March 2011

WSIB Workwell Audits have been determined for Ontario. Thousands of employers in Ontario have just received letters notifying them that they have been selected for a Workwell Audit. As you may know the Workwell Audit Program randomly selects employers throughout the province to help facilitate compliance with Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety laws. Additionally, employers with unfortunate accident records or high costs in WSIB may also be placed on the list. Depending on your rate group, even a single accident can put your company into one of these categories.

If you would like to be prepared for a Workwell Audit, to develop a solid Health and Safety Management System, or learn more about how to slash your WSIB costs, we can help. Other services offered include Bill 168 compliance, Due Diligence, or the Internal Responsibility System training. Contact Us Now.

February 2011

Coming soon to Windsor, London and Toronto locations - a Complimentary Breakfast Seminar
"Reducing the Duration of Occupational Disabilities using the SPICE Model"

Presenters:
1. Cézanne Charlebois, Lawyer (Management side WSIB and OHS law)
2. Dr. Ketan Patel, Physician
3. Joel Rabideau (Guest Speaker), OHS & Environmental Health and Safety Consultant and Risk Manager

There are two critical factors which prolong the duration of many occupational disabilities. These are 1) a delay in obtaining medical assessments and treatment, and 2) the lack of modified duties available or an unwillingness to provide modified duties. Return to work after injury or illness is a behavior which is influenced by physical, psychological, and social factors. In utilizing elements of the S.P.I.C.E. model (Colledge et al, 2000) we will help participants to identify obstacles in the early and safe return to work process that may come from the medical professionals treating injured workers, employers and the injured workers themselves. All may unwittingly contribute to creating a 'disability' where none should exist. We are currently developing a new model for the management of occupational disabilities that will assist both medical professionals and employers identify and overcome some of the medical and disability management systemic factors that contribute to prolonging or creating a disability of greater magnitude. In doing this, we will provide you with practical guidelines for fostering the partnerships needed to develop a readiness for active participation in recovery while maintaining productivity. SPICE is an acronym which stands for Simplicity, Proximity, Immediacy, Centrality and Expectancy.

If you would like to be invited to one of these complimentary seminars please contact: admin@charleboislaw.com.

News & Updates

02.18.09
Canadian Occupational Safety Magazine (VIDEO CLIP) "CODE WHITE"

"Incidents of violence occurring in the workplace are very high in the health care sector, many of them go unreported, and very few even turn fatal. In this eye opening COS special report, workers tell their own story of the violence and abuse they endure at their workplace on a daily basis. Is it part of the job?" ...





01.01.09
Staff Safety in Hospitals: Valuable Lessons in Preventing Workplace Violence

... "By putting one hospital under a public microscope it became apparent that staff safety is a huge issue in hospitals and this often goes unmentioned in the media. Nurses not only face fatal injuries from violence and acquired diseases such as SARS but also, on a daily basis, they face non-fatal injuries from the violence perpetrated by patients and their families. Furthermore, they experience a multitude of other compensable injuries relating to their work." ...