Canada’s rate of worker deaths and injuries is unacceptable
Toronto, September 6, 2006 – Canadian Standards Association (CSA), a leading developer of standards and codes, today unveiled Canada’s first consensus-based occupational health and safety (OHS) management standard. The new standard, titled CSA Z1000-06 Occupational Health and Safety Management is intended to help organizations reduce or prevent Canada’s current number of injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace by providing companies with a model for developing and implementing an OHS management system.
Canada currently ranks among the worst of the developed nations in occupational health and safety*, with an average of almost three people a day dying as a result of workplace injuries and disease. In 2004, 928 workers died from work related injuries and disease**.
“It’s difficult to believe that more than 900 workers die every year in a nation as advanced as Canada,” said Robert M. Griffin, president and CEO, CSA Group. “The standard we are launching today is unique in that it is Canada’s first consensus-based OHS management system standard. Labour, business, government representatives and various organizations all came together as one to help create this standard designed to lead to a safer work environment for all Canadians. This type of consensus is at the core of CSA’s work, and it’s what gives our standards their credibility.”
The CSA Z1000 standard emphasizes a Canadian approach to occupational health and safety management by addressing the need for worker participation in the operation of the management system to help ensure that all workplace parties contribute to the organization’s success. It was designed to be compatible with other management system standards currently in use by organizations across Canada, such as ISO 14001 (environmental management) and ISO 9001 (quality management).
The standard is designed to be complementary to the actions of government in tackling the issue of worker safety. CSA Z1000 is designed to serve as a tool for organizations to help meet these various government programs.
The standard uses a Plan-Do-Check-Act11q approach to provide an overall framework to assist in managing preventive and protective measures, emergency preparedness, training, procurement issues, documentation, legal and many other safety-related requirements. All of the requirements of the standard are intended to be incorporated into an OHS management system. The extent of the application will depend on the circumstances particular to each organization, such as the size, nature and location of its operations and the conditions in which it functions.
Implementing the voluntary management system standard encourages a more systematic approach to meeting defined OHS objectives and helps increase awareness of health and safety in the workplace. It provides motivation for Canadian organizations to implement an occupational health and safety management system that meets the requirements of a recognized standard and forms a framework through which other Canadian occupational health and safety standards can be applied.
The CSA Z1000 standard also includes extensive guidance material to assist users in implementing the management system. The standard is available in hardcopy and PDF electronic format, in English and French. A Z1000 Smart CD-ROM to be released in October will feature value added tools such as assessment checklists, forms and templates to assist in the implementation of the standard.
*Rates of Fatal Workplace Injuries in OECD Countries, Canadian Centre for the Study of Living Standards
** Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada: http://www.awcbc.org/english/NWISP_Stats.asp
About CSA
Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is a membership association serving industry, government, consumers and other interested parties in Canada and the global marketplace. CSA aims to enhance public safety, improve quality of life, preserve the environment and facilitate trade. The Canadian Standards Association is a division of CSA Group, which also consists of CSA International for product testing and certification, OnSpeX for consumer product evaluation services, and QMI for management systems registration. For more information visit www.csa.ca.