that some businesses may require longer repayment terms due to the ongoing pandemic. If you require additional support once the repayment period has started, please contact us and we will be happy to work with you.
Beginning September 1, 2020, all upcoming payment obligations will be due on the normal payment cycle for all businesses, as outlined on your statements or invoices.
Farmers can take steps to reduce liabilities when hiring companies to complete building projects
Fatality & Critical Injury Year-to-Date Overview – Construction
As Ontario enters its second stage of reopening the province, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is releasing a guide to help building owners and operators ensure water quality is restored before opening their buildings to workers and the public.
When water sits in pipes for long periods, it can pose a risk to human health. Prior to reopening buildings to the public, building owners and managers are responsible for beginning water flushing activities to restore the water quality and ensure the safety of drinking water.
The following document, Guide for Maintaining Building Plumbing After an Extended Vacancy, outlines the procedures building owners and managers should take to ensure the water in their building is safe. It is also important to communicate with tenants, local public health units, and, if necessary, the municipality, to ensure the delivery of safe drinking water. See the guide for further details.
The WSIB's Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEP) is well positioned to help you adapt to the new health and safety reality and stop the spread of COVID19, supporting safety in the construction industry
Returning to work during COVID-19 raises questions about the steps that employers should be taking to train their employees and adapt their physical workplaces
Learn how you can create a plan to help protect your workers and others from novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
It’s not exactly business as usual as construction sites open back up across the country. Without a vaccine or herd immunity, there’s still a risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus, so any business – including a construction site – that is reopening needs a plan for infection control.
Every construction project comes with its own set of risks – from fire and water damage to equipment theft, slips and falls, cyber-attacks and even infection control.
These risks not only vary in size and complexity but can also evolve over the course of a project. That’s why having proper worksite policies and procedures is so critical to avoiding hazards and potential accidents.
Sherrard Kuzz LLP - Briefing Note: On May 29, 2020, the Government of Ontario introduced a regulation under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) that provides relief to any employer that temporarily laid off a non-union employee or reduced non-union employee wages and/or hours due to COVID-19. The regulation largely exempts any such layoff or reduction from being deemed a termination of employment, so that there is no obligation to provide ESA notice and severance.
Report for the Labour Management Network. Ontario injury and fatality statistics in Construction.
