PPE stands for personal protective equipment. OSHA requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce employee exposure to hazards in the workplace.

Examples of PPE are:

PPE - Eye Protection	Safety glasses with side shields, Safety goggles
PPE - Gloves & Mitts	Leather gloves, Non-latex gloves
PPE - Foot Protection	Heavy, well fitted footwear approved by CSA or Canadian Standards Association
PPE - Head Protection	Hard hat

WSIB stands for Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) promotes workplace health and safety, and provides a workers compensation system for the employers and workers of Ontario. The site contains extensive information about prevention, forms, health issues, return to work programs, and links to other health and safety organizations.

The WSIB is a win-win compromise between the management and workers. Management must pay a regular premium to the WSIB, yet they acquire the security of knowing that an injured worker cannot file suit. While workers lose their right to sue a company if an injury occurs on the job, they gain the protection of workers' compensation when there are injured on the job.

Form 6 is a WSIB form that the worker completes and sends to the WSIB after a work-related injury or illness. It is a way for you to tell the details of what happened to cause the injury or illness. It also provides information needed to make decisions about and process your claim. This form is different from the one you may have filled out at work for your employer. When you complete and submit the Form 6, it tells us that you are claiming for benefits for a work-related accident.

There is a time limit for you to report. It is important to claim benefits as soon as possible. You have six months from the date of the accident to claim benefits or, for occupational diseases, from the time you learn of the disease. More information can be found on the WSIB site, http://www.wsib.on.ca/wsib/wsibsite.nsf/public/home_e.

The Occupational Health & Safety Act is the Act that protects workers against health & safety hazards on the jobs. It relies on the Internal responsibility system where workers, employers, and temps/associates must share the responsibility for occupational health & safety in their workplace. It involves everyone.

You can find the updated and signed copy of the Health & Safety Policy by Geoff Bagg at the Main Reception at our respective locations (downtown, Markham, Mississauga), in your Health & Safety Manual, and on the Internet Health & Safety Site.

The JHSC has many duties and roles but the primary role of the health and safety committee is to:

1. To meet the company's objectives for Health & Safety;
2. To identify potential hazards in the workplace;
3. To evaluate these potential hazards;
4. To carryout monthly inspections of the workplace;
5. To recommend corrective actions to the Employer;
6. To follow up on implemented recommends;
7. Designated WSIB members can investigate work refusals and serious accidents;
8. To be available and listen and take the necessary action on worker concerns and complaints.

For management:

• Establish and maintain a health & safety program;
• Ensure workers are provided with the proper and adequate training;
• Provide workers with health & safety information;
• Support JHSC members;
• Evaluate Health & Safety performance for all staff.

For workers:

• Follow safe work procedures;
• Report any injury or illness immediately;
• Report any unsafe acts and conditions
• Know and comply with the OHSA.

WHMIS stands for Workplace Materials Information System. It is a legislated training requirement under section 42[1] of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It is an information system that uses material safety data sheets, labels and training to identify hazards and how to avoid injury. WHMIS protects employees and employers by giving vital information about workplace hazardous materials, which is delivered via cautionary labels, material safety data sheets (MSDS), and worker education training.

For more information on WHMIS label classification and MSDS Sheet, please use the following links:
WHMIS Label Classification - http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/legisl/whmis_classifi.html
WHMIS Material Safety Data Sheets - http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/legisl/msdss.html

Employers must report a work related accident/illness to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) if they learn that a worker requires health care and/or:

• Is absent from regular work
• Earns less than regular pay for regular work (e.g., Only working partial hours)
• Requires modified work at less than regular pay.

Reporting is also required if, following the date of the work related accident/illness, the worker does not receive health care but requires modified work at regular pay for more than seven calendar days.

The WSIB uses a variety of forms to collect accident information from an employer. In every case, the information must be sufficient to allow the WSIB to set up a claim. These include what are known as WSIB Form 7, WSIB Form 1492, and WSIB Form 6.

WSIB Form 7 is the Employer's Report of Injury/Disease. The Bagg Group is required to report an employees work-related accident/illness to the WSIB when we learn that a worker requires health care and/or is absent from regular work, earns less than regular pay for regular work and requires modified duties. This Form is completed by The Bagg Group only.

Link to Form 7

An injured worker should sign WSIB Form 1492 and present it to the Bagg Group. It provides consent to the release of your Functional Abilities information in case of a workplace injury or illness.

Link to Form 1492

An employee must complete and send this Form to the WSIB after a work-related injury or illness. By doing so, you inform the WSIB the details of what happened to cause your injury or illness. Furthermore, it provides the WSIB with the information they need to make a decision and process your claim.

Link to Form 6

The Early and Safe Return to Work procedure ensures that the employer, employee, and the WSIB perform their required duties to ensure that a worker who has been injured on the job can return to work in the most suitable capacity in a safe and efficient manner without causing undue hardship.

You, your employer and the WSIB all have certain roles, responsibilities, and obligations that support early and safe return to work. You can find the details of these responsibilities in the 2007 elements.

Please visit Prevent Injury and Illness to view information about common hazards for different types of jobs. You may also find information in your Employee manual.