IHSA Safety Podcast

This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses the strategies and safety practices that set successful small businesses apart, and features Carrie Briley, Director of Health and Safety Program Design at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).Carrie explains that successful businesses focus on practical, low-cost safety improvements, engage workers in identifying hazards and solutions, and treat health and safety as an ongoing part of daily operations rather than a standalone program. She shares practical advice for small businesses to improve workplace safety, including: ·      Talking regularly with workers about risks and potential solutions·      Keeping records of training, inspections, and corrective actions·      Using WSIB resources such as the Business Safety Portal, Health and Safety Talks, and the Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEp) to support continuous improvement and safety performance.Carrie also discusses the redesigned WSIB Small Business Safety Awards, which recognize businesses with fewer than 50 employees that have demonstrated innovative and effective approaches to workplace health and safety.Health and safety is an investment that supports employee wellbeing, and employers are encouraged to start small, focus on their most significant workplace risks, involve workers in safety discussions, and take advantage of WSIB resources and support programs to drive continuous improvement.Free resources Small Business ResourcesWSIB Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEp)Small business services | WSIBWSIBSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast discusses safety talks and features Mike Estalilla and Karolina Chelminiak, Program Developers and Instructional Designers at IHSA. Mike and Karolina explain that a safety talk should be a short, interactive discussion that addresses real workplace hazards and encourages worker participation. Safety talks are most effective when they are relevant, engaging, worker-focused, and followed by meaningful observation and feedback. When properly planned and delivered, they become a valuable tool for changing behaviours and improving workplace safetyMike and Karolina explore practical strategies for planning and delivering safety talks, including understanding the workforce, using storytelling to create relevance, and applying principles of adult learning and neuroscience to encourage knowledge retention and behaviour change.They also highlight ways supervisors can evaluate whether safety talks are effective, including asking review questions, observing worker behaviours, measuring understanding over time, and adjusting future talks based on worker feedback and performance. Safety talks should be viewed as an ongoing learning process rather than a compliance exercise, helping to build a stronger safety culture and improve workplace performance. Free resourcesSafety talksSafety talks manualSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast focuses on slips, trips, and falls in Ontario’s aggregate industry and features Ryan Smith, Health and Safety Consultant at IHSA.Ryan discusses why slips, trips, and falls remain one of the most common workplace injuries in the sector, highlighting key contributing factors such as poor housekeeping, unsafe surface conditions, complacency, inadequate risk assessments, weather conditions, and insufficient hazard reporting. He also discusses how fatigue, distractions, rushing, and routine work can increase the likelihood of incidents when workers fail to recognize or address hazards.Ryan emphasizes the importance of maintaining three-point contact when accessing equipment, using fall protection when required, and ensuring pedestrian walkways, tool storage areas, and equipment access points remain free of hazards. He also discusses the importance of proper safety footwear, regular inspections, worker involvement in hazard identification, and ongoing safety conversations to combat complacency.Preventing slips, trips, and falls is a shared responsibility, and even small hazards should never be ignored, as they can lead to serious injuries if left unaddressed. Free resourcesAggregates - Slips, trips, and fallsAggregates See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast focuses on heavy equipment safety in Ontario’s aggregate industry and features Ryan Smith, Health and Safety Consultant at IHSA.Ryan discusses the key hazards associated with working around heavy equipment, including blind spots, pedestrian interactions, unstable ground conditions, stockpiles, articulated equipment, and heavy equipment right-of-way. He highlights the importance of equipment-specific training, pre-shift inspections, preventative maintenance, and effective communication in preventing incidents.Ryan also explores how emerging technologies, such as proximity warning systems, fatigue detection tools, autonomous equipment, improved cab filtration, and automatic greasing systems, are helping improve worker safety.Ryan highlights broader industry challenges, including exposure to silica and diesel exhaust, slips, trips and falls, and labour shortages. He emphasizes that building a strong safety culture, providing comprehensive training, encouraging proactive hazard reporting, and continuously identifying ways to improve are essential to creating safer aggregate workplaces. Free resourcesAggregatesSilica Control ToolSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast focuses on tick risks in Ontario and how workers can protect themselves from tick-borne illnesses, and features Dr. Curtis Russell, Senior Program Specialist at Public Health Ontario.Dr. Russell explains that while tick populations and Lyme disease cases can vary year to year depending on weather, the long-term trend in Ontario shows a steady increase—particularly for black-legged ticks, the only species in the province known to transmit Lyme disease. He outlines where ticks are most commonly found, such as brushy, wooded areas with leaf litter, and notes that their range has expanded across much of southern Ontario.Dr. Russell shares practical prevention strategies for people working outdoors, including wearing light-coloured clothing, tucking in clothing, using repellents, and performing thorough tick checks both before leaving a worksite and again at home. He also explains how to properly remove a tick, the importance of early removal to reduce the risk of disease transmission, and why common myths—such as ticks jumping or falling from trees—are inaccurate.In addition to Lyme disease, Dr. Russell briefly discusses other tick-borne illnesses in Ontario and reinforces that the same prevention measures apply.Free resources·      Guard against insect bites and stings·      Insect bites and stings (safety talk)·      Lyme disease (safety talk)·      Ontario Vector-Borne Disease Tool ·      Ontario Tick-Borne Diseases·      eTick·      TickTOOLSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.