Road Safety Solutions

Motor-vehicle incidents (MVIs) are the leading cause of traumatic workplace fatalities in Ontario. If you have employees who drive for work, whether it is a commercial vehicle, company vehicle, or personal vehicle, you need to manage the risks associated with driving. The Road Safety Solutions Web resources are designed to help employers understand their obligations when it comes to road safety and how to implement effective and practical prevention strategies. The tools that are available are free and easy to use and are designed to support an employer who doesn’t know where to start when it comes to managing road safety or an employer who already has an effective program in place but wants to add a little more to complement their efforts.

The road safety solutions web page includes free customizable policies, procedures, safety talks, YouTube videos, tip sheets, posters, and a new e-learning option for IHSA’s Preventing Work-Related Motor Vehicle Incidents course which will break down specialized road safety practices and processes into manageable steps that employers can implement at their workplaces.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the last line of defense for protecting workers. Health and safety hazards should be eliminated at the source (if possible) through engineering controls. The second line of defense should involve intervention along the path, which means adjusting the work procedure and/or using mechanical devices to minimize the exposure of workers to occupational health or safety hazards.

Responsibilities of Workplace Parties

When it comes to health and safety, one of the first things to consider is who is going to be responsible for what. Setting out the various responsibilities will make developing, implementing, and operating your company's health and safety program a lot easier.

Returning to Work

Return to work is the process or strategy of safely returning employees to the workplace in a timely manner. The goal is to return the worker to their pre-injury position through complete cooperation of employee and employer.

Safe Work Practices /Safe Job Procedures

Companies should establish safe work practices/safe job procedures for addressing significant hazards or for dealing with circumstances that may present other significant risks/liabilities for the company. They should reflect your company's approach to controlling hazards.

Statistics and Records

Maintaining current health and safety statistics in a central location is a major part of a good health and safety program. Many policies, procedures, notices, statements, and reports are necessary to fulfill legal and health and safety program requirements. Companies need to establish a system to record and review statistics in order to recognize hazard trends and monitor the success of their health and safety program.

Tool and Equipment Maintenance

All tools, equipment, and vehicles must be properly maintained so that workers are not endangered. Construction regulations require inspections of vehicles, tools, machines, and equipment before use.

Preventive maintenance is the systematic care and protection of tools, equipment, machines, and vehicles in order to keep them in a safe, usable condition, that limits downtime and extends productivity.

Training, Orientation and Communications

Construction employers should have systems in place to ensure that workers and supervisors are adequately trained and have received proper orientation. A system is also needed to effectively communicate health and safety information to employees.

Inspection Checklist

Companies need to maintain a robust inspection program to make sure the workplace is safe and clear of hazards. Your program must be up-to-date and cover off all areas of the workplace. Inspections are an opportune time to identify existing hazards and to spot potential hazards that may develop.

Occupational Health

Occupational health programs are primarily concerned with the recognition, evaluation, and control of work-related health hazards that may cause sickness, compromised well being, or discomfort. The effects of exposure to health hazards may be serious and immediate or cause long-term problems.

Workplace Inspections

Inspecting construction sites to ensure that appropriate controls are in place is another key element of an effective health and safety program. Informal inspections should be done by all supervisors whenever they are out on site. Formal documented inspections must be done weekly by supervisors and monthly by Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) or Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) members.