This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses the strategies and safety practices that set successful small businesses apart, and features Carrie Briley, Director of Health and Safety Program Design at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).

Carrie explains that successful businesses focus on practical, low-cost safety improvements, engage workers in identifying hazards and solutions, and treat health and safety as an ongoing part of daily operations rather than a standalone program. She shares practical advice for small businesses to improve workplace safety, including:

·      Talking regularly with workers about risks and potential solutions

·      Keeping records of training, inspections, and corrective actions

·      Using WSIB resources such as the Business Safety Portal, Health and Safety Talks, and the Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEp) to support continuous improvement and safety performance.

Carrie also discusses the redesigned WSIB Small Business Safety Awards, which recognize businesses with fewer than 50 employees that have demonstrated innovative and effective approaches to workplace health and safety.

Health and safety is an investment that supports employee wellbeing, and employers are encouraged to start small, focus on their most significant workplace risks, involve workers in safety discussions, and take advantage of WSIB resources and support programs to drive continuous improvement.

Free resources

 Small Business Resources

WSIB Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEp)

Small business services | WSIB

WSIB

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This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses safety talks and features Mike Estalilla and Karolina Chelminiak, Program Developers and Instructional Designers at IHSA.

 Mike and Karolina explain that a safety talk should be a short, interactive discussion that addresses real workplace hazards and encourages worker participation. Safety talks are most effective when they are relevant, engaging, worker-focused, and followed by meaningful observation and feedback. When properly planned and delivered, they become a valuable tool for changing behaviours and improving workplace safety

Mike and Karolina explore practical strategies for planning and delivering safety talks, including understanding the workforce, using storytelling to create relevance, and applying principles of adult learning and neuroscience to encourage knowledge retention and behaviour change.

They also highlight ways supervisors can evaluate whether safety talks are effective, including asking review questions, observing worker behaviours, measuring understanding over time, and adjusting future talks based on worker feedback and performance. Safety talks should be viewed as an ongoing learning process rather than a compliance exercise, helping to build a stronger safety culture and improve workplace performance.

Free resources

Safety talks

Safety talks manual

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This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast focuses on slips, trips, and falls in Ontario’s aggregate industry and features Ryan Smith, Health and Safety Consultant at IHSA.

Ryan discusses why slips, trips, and falls remain one of the most common workplace injuries in the sector, highlighting key contributing factors such as poor housekeeping, unsafe surface conditions, complacency, inadequate risk assessments, weather conditions, and insufficient hazard reporting. He also discusses how fatigue, distractions, rushing, and routine work can increase the likelihood of incidents when workers fail to recognize or address hazards.

Ryan emphasizes the importance of maintaining three-point contact when accessing equipment, using fall protection when required, and ensuring pedestrian walkways, tool storage areas, and equipment access points remain free of hazards. He also discusses the importance of proper safety footwear, regular inspections, worker involvement in hazard identification, and ongoing safety conversations to combat complacency.

Preventing slips, trips, and falls is a shared responsibility, and even small hazards should never be ignored, as they can lead to serious injuries if left unaddressed.

Free resources

Aggregates - Slips, trips, and falls

Aggregates

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This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast focuses on heavy equipment safety in Ontario’s aggregate industry and features Ryan Smith, Health and Safety Consultant at IHSA.

Ryan discusses the key hazards associated with working around heavy equipment, including blind spots, pedestrian interactions, unstable ground conditions, stockpiles, articulated equipment, and heavy equipment right-of-way. He highlights the importance of equipment-specific training, pre-shift inspections, preventative maintenance, and effective communication in preventing incidents.

Ryan also explores how emerging technologies, such as proximity warning systems, fatigue detection tools, autonomous equipment, improved cab filtration, and automatic greasing systems, are helping improve worker safety.

Ryan highlights broader industry challenges, including exposure to silica and diesel exhaust, slips, trips and falls, and labour shortages. He emphasizes that building a strong safety culture, providing comprehensive training, encouraging proactive hazard reporting, and continuously identifying ways to improve are essential to creating safer aggregate workplaces.

Free resources

Aggregates

Silica Control Tool

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This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast focuses on tick risks in Ontario and how workers can protect themselves from tick-borne illnesses, and features Dr. Curtis Russell, Senior Program Specialist at Public Health Ontario.

Dr. Russell explains that while tick populations and Lyme disease cases can vary year to year depending on weather, the long-term trend in Ontario shows a steady increase—particularly for black-legged ticks, the only species in the province known to transmit Lyme disease. He outlines where ticks are most commonly found, such as brushy, wooded areas with leaf litter, and notes that their range has expanded across much of southern Ontario.

Dr. Russell shares practical prevention strategies for people working outdoors, including wearing light-coloured clothing, tucking in clothing, using repellents, and performing thorough tick checks both before leaving a worksite and again at home. He also explains how to properly remove a tick, the importance of early removal to reduce the risk of disease transmission, and why common myths—such as ticks jumping or falling from trees—are inaccurate.

In addition to Lyme disease, Dr. Russell briefly discusses other tick-borne illnesses in Ontario and reinforces that the same prevention measures apply.

Free resources

·      Guard against insect bites and stings

·      Insect bites and stings (safety talk)

·      Lyme disease (safety talk)

·      Ontario Vector-Borne Disease Tool 

·      Ontario Tick-Borne Diseases

·      eTick

·      TickTOOL

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This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast explores what Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) inspectors look for during construction site inspections, and features Aris Finnson, a former Occupational Health and Safety Inspector with MLITSD.

Aris explains that the primary goal of an inspection is to assess whether a strong internal responsibility system (IRS) is in place by verifying that hazards are identified, planned for, and controlled. Inspectors often form an impression within the first few minutes on site, based on visible indicators such as housekeeping, signage, use of personal protective equipment, fall protection practices, and overall site organization. Aris highlights that:

1. Workers should be able to identify their supervisor, explain their tasks and hazards, and know how to report concerns
2. Strong supervision, clear communication, and proactive planning are major indicators of a compliant and well-run site
3. Common issues leading to orders include fall protection gaps, improper ladder use, poor housekeeping, missing PPE, and incomplete documentation

Aris encourages workplaces to focus on protecting workers every day—rather than preparing only for inspections—by maintaining strong planning, supervision, communication, and accountability across all levels of the organization.

Free resources

What Supervisors Need to Know

Basics of Supervising Training

Supervisor Log Book

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This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses how workplace health and safety research is being translated into practical tools that employers and workers can use to improve safety outcomes across Ontario, and features Rod Cook, Vice President of Workplace Health and Safety Services at WSIB, and Dr. Amin Yazdani, President of the Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness and Performance (CISWP).

Rod shares how the WSIB is investing in research and partnerships to better understand the root causes of workplace injuries and support prevention-focused solutions across sectors. Dr. Amin explains how CISWP’s applied research approach brings data collection directly to job sites through mobile labs and advanced technologies, helping generate insights based on real working conditions.

Together, they discuss how research findings are being translated into practical, accessible tools that employers can use to strengthen their health and safety programs. They highlight the importance of collaboration between organizations, researchers, and industry in driving meaningful improvements in workplace safety, and explain how employers, supervisors, and health and safety professionals can use research-informed tools and resources to support safer workplaces.

Free resources

WSIB Health and Safety Excellence Program

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)

WSIB Online Services

Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness and Performance (CISWP)

CCOHS Business Safety Portal

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This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS) and features IHSA experts Chris McKean, Vice President of Programs and Strategic Development, and Ken Rayner, Vice President of Market Development and Communications.

This episode builds on Episode 132, where we explored the WSIB's Health and Safety Excellence program. Now, we look at what comes next in your health and safety journey.

We cover:

·     How an OHSMS can help your business succeed

·     Where COR® 2020 or ISO 45001 works best

·     How to choose the right standard for your business

·     What makes an OHSMS effective

·     How to know that workers trust your system

·     How good leadership and oversight make the system stronger

Listen to learn how the COR® 2020 and ISO 45001 standards can help your business improve decision-making, reduce risk, and keep workers healthy and safe.  

Free resources

IHSA - Certificate of Recognition (COR®)

Debunking Seven Myths about the COR® Program

Comparing COR® 2020 and ISO 45001:2018

ISO 45001:2018

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This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses the importance of proper-fitting workwear for women in skilled trades and features Alicia Woods, founder of Covergalls.

Alicia discusses the real challenges women in trades face in finding suitable workwear, including reduced mobility, discomfort, and safety risks caused by poorly fitting personal protection equipment (PPE). Alicia was motivated to create Covergalls based on her own experiences and frustrations with the lack of fitted workwear while working in the mining industry.

Key takeaways on the importance of proper-fit PPE in skilled trades:

·      Proper-fit PPE improves day-to-day comfort and reduces physical strain, allowing workers to perform tasks more efficiently

·      Proper-fit PPE helps reduce safety risks by ensuring coveralls or equipment function as intended without requiring unsafe modifications

·      Designing PPE for diverse body types helps eliminate barriers that have often discouraged women from entering or staying in skilled trades.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about why proper-fit PPE is crucial for workplace safety and inclusion.

Free resources

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Resources

Personal Protective Equipment – Requirements and Samples

PPE and winter weather

The right fit for your respiratory and hearing protection

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This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses commercial diving and its underlying risks and features Doug Elsey, Executive Director of the Canadian Association for Diving Contractors (CADC).

Doug explains that commercial diving typically happens when something sinks, breaks, or needs inspection or repair underwater. Commercial divers are essential for maintaining underwater infrastructure, and it’s critical to follow all safety precautions because of the high-risk nature of the work.

Doug mentions several key factors in commercial diving:

• Recreational diving experience is not sufficient for commercial work; commercial divers must undergo formal training and adhere to strict safety standards.
• Hiring unqualified divers puts lives at risk and may lead to incidents, fines, or lawsuits. Investing in a competent diving contractor helps ensure work is done safely and efficiently.
• A safe diving operation depends on trained diving teams that know how to manage underwater hazards, the right equipment, and proper procedures in place.

Because of the risks involved in commercial diving, choosing the right contractor is a critical part of planning the work. Before any work begins, it’s important to ensure the contractor meets the necessary safety and competency requirements. Refer to IHSA’s ‘Hiring a commercial diving contractor’ brochure for proper guidance.

Free resources

Hiring a commercial diving instructor (brochure)

Diving operations

Canadian Association for Diving Contractors (CADC)

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