According to the Workers Compensation Act, if you are an employer with 20 or more staff in a workplace determined to be moderate or high risk, or one with 50 or more workers in a workplace determined to be low risk, you are required to implement a formal occupational health and safety (OH&S) program. And you must also maintain a joint occupational health and safety committee consisting of both employer and employee representatives if you employ 20 or more workers.
If you are not required to establish an OH&S program, it is still a good practice to implement the basics in the workplace. As an employer you are responsible for ensuring that you and your employees are working in a safe and healthy environment. It contributes to positive work morale and is part of a good employee retention strategy.
With the OH&S program in place, you can also consider enrolling in WorkSafeBC’s voluntary Partners in Injury and Disability Prevention Program. Also referred to as the Partners Program or Certification of Recognition Program (COR), participating employers are eligible for rebates on their WorkSafeBC premiums.
In this section, you will find valuable information on the following: