Occupational Health, Safety and Prevention Innovation Program: Call for Proposals

The Ministry of Labour is pleased to announce the 2017-18 call for proposals for its Occupational Health, Safety and Prevention Innovation Program (OHSPIP).

OHSPIP’s objective is to support workplace-focused innovation projects and collaborative partnerships that lead to improvements in occupational health and safety in Ontario.

Program overview

Please note that this information is provided as an overview only; interested applicants should review the OHSPIP Guidelines for more information.

Project duration: up to 24 months
Funding available: maximum $100,000 annually, up to $200,000 per proposal (non-renewable). OHSPIP awards are one-time, non-renewable grants.

Program documents

• OHSPIP Guidelines
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Application Form

Program priorities

The 2017-18 OHSPIP will support initiatives that align with the following priorities:

Priority 1: Supporting workplace mental health

Promoting good psychological health and safety in the workplace – increasing employers’ capacity to promote workers’ psychological well-being and prevent harm to their psychological health.

Focus Areas:

• Training and education for occupations (e.g. first responders) where on-the-job traumatic mental stress/post-traumatic stress disorder can be prevalent.
• Development of programs or services to support workers dealing with mental health issues.

Priority 2: Mobile equipment hazards

Creating solutions that address the risks of working around vehicles and large pieces of mobile equipment, with a particular focus on reducing incidences of workers struck by tools, vehicles, equipment, falling/flying debris, or by any other object that could cause workplace injuries or fatalities.

Focus Areas:

• Training, raising awareness, and promoting best practices as they relate to:
  • Driver fitness (e.g. drug impairment, driver fatigue, driver stress)
  • Safety-related attitudes and behaviour (e.g. complacency, failure to properly signal)
  • Driver competency (e.g. road safety training, driving experience)
  • Vehicle factors (e.g. poor vehicle maintenance, automated vehicles)

Priority 3: Occupational disease

Addressing hazardous workplace exposures that result in occupational illnesses and fatalities.

Focus Areas:

• Training and education, raising awareness, and promoting best practices as they relate to hazardous workplace exposures, specifically focusing on:
  • Diesel engine exhaust
  • Emerging exposures (e.g. nanotechnology)
  • Lung and skin allergens or irritants
  • Noise
• The surveillance of occupational disease and hazardous exposures in Ontario workplaces.
• The measurement and collection of hazardous exposure data from workplaces.

Priority 4: Secondary injury prevention

Reducing the impact of a workplace injury after it has occurred, preventing recurrences, and protecting workers from longer-term work-related disabilities.

Focus Areas:

• Development of tools and strategies to help injured workers avoid re-injury.
• Development of programs and supports to assist injured workers in returning to full health