The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has launched a new online “Business Safety Portal” to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across Canada meet workplace health and safety requirements.
According to the CCOHS, the tool is designed to address the unique challenges SMBs face, including limited resources, time constraints, and the lack of dedicated health and safety staff.
The Business Safety Portal offers tailored guidance to businesses, helping them understand their legal responsibilities to protect employees from injuries and illnesses. It features templates, checklists, and resources that assist owners and employers in identifying workplace hazards, assessing risks, and developing effective safety policies and programs.
“With the unique challenges that small and medium-sized businesses face, meeting health and safety obligations can be daunting,” said Anne Tennier, president and CEO of CCOHS. “We created the Business Safety Portal to provide these employers with information and tools to help them understand and meet their health and safety responsibilities and protect their employees.”
The portal includes industry- and location-specific guidance, as well as tools to store and manage important documentation like training certificates, inspection records, and safety plans. Businesses can also access online courses, manuals, and fact sheets through the platform, streamlining their compliance with health and safety regulations.
An annual subscription to the portal starts at $100, making it an affordable option for businesses seeking scalable solutions to enhance workplace safety.
According to a 2023 report on small business statistics, SMBs make up 99.7 percent of all businesses in Canada, employing approximately 7.8 million workers—nearly twice as many as large enterprises. The portal’s launch aims to help these businesses, which represent a significant portion of Canada’s workforce, build safer workplace cultures and reduce injuries and illnesses.
“Small to medium-sized businesses represent one of the largest employer groups in the country, and many do not have the tools they need to keep their workers safe,” Tennier added. “We wanted to address their specific needs with the Business Safety Portal to make it easier for them to build a safe and healthy workplace culture.”
CCOHS emphasized that effective health and safety programs not only reduce workplace incidents but also improve morale, satisfaction, and productivity.