Prevention Link

Disability Prevention at Work

News

Together, we can prevent occupational injuries, illnesses and deaths

On this National Day of Mourning, Prevention Link remembers and pays respect to the many Ontario and Canadian workers who have been killed, injured, or suffered illness because of work-related incidents. We also honour the many families and friends who have been deeply affected by these tragedies.

In 2023, according to the most recent statistics from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC), 1,057 workplace fatalities were recorded in Canada, with 297 in Ontario. The same year, 240,131 claims were registered with Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) with 179,024 claims allowed (including both lost time and no lost time injuries). Sadly, a vast body of research suggests that half of work-related injuries and illnesses are not accurately reported and the numbers are much higher. “Somewhere between 40 and 60 per cent of potentially compensable conditions are typically not reported to provincial compensation authorities in Canada,” said Cameron Mustard, former Institute for Worker & Health (IWH) president and senior scientist.

These numbers not only represent individual tragedies, but also families, friends, colleagues, and communities whose lives are deeply affected and possibly changed forever. One workplace death or injury is one too many. Occupational health and safety is everyone’s responsibility, and we must collaboratively strengthen our resolve to ensure every Ontario worker gets home safe.

Prevention Link stands firmly behind our vision of a province where occupational illnesses and injuries are eliminated. We need healthy, safe, and accommodating workplaces for all workers in every community across Ontario. Prevention Link remains committed to working with employers, workers, and our health and safety partners to make this vision a reality.

From the first day they start a job, it is vital for every Ontario worker to know their health and safety rights in the workplace. Our Lighthouse Initiative aims to do just that by helping newcomers to Ontario’s workforce, young workers, and long-time workers in any sector learn more about their rights and the laws that guide them as a worker in our province. The Lighthouse Initiative offers critical information in 21 languages, via downloadable information guides – with tips, quizzes, and links – to help guide workers through their rights and obligations in Ontario workplaces.

Occupational injuries and illnesses are a preventable workplace epidemic that continues to cost tens of thousands of lives and impact many working families in Ontario. We must continue to work collaboratively to ensure every working Ontarian gets home safe.

Prevention Link staff will be commemorating National Day of Mourning events across communities and in our classrooms. We encourage you to also join a Day of Mourning event in your community or observe a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. on April 28. A comprehensive list of Ontario-wide events is available on the Workers Health & Safety Centre website. By sharing the messages from the Day of Mourning, you are reminding more people to put health and safety at the forefront of their work and helping to prevent further work-related injuries and loss of life.

Honour the fallen. Make the injured whole. Make work safe.
We renew our pledge to building safer workplaces for all workers.

Day of Mourning resources:

Prevention Link Training 2025

We added more courses to our 2025 schedule and can’t wait to see you in our virtual and in-person classes. Ensuring that injured, ill, and disabled workers are protected in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility. This challenge requires education, awareness and commitment from workers, unions, employers and the community at large. Prevention Link offers comprehensive training programs beneficial to workers, union and employer leadership.

Who should attend: WSIB representatives, Workers’ Compensation activists, RTW specialists, union leadership and union stewards, H&S representatives and activists, supervisors, human resources specialists, employers and young workers.

Choose from a variety of core curriculum or  topical courses below. We made it easier for participants to register for our core curriculum training. Once you complete Level 2, you can take any level, in any order, afterwards. Topical courses are usually shorter and do not require any prerequisite. Sign up today OR we can provide training just for your members, staff or workplace! Contact us to schedule at your convenience at info@preventionlink.ca

CORE CURRICULUM

LEVEL 1: RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS – Virtual and in-person
Prerequisites: None.
» January 29 – February 12 (Virtual)
» February 24-25 (In-person)
» April 1-15 (Virtual)
» June 2-6 (In-person; combined with Level 2)
» September 3-17 (Virtual)

The first of six core certification courses offered within Prevention Link’s disability prevention curriculum.  This introductory course begins by exploring the history of Ontario’s compensation system and the development of legislation and the general principles of the system.

Participants learn the basics of a disability prevention framework, including:

  • Types of workplace injuries and occupational illnesses;
  • The legal tests applied by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) when considering entitlement;
  • The method to report an injury;
  • The steps to initiate a claim;
  • Reporting strategies, including time limits and potential penalties.

LEVEL 2: BENEFITS AND SERVICES – Virtual and in-person
Prerequisites: Level 1.
» February 19 – March 5 (Virtual)
» March 3-4 (In-person)
» April 16-30 (Virtual)
» June 2-6 (In-person; combined with Level 1)
» October 9-23 (Virtual)

In the second of six core certification courses, offered within Prevention Link’s core curriculum, participants will become familiar with the significance of legislation (WSIA), regulations, and policies, including the history of legislative change and Bills that have amended the WSIA.

Participants will:

  • Explore changes to the legislation and their effects on benefits and services;
  • Discuss the benefits and services available under three district eras;
  • Explore benefit calculations including Non-Economic Loss (NEL) and Loss of Earnings (LOE).

LEVEL 3: APPEALS & DISPUTE RESOLUTION – In-person
WORKER ADVOCATE EDITION
Prerequisites: Level 1 & Level 2
» May 4-9

An interactive and analytical course, Prevention Link has developed a holistic and intuitive course meant to build participants into mock hearing settings. Using case file examples and mock hearings, this intensive course will provide participants with the practical skills to prepare and present oral hearings before the Workplace Safety Insurance Board as well as the Workplace Safety Insurance and Appeals Tribunal.

We will examine reviewing of the file; gathering additional evidence; researching law; policy and precedent; preparation of witnesses; and questioning, cross-questioning and re-direct at a hearing.

LEVEL 4: RETURN TO WORK – In-person
Prerequisites: Level 1 & Level 2
» March 23-24

This course is designed for those who will or currently assist injured workers individually or collectively through a therapeutic return to work (RTW) and provides workplace parties with the tools necessary to develop strategies that ensure successful outcomes.

» Tools for workplace parties to develop return-to-work (RTW) strategies
» Leading research, law, and evidence-based best practices
» Duty to accommodate, both provincial and federal
» Precedent-setting cases
» Practical tips for preparing and participating in RTW
» Roles, rights, and responsibilities of the parties
» Hierarchy of RTW job opportunities
» Dispute resolution and penalties

 

TOPICAL WORKSHOPS

RETURN TO WORK 101 – Virtual
» January 28
» May 14
» June 19
» December 2 

This workshop provides participants with the tools to develop strategies to assist workers with disabilities, individually and collectively; and return them to long term healthy and productive employment. The workshop will review noteworthy case law and Human Rights legislation.

PRINCIPLES OF ACCOMMODATION LAW – Virtual 
» January 29
» May 21
» June 26
» December 3 

With a focus on the protected ground of disability and the social area of employment, this workshop will advance a participant’s understanding of human rights legislation and the Duty to Accommodate. The definitions of discrimination will be explored, the requirements for requesting and responding to accommodation needs will be outlined, and what constitutes “undue hardship” will be examined. This workshop provides participants with the resources and tools to develop strategies to assist workers with disabilities, individually and collectively, and support return to long-term healthy and productive employment.

PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH & SAFETY AND RETURN TO WORK – In-person
» September 28 – October 3

Mental illness is a leading cause of disability in Canada and workplaces that have a strong commitment to psychological health and safety, demonstrated by the behaviours of the workplace, have more success in Return to Work (RTW). This training provides participants with the resources and tools to develop strategies to assist workers with disabilities, individually and collectively, and support return to healthy and productive employment.

Who should attend: WSIB and Benefits Representatives, RTW Specialists, Health and Safety Representatives, Human Resources, Workplace Leadership and Union Stewards.

HEARINGS IN WRITING – Virtual
» January 30

This workshop will help participants understand the goals and challenges of legal submission writing and how to address them. In accordance with the WSIB’s Practice and Procedures and with WSIAT’s Practice Directions, participants will learn how to organize and structure submissions to be clear and reader focused. Using various outlines and templates, the traditional structure of a submission is examined with attention given to strategies and guidelines to produce an effective written hearing submission. Participants will explore making facts and law persuasive and the technical components of writing, including referring to and attaching documents and a professional format will be reviewed.

 

Prevention Link Instructors reflect on ODRT

We envision a world in which workers’ health, safety, and well-being are protected through the elimination of workplace hazards and the accommodation of workers’ needs. The way we can achieve this ambitious goal it is through education, reaching every workplace, and every community in Ontario.

As a leader in prevention, workers’ compensation, and disability accommodation, Prevention Link offers comprehensive training programs that are beneficial to workers, union, and employer leadership.

Our Occupational Disability Response Training (ODRT) is building on the experience and success of a network of workplace-based occupational disability prevention champions. We spoke with four instructors to find out how the education provided through ODRT helps them to achieve optimal outcomes for injured workers and their workplaces, and what makes Prevention Link an indispensable educational program.

“The fact that it’s approved training, not only by the OFL, but also by WSIB and the Ministry of Labour makes it the training to be had by both the worker reps and the employer reps. It allows people to understand the system. And to understand it, through the education, makes a huge difference in the lives of the injured workers that you’re representing.”—Dan Bonnar, Ontario Professional Firefighters Association

“The great thing about Prevention Link is that they’ve revamped a bunch of things. I really find that’s important. There’s really current information, really up-to-date information, and the training is easy. It’s being delivered in small chunks, so people can really understand what they’re doing, and they can choose how involved they really want to be by either doing the topical courses or doing the longer version courses, depending on what they are going to be doing in their specific job roles or assisting members.” —Scott West, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation

“We’ve been able to negotiate some return-to-work language in a few of our collective agreements to ensure that somebody from our office is in those meetings at the workplace to make sure the members are properly represented and getting the proper return to work accommodations that they need.

It’s workers, training workers. So, there are people that are already helping injured workers. They’ve been on the shop floor. They’ve been in the positions that workers have. And you really get that connection between the instructors and with the people taking that course. That’s very, very important.” —Stephanie Gunson, United Steelworkers

“It’s a long work life. You need to be valued in, and every process whether it’s the beginning of it, within, or at the end. The worker can feel confident in representing, and the reps feel confident in representing their members – saying, I know where we’ve been; I know what we stand for; I know the principles; I know I can do this. The right amount of knowledge that Prevention Link offers in that education program.” —Tanya Williams, Canadian Union of Public Employees

Learn how to make workplaces safer for everyone with workplace-based occupational disability prevention champions at Prevention Link.

There are dates still available this spring. Register on our website and watch for registration deadlines and early bird discounts. Stay tuned for updates in the 2025 schedule coming out in the next few days!

Training is provided in communities across Ontario, at the Ontario Federation of Labour office located in Toronto, and virtually on one of the leading online educational platforms. Please note that Prevention Link can also schedule training for your members or workplaces. Contact us at info@preventionlink.ca to schedule a training, when and where it best suits your members or employees.

Updated information guides: COVID-19 in the workplace

When an injury or illness happens on the job, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) provides compensation such as wage-loss benefits, medical coverage and support to help people recover and get back to work. It includes COVID-19.

The Ontario’s Human Rights Code’s policy position is that the Code ground of disability is engaged in relation to COVID-19, as it covers medical conditions or perceived medical conditions that carry significant social stigma. Ontarians must keep human rights principles and relevant human rights treaties at the centre of decision-making when dealing with infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.

Learn more by downloading our updated guides.

» Workers’ Compensation & COVID-19: Know Your Reporting Rights & Responsibilities
» Workplace Exposure to Coronavirus
» Discrimination and COVID-19
» Duty to Accommodate and Illnesses such as COVID-19

 

Global Ergonomics Month 2023

Global Ergonomics Month is an international outreach campaign promoting human-centred design through the science, application and profession of ergonomics or human factors. These disciplines are focused on optimizing overall system performance and human well-being by proactively designing work and work systems that improve efficiency, productivity, health, safety and comfort.

Poor ergonomics can lead to the following hazards: musculoskeletal disorder (MSD), visibility, and fall.  MSDs are the number one type of lost-time work injury reported to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board in Ontario.

Resources and events:

Reminder:
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development inspectors check to see if these hazards in the workplace are addressed.

Under clause 25(2)(h) of the OHSA, employers are required to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect the worker.

Summer/Fall Training 2024

Building on over 30 years of success, the Prevention Link Program is one of Ontario’s only comprehensive prevention programs. Prevention Link is relying on the experience and success of a network of workplace-based occupational disability prevention champions to enhance primary and secondary prevention of workplace injury and illness and prevent re-injury after return to work. Learn how to improve outcomes for workers and their workplaces by attending our training.

Who should attend: WSIB representatives, Workers’ Compensation activists, RTW specialists, union leadership and union stewards, H&S representatives and activists, supervisors, human resources specialists, employers and young workers. We will be happy to see you in our in-person and online classes.

Please note that Prevention Link can also provide and schedule training just for your members or workplaces!

CORE CURRICULUM

LEVEL 1: RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS
Duration: 12 hours. Prerequisites: None.
» September 9 – September 10 (in-person)
» November 5 – November 19 (virtual)

The first of six core certification courses offered within Prevention Link’s disability prevention curriculum.  This introductory course begins by exploring the history of Ontario’s compensation system and the development of legislation and the general principles of the system.

Participants learn the basics of a disability prevention framework, including:

  • Types of workplace injuries and occupational illnesses;
  • The legal tests applied by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) when considering entitlement;
  • The method to report an injury;
  • The steps to initiate a claim;
  • Reporting strategies, including time limits and potential penalties.

Cost: $449.00. Register early to get a $40.00 discount!

LEVEL 2: BENEFITS AND SERVICES
Duration: 12 hours. Prerequisites: Level 1.
» September 25 – September 26 (in-person)
» November 21 – December 5 (virtual)

In the second of six core certification courses offered within Prevention Link’s core curriculum, participants will become familiar with the significance of legislation (WSIA), regulations, and policies, including the history of legislative change and Bills that have amended the WSIA.

Participants will:

  • Explore changes to the legislation and their effects on benefits and services;
  • Discuss the benefits and services available under three district eras;
  • Explore benefit calculations including Non-Economic Loss (NEL) and Loss of Earnings (LOE).

Cost: $449.00. Register early to get $40.00 discount!

LEVEL 4: RETURN TO WORK
Prerequisites: Level 1 & Level 2
» September 25 – September 26 (in-person)

TOPICAL WORKSHOPS

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION 101
» October 2 (in-person)

This workshop introduces participants to the compensation system in Ontario, the history and principles of compensation legislation and third party rights of action. Information on the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), including time limits for dealing with issues are discussed and the process flow for claims and appeals are presented.

Participants will learn:

  • Injury reporting;
  • How claims are filed;
  • The responsibilities of the workplace parties;
  • The role of medical professionals; and
  • Benefits and services available to injured and ill workers.

RETURN TO WORK 101
» October 9 (in-person)

This workshop provides participants with the tools to develop strategies to assist workers with disabilities, individually and collectively; and return them to long term healthy and productive employment. The workshop will review noteworthy case law and Human Rights legislation.

PRINCIPLES OF ACCOMMODATION LAW
» October 16 (in-person)

With a focus on the protected ground of disability and the social area of employment, this workshop will advance a participant’s understanding of human rights legislation and the Duty to Accommodate. The definitions of discrimination will be explored, the requirements for requesting and responding to accommodation needs will be outlined, and what constitutes “undue hardship” will be examined. This workshop provides participants with the resources and tools to develop strategies to assist workers with disabilities, individually and collectively, and support return to long-term healthy and productive employment.