Workplace injuries are becoming more serious and more life changing. It’s time to modernize safety standards for workers across Ontario to prevent serious harm before it happens.
Workplace injuries are becoming more serious and more life changing. It’s time to modernize safety standards for workers across Ontario to prevent serious harm before it happens.
Workplace injuries are becoming more serious and more life changing. It’s time to modernize safety standards for workers across Ontario to prevent serious harm before it happens.
While some overall injury numbers have fluctuated, the seriousness of injuries is rising. Mental and emotional injuries, work-related cancers, and musculoskeletal injuries are now driving the highest costs and the longest recoveries.
WSIB costs have climbed significantly in recent years, largely due to these more severe claims. Fewer incidents does not mean less harm when injuries last longer, cost more, and change lives in deeper ways.
The system is reacting to harm. It is not preventing it.
Every serious injury carries consequences that stretch far beyond the workplace. Longer recoveries. Lingering pain. Psychological strain that follows someone home.
Evidence from internal reporting and clinical literature shows that workers may appear ‘fine’ until cumulative exposure triggers acute psychological injury, contributing to longer recovery periods, increased chronicity, and higher severity classifications.
This is not about statistics on a spreadsheet. It is about people who show up every day to keep this city running and deserve protections that reflect the reality of their work today, not ten years ago.
Every serious injury carries consequences that stretch far beyond the workplace. Longer recoveries. Lingering pain. Psychological strain that follows someone home.
Evidence from internal reporting and clinical literature shows that workers may appear ‘fine’ until cumulative exposure triggers acute psychological injury, contributing to longer recovery periods, increased chronicity, and higher severity classifications.
This is not about statistics on a spreadsheet. It is about people who show up every day to keep this city running and deserve protections that reflect the reality of their work today, not ten years ago.
Modern safety technology exists. Better ergonomic tools exist. Stronger reporting and learning systems exist. Trauma-informed supervision models exist.
Yet minimum enforceable standards have not been comprehensively modernized across all divisions and delivery models. Risk assessments must reflect the pressures, pace, and complexity of today’s jobs.
Without updated standards, the system continues to respond after harm occurs instead of stopping it before it happens.
Ontario has averaged more than 50 worker fatalities every year since 2015.
Modern safety technology exists. Better ergonomic tools exist. Stronger reporting and learning systems exist. Trauma-informed supervision models exist.
Yet minimum enforceable standards have not been comprehensively modernized across all divisions and delivery models. Risk assessments must reflect the pressures, pace, and complexity of today’s jobs.
Without updated standards, the system continues to respond after harm occurs instead of stopping it before it happens.
We’re calling for a provincially funded, independent third-party health and safety review to modernize risk assessments and establish stronger minimum standards across Ontario.
This is about prevention. It is about accountability. It is about ensuring that every worker, unionized or not, is protected by standards that match the risks of modern work.
We are stronger when workers, municipalities, and the Province act together.
Not one more worker should face preventable harm on the job.
We’re calling for a provincially funded, independent third-party health and safety review to modernize risk assessments and establish stronger minimum standards across Ontario.
This is about prevention. It is about accountability. It is about ensuring that every worker, unionized or not, is protected by standards that match the risks of modern work.
We are stronger when workers, municipalities, and the Province act together.
Not one more worker should face preventable harm on the job.
