A workplace accident never costs only what appears on a claim.
It can also lead to lost work hours, slower operations, management time, the need to find a replacement, overtime, property damage… not to mention the human impact on the injured worker and their team.
And workplace accidents are far from rare.
In 2024, 107,124 occupational injuries were recorded in Quebec, including 96,721 workplace accidents and 10,403 occupational diseases. That same year, 246 work-related deaths were recorded. Did you know?
The real question for employers therefore becomes:
Do we really know where our main OHS risks are?
The True Cost of an Accident Goes Far Beyond the Claim
An accident can result in direct costs, but also in a whole range of less visible costs:
- lost time and productivity;
- administrative management and investigations;
- replacement and training;
- overtime;
- slower or interrupted operations;
- equipment damage;
- repair costs, expert fees or certain legal expenses.
The IRSST has also examined the extent of the indirect costs of workplace accidents in the Quebec context. These costs can represent a significant share of the actual financial impact on an organization. Did you know?
A well-structured prevention approach can therefore become a real investment for an organization. To learn more about this, read our article: Investing in workplace health and safety (OHS) in Quebec pays off
Blind Spots Often Develop Without Anyone Realizing It
Most organizations already have prevention measures, procedures and safety rules in place.
But over time, a gap can develop between what is written on paper and what is actually happening in the workplace.
A procedure is applied less rigorously.
An employee takes a shortcut to save time.
A risky practice gradually becomes tolerated because no incident has occurred yet.
A safety instruction is no longer reinforced or is not passed along when someone changes positions.
And when unsafe behaviour becomes a habit, it can eventually start to feel like a normal way of working.
At the same time, the organization itself continues to change: teams evolve, new equipment is introduced, work methods change and regulatory requirements become more specific.
Meanwhile, some procedures and practices are not always reassessed.
This is often how gaps begin to appear:
- a procedure is no longer followed or no longer reflects actual workplace conditions;
- a risk has never been reassessed;
- a responsibility has become unclear;
- a safety instruction is no longer known by everyone;
- a new requirement has not yet been incorporated.
With recent changes to Quebec’s occupational health and safety regime, it is more important than ever to make sure your practices reflect the reality of your organization. You can also read New Year, New Resolutions: Are You Compliant With Your OHS Obligations?.
Before Doing More, You Need to Know Where to Act
Adding a training course, a procedure or a new safety measure is not always the first thing to do.
The real priority is to determine:
- which risks are the most significant;
- which gaps need to be corrected;
- which actions should come first.
That is exactly the purpose of an OHS assessment or audit: to obtain a clear picture of the situation before investing additional time and resources.
Get a Free Snapshot of Your OHS Situation
Santinel has developed a free OHS self-assessment tool to help you quickly get an initial overview of your current situation.
In just a few minutes, you can identify whether certain areas may require a more in-depth review.
Do you really know where your organization stands when it comes to OHS?
Get a clearer picture in just a few minutes, free of charge.
