WSIB unveils 2025 Small Business Health and Safety Leadership Award winners
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has named four Ontario companies as winners of its 2025 Small Business Health and Safety Leadership Awards, recognizing employers that have gone beyond regulatory requirements to protect workers and strengthen safety culture.
WSIB highlights small business role in safety culture
The annual awards, launched in 2017, are open to independently owned and operated small businesses registered with the WSIB that have fewer than 50 employees. Applicants are evaluated on safety culture and leadership, implementation of safety programs or initiatives, communication efforts, and employee involvement in the internal responsibility system.
WSIB vice-president of workplace health and safety services Rod Cook said the award winners show how smaller employers can drive meaningful improvements. He said the businesses have “demonstrated an unwavering commitment to fostering safe and healthy workplaces” and that their efforts “set a standard of excellence for others to follow.”
Gold winner targets opioid risk on construction sites
DESO Construction Limited of Caledonia received the Gold award and a $10,000 prize. The non-residential building construction company focused its latest health and safety efforts on the risk of accidental opioid exposure on job sites.
To address that hazard, DESO deployed naloxone kits and held focused discussions with staff about their purpose, tackling stigma and building acceptance among team members for the change.
“In a small but growing business like ours, leadership and front-line work often overlap, and are one in the same — which means setting the tone for health and safety starts with leadership, both in attitude and in action,” said DESO president Dennis Sousa.
Silver winners expand training and transportation safety
Two organizations tied for the Silver award, each receiving $6,000.
Bayside Geoscience Inc., an independent geological consulting firm based in Thunder Bay, introduced a range of initiatives, committees, programs and feedback channels to shape its health and safety approach. The company implemented specialized training that goes beyond basic compliance, with topics including mental wellness, physical health and ergonomics. It also revised procedures to speed up incident reporting and reduce gaps in injury and illness reporting.
“We have made safety a shared value rather than a checklist item, and that commitment continues to shape the way we work every day,” said Troy Lafontaine, vice president of human resources at Bayside Geoscience.
Ottawa Home Care Associates Inc. (OHC), a provider of personal care and nursing services, shared the Silver award. The company centered its health and safety efforts on creating a safe, reliable and supportive transportation program for employees, with particular attention to winter driving, fatigue and vehicle safety. Leaders actively sought input from frontline staff to ensure the program reflected workers’ needs while supporting consistent client care.
“We are deeply committed to fostering a safe, reliable, and supportive transportation environment for our employees, which directly contributes to the quality of care we provide to our clients,” said OHC chief executive officer Marie Antoine Boursiquot.
Bronze winner formalizes “whole person” approach
Simple Strokes Painting Solutions Inc., a specialized painting and renovation company based in St. Marys, earned the Bronze award and a $4,000 prize. As it grew from a micro to a small business, the company formalized its health and safety procedures and ensured workers had the time needed to properly follow protocols.
The company’s approach emphasized caring for people as whole individuals, not just focusing on procedures or equipment, as part of embedding health and safety into its day-to-day operations.
