Ontario WSIB Takes to Social Media!

Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has taken to Twitter in an attempt to reach the province’s young workers. The Board has launched a Twitter contest challenging workers between the ages of 15 and 24 to tag a photo of themselves practicing safety on the job with the hashtag #practicesafework.

The timing of the contest is strategic. With many young workers seeking summer employment, the number of new workers is on the rise. Research conducted by the Institute for Work and Health indicates that rates of workplace injury are higher amongst both young workers, and workers on their first month of the job.

With the maximum fine for a corporation found violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act at $500,000.00 and the Ontario government introducing legislation to match that fine under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, workplace injuries are costly for all involved. The contest, which features a daily prize of $150 and a weekly grand prize of $500, goes to show that encouraging safety on the job pays for employers and employees alike.