b'Health & SafetyImplementing an Occupational Health and Safety Management SystemHow to improve prevention at your workplace with tools such as COR and theHealth and Safety Excellent Program We take health and safety seriouslyI fyouverecentlybeentoanlyAn effective OHSMS is typical- policy updates and efforts tosure data; collect and assessHowmanypeopledoestheIHSA event, spoken to an IHSAbased on recognized health andfoster a strong safety culture. worker feedback; documentcompany employ?consultantorevenflippedsafetystandards.Onesuchstan- When properly implemented, anand report results. Where does it operate? throughanissueofIHSAHealthdardisCOR,whichverifiestheOHSMS helps you to be proactiveAct:Reviewfindings;useWhat hazards are present at theandSafetyMagazine,youvenosuccessful implementation of yourabouteliminatingandcontrollingknowledgetomakeim- workplace(s)?doubt encountered the term occu- companysOHSMSthroughin- hazards because it accounts for all as- provements. Whatjobtasksdoworkerspational health and safety manage- ternal and external auditing. Morepects of your companys operationsEach stage builds upon the lastperform?Whatequipment ment system. than700businessesinOntarioand is incorporated into every deci- and informs what comes next. Theisused?Butwhatisthissystem,of- currently have systems that are cer- sion you make. It also builds in pro- cycleencouragesopencommuni- What legislation applies to the tifiedundertheCORbanner;cesses to evaluate how well its work- cationandengagementwithem-tenshortenedusingtheacronymmanyothersareworkingtowardingandtomakeimprovementsployees,involvingthemdirectlyincompany and the work it does?OHSMS? What is its purpose? HowDoeseveryoneunderstand CORcertification. wherever gaps are found. workplace prevention initiatives and doyouapplyittoyourbusiness?reinforcing a culture of health andtheir health and safety respon-What are its benefits? The Building Blocks of anAn OHSMS Helps Yousafety problem solving. sibilities?OntariosOccupationalHealthWhat health and safety practic-OHSMS Improve Continuously When used appropriately, PDCA andSafetyAct(OHSA)definesithelpsconfirmthatwhatyouvees and procedures are currently as a coordinated system of proce- Policy and commitment:UsingthePlan-Do-Check-Actimplementedbe it a specific pro- in place (whether theyre docu-dures, processes and other measuresAclearhealthandsafety(PDCA)cycleisamongthemostcedure or a broader aspect of yourmented or informal)?that is designed to be implementedpolicywithstrongleader- common ways to continuously im- OHSMSisactuallyproducingFromthere,youllalsobenefit by employers in order to promoteship support. prove both specific aspects of work- positive health and safety outcomesby digging deeper into the jobs that Planning and risk assess- placehealthandsafetyandyour continuousimprovementinoccu- for workers. yourworkerscommonlyperform pational health and safety. ment: Identifying hazards,completeOHSMS.(Forexample,andthespecifichazardsassoci-assessing risks and ensuringPDCA is a foundational part of the Put simply, an OHSMS is a com- legal compliance. COR standard.) Where to Start with anatedwitheachtask.Forexample, prehensive plan that helps keep yourI mplementationandThefour-stepcyclefollowsthisOHSMS askyourself:employeessafeandhealthywhileWhatinspections(ofequip-operation: Training, safegeneral approach: Before you can improve an occu-theyre on the job. Its the policies andwork procedures, personalPlan: Analyze the problem;pational health and safety manage- ment,tools,facilities,etc.) practices they adhere to, the trainingneedtotakeplacebefore they take, the inspections they par- protective equipment andset goals and establish prior- ment system, you need to have oneworkstarts?communication. ities; assign responsibilities;in the first place. This starts with tak-ticipate in and the emergency proce- What procedures are in placeMonitoringandevalua- decidehowperformanceing a clear-eyed look at your compa-dures they follow if something goestion: Regular audits, inci- will be measured. ny to identify what you need to do toforidentifyingandreporting wrong. Its everything your businessdent reporting and perfor- Do:Implementplansandintegrate health and safety into yourhazards? doesconsistentlyandsystemati- mance reviews. procedures;communicateeveryday business operations. What training do workers needcallyto prevent workplace illnesses,Continuousimprove- goals; train staff, if necessary. Somequestionstoconsideras(asrequiredbylawandasa injuries and fatalities. ment: Corrective actions,Check: Monitor and mea- part of this process are: workplace best practice)? 10ONTARIO ROOFING NEWSISSUE 3 2025 THE ONLY SOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL ICI ROOFING CONTRACTORS IN ONTARIO ORN'