WHSCC Launches Health and Safety Guide Designed for Small Businesses

The Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC) of New Brunswick (Canada) recently announced the launch of The Small Business Guide to Health and Safety – an interactive tool that will reportedly help small businesses protect workers from injuries and occupational diseases.

“This is a major initiative for us,” said David Greason, vice president of WHSCC’s WorkSafe Services Division. “Eighty-six percent of businesses in this province have payrolls under $400,000. We know they may have limited resources to devote to developing programs that keep workers safe, and that’s why we developed this new guide.”

The Small Business Guide to Health and Safety is an interactive mini CD-Rom presentation that will walk users through the basic steps of building a health and safety program. The WHSCC is able to stay in touch with users as they progress through the guide: learning about legislated requirements, identifying their workplaces hazards, implementing solutions to eliminate those hazards, and appointing health and safety representatives.

“We believe that health and safety is critical for small businesses,” said Greason. “When you consider the costs associated with replacing an injured worker, other related accident costs, and the tight margins many small businesses operate under, injury prevention doesn’t just make sense – it becomes a financial imperative.”

The Small Business Guide to Health and Safety will be distributed free of charge, using a “Talk, Knowledge, Control” campaign theme.

For more information, visit www.whscc.nb.ca .