WSCC releases new OHS guide for small business

The Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut has released the Occupational Health and Safety Program Guide for Small Businesses, a new initiative to assist small businesses in developing their own OHS programs.
The WSCC defines a small business as an operation with less than 20 employees. While small businesses in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are generally not required to develop a formal OHS program, having a program is a best practice.

According to the safety act and occupational health and safety regulations, all businesses must develop and implement safe work procedures and train workers to maintain a safe workplace. The Occupational Health and Safety Program Guide for Small Businesses describes how a business can build their own OHS program and includes samples and templates they can customize for their use.

To complement the guide, the WSCC has a newly created role, an OHS specialist who can assist businesses in developing an OHS program for their organization. The OHS specialist will work directly with small businesses to support them to build a new OHS program or to identify gaps and improve upon existing programs.

In addition to one-on-one assistance, the OHS specialist will also be available to conduct workshops.

"We are excited to provide this guide and new tools for small businesses", said Dave Grundy, WSCC president and CEO. "No business is too small for safety. This step-by-step guide to developing an OHS program ensures that OHS is manageable. Having a safety program is taking care of your business."