2012-2013 Departmental Performance Reports

The Message

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is Canada's national resource for the advancement of workplace health and safety. CCOHS promotes the total well being- physical, psychosocial and mental health – of working Canadians by providing information, training, education, and management systems and solutions that support health and safety programs and the prevention of injury and illness.

CCOHS operates as an independent departmental corporation under Schedule II of the Financial Administration Act and is accountable to Parliament through the Minister of Labour. The Centre is governed by a tripartite structure with representation from labour, business and provincial, territorial and federal governments.

CCOHS fulfills its mandate to encourage attitudes and methods that will lead to improved worker physical and mental health through a wide range of courses, products and services designed in cooperation with national and international occupational organizations.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is a recognized leader in providing effective programs, products and services, which are based on the Centre's core knowledge, its collection of occupational health and safety information and its application of information management technologies.

CCOHS promotes and facilitates cooperation among federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions and encourages participation by labour, management and other stakeholders in the achievement of world-class standards in occupational health and safety. The Centre leverages its national standing and international stature through a variety of collaborative arrangements with many regional and international health and safety organizations, as well as health services and research-based associations.

As Canada's authority on occupational health and safety matters, CCOHS must lead by example and be a catalyst for change. To do so, we have worked on strengthening our relationships with new and existing stakeholders to not only understand their needs, but also their decision making processes and priorities.

By working together, we can nurture a culture of prevention in all Canadians.

Steve Horvath
President and CEO

Section I – Organizational Overview

Raison d'être

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety was founded by an Act of Parliament in 1978 with a mandate to promote health and safety in the workplace and to enhance the physical and mental health of working people.

Responsibilities

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) operates under the legislative authority of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Act S.C., 1977-78, c. 29 which was passed by unanimous vote in the Canadian Parliament. The purpose of this Act is to promote the fundamental right of Canadians to a healthy and safe working environment by creating a national institute (CCOHS) concerned with the study, encouragement and co-operative advancement of occupational health and safety.

CCOHS is Canada's national occupational health and safety resource which is dedicated to the advancement of occupational health and safety performance by providing necessary services including information and knowledge transfer; training and education; cost-effective tools for improving occupational health and safety performance; management systems services supporting health and safety programs; injury and illness prevention initiatives and promoting the total well-being – physical, psychosocial and mental health - of working people. The Centre was created to provide a common focus for and coordination of information in the area of occupational health and safety.

CCOHS functions as an independent departmental corporation under Schedule II of the Financial Administration Act and is accountable to Parliament through the Minister of Labour. Its funding is derived from a combination of appropriations, cost recoveries and collaboration with the provinces. It is expected that 50% of the budget will be funded through cost recoveries from the creation, production and worldwide sales of fee-for-service and revenue generating occupational health and safety products and services.

CCOHS is a recognized leader in providing effective programs, products and services, which are based on the Centre's core knowledge, its collection of occupational health and safety information, and its application of information management technologies.

CCOHS is governed by a tripartite council representing governments (federal, provincial and territorial), employers, and labour. The Council of Governors provides guidance in the creation and delivery of a trustworthy and complete occupational health and safety service. Our key stakeholders are directly involved in the policy, governance and strategic planning for the organization. They also assist with reviews of programs and services to help ensure our information is impartial. Our inquiries service is also supported and funded from contributions provided by federal, provincial and territorial governments.

Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture (PAA)

Improved workplace conditions and practices that enhance the health, safety and well being of working Canadians.

Program Activity Architecture

Program Activity 1: Occupational health and safety information development, delivery services and tripartite collaboration.

The goal of this program is to provide free information on occupational health and safety to support Canadians in their efforts to improve workplace safety and health. Citizens are provided information through a free and impartial personalized service via telephone, e-mail, person-to-person, fax or mail. Alternatively they can independently access a broad range of electronic and print resources developed to support safety and health information needs of Canadians. This may include cost recovery products and services and is supported financially by contributions from various stakeholders.

CCOHS collects, processes, analyzes, evaluates, creates and publishes authoritative information resources on occupational health and safety for the benefit of all working Canadians. This information is used for education and training, research, policy development, development of best practices, improvement of health and safety programs, achieving compliance, and for personal use. When the products or services provided by CCOHS are used by identifiable external recipients with benefits beyond those enjoyed by the general taxpayer, a user fee is charged.

CCOHS promotes and facilitates consultation and cooperation among federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions and participation by labour, management and other stakeholders in the establishment and maintenance of high standards and occupational health and safety initiatives for the Canadian context. The sharing of resources results in the coordinated and mutually beneficial development of unique programs, products and services.

Collaborative projects are usually supported with a combination of financial and non-financial contributions to the programs by stakeholders and result in advancement of occupational health and safety initiatives.

Program Activity 2: Internal Services

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Material Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

Strategic Outcome

Improved workplace conditions and practices that enhance the health, safety and well being of working Canadians.

Program Activity

Occupational health and safety information development, delivery services and tripartite collaboration

Program Sub- Activities: Expected Results

  • Easy access to occupational health and safety information and services
    • Inquiries
    • Web access/design
    • New Resources
    • Osh Answers Content
    • New risks
    • Refinement of existing products
  • Application of OHS information to improve workplace practices
    • OHS management System
    • High quality Information
    • Improved Application in workplaces
    • Foster collaboration
    • Education
  • Increased awareness and understanding of occupational health and safety issues in the workplace
    • National Forum
    • Training, conferences and presentation
    • Enhance web presence
    • Resources for Chemical health and safety
    • Health and Safety Report
  • Partial Recovery of Costs from User Fees
    • OHS products

Organizational Priorities

Summary of Progress Against Priorities
Priority Type Program Activity
Mental Health at Work New Linked to improved workplace conditions and practices that enhance the health, safety and well being of working Canadians
  • Launched Healthy Minds at Work portal to provide information and links to credible resources that can help workers, employees and employers increase their understanding and recognition of mental health issues at work
  • 23,941 page views in 2012-13
  • Addition of Guarding Minds at Work collection of resource tools
  • Forum IV- a two-day, tripartite, national event that brought together subject experts, workers, employers and governments to share their knowledge and experience on mental health, psychosocial work factors, musculoskeletal disorders, harassment and bullying, and integrated workplace health and safety.
Violence in the Workplace New Linked to improved workplace conditions and practices that enhance the health, safety and well being of working Canadians
  • Provided 3 e-courses on Violence in the Workplace, educating 3,500 participants
  • Over 12,500 participants in awareness course
  • Published a pocket guide "Violence in the Workplace Prevention Guide"
  • Key topic resource on workplace violence
Risk Assessment Tool Ongoing Linked to improved workplace conditions and practices that enhance the health, safety and well being of working Canadians
  • Implementation of this program was delayed due to changes in priorities by our partners and key stakeholders. We are anticipating implementation in the next fiscal year.
Accreditation Ongoing Linked to improved workplace conditions and practices that enhance the health, safety and well being of working Canadians
  • Due to a shift in responsibilities between two key stakeholder organizations, we were unable to complete this project. This will be a goal in 2014.
Information Technology Strategy Ongoing Linked to improved workplace conditions and practices that enhance the health, safety and well being of working Canadians
  • Implemented planned improvements to meet GoC web standards and developed improvements to various internal system such as e-commerce, backup system, and new firewall.
  • Operational review of business information systems.

Risk Analysis

Risk Analysis Table
Risk Risk Response Strategy Link to Program Alignment Architecture Link to Organizational Priorities
Human Resource risk includes succession planning, improving research and development capabilities and single point of failure
  • Focus on employee engagement to improve retention was a priority.
  • This risk was identified in the 2012-13 RPP
  • The plan to promote knowledge transfer through team engagement as identified in the 2012-13 RPP continued during the year.
Linked to improved workplace conditions and practices that enhance the health, safety and well being of working Canadians Links to all organizational priorities
Rapid changes in technology in the market place
  • This risk was identified in the 2012-13 RPP
  • Focused on improving product and service delivery through technology continued in 2012-13. This includes enhanced e-commerce, wider selection of training and increased use of social media, web delivery and podcasts of materials. This was in line with our strategy.
Linked to improved workplace conditions and practices that enhance the health, safety and well being of working Canadians Links to all organizational priorities
Outdated IT infrastructure such as workstations and aging software systems and servers that are not longer supported.
  • Upgrading all workstations to Windows 7, upgrading many servers, reviewing business information systems
  • This risk was not identified in the 2012-13 RPP
Linked to improved workplace conditions and practices that enhance the health, safety and well being of working Canadians Links to all organizational priorities

CCOHS funding model is based upon 50% of our operating budget being generated through cost recovery. Our products and services must be continually updated to be marketable. Over the past few years the types of products and services in demand have changed significantly with the internet and the availability of information.

In order to adapt to changing technologies, CCOHS embraces new methods of communications and product delivery on a regular basis. This has been very successful with high uptake and client acceptance. New technologies include specialized web portals, e-learning programs, webinars, podcasts, facebook, twitter promotion and on-line discussion groups. CCOHS balances its public service offerings with revenue generation to ensure we meet our financial obligations while also serving the public.

In order to address our infrastructure improved documentation of our systems and planning has been implemented. This will continue with a plan to upgrade our hardware, software and systems.

CCOHS relies on partnerships and resources from many organizations and governments to deliver its programs. Governments and non-profit organizations are subject to changing priorities. These changes in priorities impact stakeholders' and partners' ability to support CCOHS. Fiscal changes within those organizations also impact CCOHS. Risks include funding levels, support and participation in programs, access to information and revenue streams. CCOHS often experiences changes in funding from our stakeholders and partners.

In order to mitigate these risks, CCOHS maintains close relationships with its stakeholders and partners. We seek their feedback in product development and satisfaction with our services. This information is used for strategic planning and ongoing improvements.

A significant number of staff (approximately 40%) will be eligible to retire over the next five years, including many management level employees. We have seen considerable changes in corporate management over the past two years. As a knowledge based organization, the loss of key employees with scientific and business skills are difficult to replace. In order to mitigate this risk CCOHS will improve its retention policies that encourage long term commitment.

Summary of Performance

2012-13 Financial Resources ($ in thousands)
Total Budgetary Expenditures
(Main Estimates)
2012-13
Planned Spending
2012-13
Total Authorities
(available for use) 2012-13
Actual Spending
(authorities used)
2012-13
Difference (Planned vs. Actual Spending)
4,984 4,984 5,869 5,457 (473)

Planned spending represents the total amount authorized through the main estimates process. Authorities represent the total amounts authorized for the entire year, including the main estimates. The increase in total authorities is due to additional funding received for compensation items for severances, maternity leave, paternity leaveand amounts paid on separation. Due to the phase out of severance this year, additional funds were received to sunset this program. Funding was also received for carry forward amounts from the prior year.

2012–13 Human Resources (full-time equivalents [FTE]s)
Planned Actual Difference
96 81 15

Summary of Performance Tables

Progress Toward Strategic Outcome

Total Performance Summary ($ in thousands)
Program Total Budgetary Expenditures (Main Estimates 2012-13) Planned Spending Total Authorities (available for use)
2012-13
Actual Spending (authorities used) Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11
Occupational Health Safety information development, delivery services and tripartite collaboration 2,292 2,292 2,190 2,190 2,797 3,007 2,600 2,816 Healthy Canadians
Internal Services 2,692 2,692 2,781 2,781 3,072 2,450 2,690 2,622 Healthy Canadians
Total 4,984 4,984 4,971 4,971 5,869 5,457 5,290 5,438  

Expenditure Profile

Departmental Spending Trend

[D]

For the year 2009-10 to 2012-13 periods, the total spending includes all Parliamentary appropriations and revenue sources: Main Estimates, Supplementary Estimates, Treasury Board Vote 10, 15 and 23 and respendable revenues. It also includes carry forwards and adjustments. For the 2013-14 to 2015-16 periods, the total spending corresponds to the planned spending and revenues. Vote 15 transfers were high during fiscal 2012-13 due to the discontinuation of severance benefits and disbursements for this program.

Estimates by Vote

For information on CCOHS' organizational Votes and/or statutory expenditures, please see the Public Accounts of Canada 2013 (Volume II). An electronic version of the Public Accounts 2013 is available on the Public Works and Government Services Canada's website.

Section II – Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

Strategic Outcome

Improved workplace conditions and practices that enhance the health, safety and well being of working Canadians.

Program Activity 1: Occupational health and safety information development, delivery services and tripartite collaboration.

Program Activity Description

The goal of this program is to provide free information on occupational health and safety to support Canadians in their efforts to improve workplace safety and health. Citizens are provided information through a free and impartial personalized service via telephone, e-mail, person-to-person, fax or mail. Alternatively they can independently access a broad range of electronic and print resources developed to support safety and health information needs of Canadians. This may include cost recovery products and services and is supported financially by contributions from various stakeholders.

CCOHS collects, processes, analyzes, evaluates, creates and publishes authoritative information resources on occupational health and safety for the benefit of all working Canadians. This information is used for education and training, research, policy development, development of best practices, improvement of health and safety programs, achieving compliance, and for personal use. When the products or services provided by CCOHS are used by identifiable external recipients with benefits beyond those enjoyed by the general taxpayer, a user fee is charged.

CCOHS promotes and facilitates consultation and cooperation among federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions and participation by labour, management and other stakeholders in the establishment and maintenance of high standards and occupational health and safety initiatives for the Canadian context. The sharing of resources results in the coordinated and mutually beneficial development of unique programs, products and services.

Collaborative projects are usually supported with a combination of financial and non-financial contributions to the programs by stakeholders and result in advancement of occupational health and safety initiatives.

2012–13 Financial Resources ($ in thousands)
Program Activity 1
Total Budgetary Expenditures (Main Estimates)
2012–13
Planned Spending
2012–13
Total Authorities (available for use)
2012–13
Actual Spending (authorities used)
2012–13
Difference (Planned vs. Actual Spending)
2,292 2,292 2,797 3,007 (715)
2012–13 Human Resources (full-time equivalents [FTE]s)
Planned Actual Difference
73 63 10
Program Activity Performance Summary
Expected Results Performance Indicators Targets Actual Results
Easy access to CCOHS Occupational Health and Safety information and services Satisfaction with and ease of access and retrieval of OHS information from Inquiries Service, web access and other CCOHS resources (such as our website, web portals, articles and presentations) Overall 80% or higher on client satisfaction survey, web statistics and evaluation data Over 80% satisfaction on key indicators for inquiries, client services and web statistics. 85% satisfied or very satisfied for Inquiries clients.
Increased awareness by 10% through various contact points and communications sources Numbers of distributions of OHS information to employees and their employers to improve their understanding of OHS Increase awareness by 10% through various contact points and communications sources Increase of over 10% in reach for all communications sources including Liaison, website, media requests, media sightings, twitter and facebook.
Application of occupational health and safety information in the workplace. Information is being applied in the workplace by employees, government and employers 72% of clients who use information provided to make change in the work place Average of 70% will use information to make change in work place from 4 different service points.

Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

As a national institute, CCOHS undertakes a wide range of activities to achieve its objectives. These activities include the following:

  • The provision of technical documents, data and related safety information to workers, workplaces and the health and safety community, Canadian workplace communities and the education system. An important element of these activities is to improve the coordination of the flow of occupational health and safety information.
  • The promotion and evaluation of research on occupational health and safety issues.
  • The provision of expert advice and training in occupational health and safety.
  • Participation in meetings and conferences to contribute to improving prevention of safety and health problems.
  • Other activities consistent with the mandate of promoting improved health and safety in the workplace and enhance the physical and mental health of Canadian workers.

Workplace health is an essential component of overall health of Canadians. CCOHS contributes to Canada's goal of a healthy population, sustainable development, improving workplace productivity, safe communities, and Canada's role in the world. CCOHS works closely with labour, business and all levels of government to establish high standards for occupational health and safety, to foster consultation and co-operation, and reduce or eliminate occupational hazards.

CCOHS organizes its activities to meet the expected results linked to our program activity and strategic outcome:

  • Easy access to occupational health and safety information and services
  • Application of occupational health and safety (OHS) information to improve workplace practices
  • Increased awareness and understanding of occupational health and safety issues in the workplace
  • Partial recovery of costs from user fees (raise other revenues)

Easy access to occupational health and safety information and services

This service is partially funded by contributions from Canadian provinces and territories. The primary risk to this goal is the funding provided as each jurisdiction has its own goals and priorities. Another risk is the large volume of information available from other sources free on the internet.

In order to mitigate this risk, CCOHS strives to distinguish itself as a trusted and reliable source of information by keeping information current and relevant to users. CCOHS also adds value by providing information web portals and partnerships with trusted organizations so users can rely on the credibility of the data provided.

CCOHS offers an Inquiries Service that has fully trained information officers who specialize in occupational health and safety and information retrieval. CCOHS has extensive publications, a worldwide database and an in-house library to provide current and relevant answers to Canadian inquiries. In addition, we have a self-serve website, OSH Answers that answers 7.5 million on-line inquiries to 4.5 million unique visitors. Our person-to-person service answered 8,226 inquiries directly. Our recent client satisfaction survey provided results as follows:

Inquiries Service Satisfaction Survey

Inquiries Service Satisfaction Survey
April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013
  Very Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Satisfied Very Satisfied not applicable
Has staff understood your question? 4.6% 6.2% 24.7% 63.3% 1.2%
Time required to receive the response 5.9% 10.0% 40.7% 42.6% 0.8%
Completeness of the response received 5.7% 6.5% 29.6% 57.3% 1.1%
The usefulness of the information 8.2% 7.4% 25.5% 57.5% 1.3%
The clarity of the response 5.8% 5.2% 30.0% 57.9% 1.2%
The courtesy of the staff 3.3% 0.7% 18.5% 72.5% 5.0%
Overall, your satisfaction with the response 6.5% 7.8% 26.7% 58.0% 0.9%

Source: CCOHS survey of clients April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013, 765 respondents.

CCOHS performs its own surveys on an ongoing basis as evaluations are done every 4 to 5 years. Our internal surveys are done within two to four weeks after service delivery.

CCOHS provides additional information through copyright requests resulting in 201,799 copies of CCOHS information being made available to the public through many institutions. These distributions are shared with many more users.

Our OSH Answers survey indicated 87.4% of respondents felt satisfied or very satisfied with the information available from CCOHS. The information from OSH answers helped directly or indirectly a great many more individuals. 27.7% answered between 21- 200 people and 23 % answered between 201-2000 people. The features of OSH Answers website were also very highly rated.

CCOHS developed and maintains several web portals on various topics such as workplace health, pandemic planning, CanOsh, and NAOSH.

CCOHS also publishes guides and other documents each year to reach workers as an on the job tool. There are currently 29 titles available. This year, two new manuals WHMIS (after GHS) Trainers tool kit and PPE for Workers were in production. Revisions were done to two other guides. Our satisfaction survey for publications indicates a 96% satisfaction rate and a 96% recommendation rate. Clients feel publications delivers good value for money, stating 96% satisfied or very satisfied. Over 96% said that the publication helped them improve their understanding of health and safety. Over 76% said this publication may lead to changes in the workplace that may improve occupational health and safety.

Application of occupational health and safety (OHS) information to improve workplace practices

The goal of providing information is to improve workplace practices which ultimately reduces workplace injuries. CCOHS provides many tools to assist with applying safe work practices. CCOHS promotes collaboration and exchanges through national dialogues, forums, and conferences to increase applications in the workplace and improve practices.

CCOHS has several internet portals that help improve practices through compliance and providing best practice information. Many of these web portals are developed through collaborations with several health and safety organizations. Some examples include Canadian School Board Safety Zone Web Portal, Advancing Healthy Workplaces, Pandemic Planning, Young Workers Zone, CanOSH, EU-Canada collaboration and Healthy Minds at work. Full details about the reach as well as content are included in our annual report

Recent research indicates that only 21% of employees receive training on a new job. New employees are at a higher risk of injury. Training and education is one of the most effective ways to improve employers' and workers' awareness of their rights and responsibilities for health and safety. CCOHS offers extensive training through e-learning, customized courses and traditional classroom courses.

CCOHS reached over 35,000 employees through its e-learning program and our awareness program has been accessed over 118,000 times. There are currently 94 topics available on a wide range of health and safety topics. These courses help workplaces achieve compliance, train staff, managers and Health and Safety Committee members and improve health and safety in their workplaces. The courses have an overall approval rating of 97.6% and 65% stated the information would be used to make changes in the workplace in order to improve occupational health and safety. Students find the courses very beneficial. Here is a recent quote: " It was interesting because I have not taken manual materials handling before. So it brought to my attention the details that I should be paying attention to. For example, lifting and moving boxes as simple as that sounds it can turn into an injury if the proper precautions are not taken."

Our goal is to reduce injuries and illnesses. Education has a direct impact on that goal.

Increased awareness and understanding of occupational health and safety issues in the Workplace

CCOHS has a broad awareness and communications strategy that encompasses a wide variety of communications methods including social media, conferences, media relations, membership programs, web portals, podcasts, webcasts, newsletters and other events.

The Health and Safety report is a free monthly e-newsletter to those who sign up for the service. The content is widely reproduced by other organizations to enhance their own health and safety programs. There was a 4.8% growth this fiscal year and a 98% satisfaction rating, the report is distributed to over 33,000 readers and with the share rate the monthly reach is almost 600,000. The content from the Report was also heavily repurposed by other organizations and publications this year, resulting in an exponential audience read of 2.4 million.

Our poster program aims to help raise awareness of workplace health and safety issues. We currently have 23 posters on a wide range of topics. Recent poster topics include Chemical Entry Points to the Body; Three Basic Rights of Workers in Canada and GHS pictograms. These posters have been downloaded 31,825 times and 3,105 posters were sold.

Webinars and podcasts are also available that reach a broad audience. Free podcasts are a cost effective way to reach over 40,077 listens. There are currently 111 active episodes to choose from. They are carried on iTunes, the CCOHS website and we upload RSS feeds onto 12 podcast directory listings. Several organizations, educational institutions and companies have requested permission to list links to CCOHS podcasts from their own sites. The French language podcasts have become popular with 25-30% of English listen rates.

There are many other communication initiatives such as Workspace Web Discussion Board, North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH) , public Forums and the National Day of Mourning.

CCOHS monitors trends in workplace health and adapts programs to meet the needs. Recently a new web portal was launched promoting Healthy Minds at Work, to help workplaces recognize, understand and address mental health issues. Mental health issues at work have a negative impact on Canadian workplaces. Employers, large and small are increasingly investing in workplace programs, policies, and practices that help prevent and manage poor mental health. Additional resources were added to this portal during fiscal 2012-13 and Mental Health was also the focus for Forum IV.

Forum IV – Better Together was a national tripartite forum held in Nova Scotia in October 2012. This was launched as part of our goal to undertake initiatives that lead to increased impact on Canadian workplace health and safety. Participants responded that 91.3% were satisfied with the knowledge enrichment from the event and the same percentage indicated that they would consider attending a future Forum.

CCOHS uses social media to broaden its reach and dissenminate information. This includes Twitter, Facebook and our Blog (Health and Safety matters). We have had a 46% increase in our twitter followers, 88% increase in "fans' and 5,373 views of our blog. CCOHS recently added Linked In, Pinterest and Google+ profiles to the social media mix further expanding its social media presence. The result is a Klout Score of 52 . A Klout Score is the measurement of someone's overall online influence. The score ranges from 1 to 100 (the higher the score, the better). Klout measures True Reach, Amplification Probability, and Network Score to represent ones sphere of influence.

Given the widespread reach of CCOHS materials and reproduction rates increased awareness and understanding can be attributed to these activities. This has been established through our independent evaluation reports which can be found at: http://www.ccohs.ca/ccohs/reports/other_reports.html

Lessons Learned

Clients want information on demand and in many different formats to meet their needs. Through continual client feedback through our performance management systems, CCOHS is able to address needs and identify trends quickly. Our feedback identifies emerging issues that are relevant for Canadian workplaces, and CCOHS has identified free and paid services to support future health, safety and wellness needs. Recent examples include mental health, workplace wellness and changes to WHMIS due to the implementation of the Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Emerging issues drive development of new webinars, e-learning, OSH Answers, web portals, podcasts and articles for our health and safety report.

We have learned that traditional database services are not in demand, but that clients expect to find resources instantly through web-based, App-based and social-media resources. When there are changes in legislation, current events and best practices we need to respond quickly. In order to expand our reach we need to adopt new technologies quickly. It is also critical to keep our employees engaged since improved engagement leads to improved employee health, workplace health and wellness.

Program Activity 2: Internal Services

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Material Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

2012-13 Financial Resources ($ in thousands)
Program Activity 2: Internal Services
Total Budgetary Expenditures
(Main Estimates)
2012-13
Planned Spending
2012-13
Total Authorities
(available for use)
2012-13
Actual Spending
(authorities used)
2012-13
Difference
(Planned vs. Actual Spending)
2,692 2,692 3,072 2,450 242
2012-13 Human Resources (full-time equivalents [FTE]s)
Planned Actual Difference
23 18 5
Program Activity Performance Summary
Expected Results Performance Indicators Targets Actual Results
Improve internal work processes Delivery of improvements, communication and follow-up survey. 2% increase in engagement. In progress, survey is planned for 2014.
Incentive and reward improvements. Show case to provide project teams with project recognition. Improved communications through progress update reports. Sessions on benefits. 2% increase in engagement. In progress, survey is planned for 2014.

Performance Analysis and Lessons Learned

Our focus in 2012-13 was to address the two primary concerns in our last engagement survey. This included improving internal work processes and developing incentives and rewards. The committee worked diligently to review several processes and have made recommendations for improvements. As part of incentives and rewards CCOHS has planned to show case employee talent in the product development area. It also has a series of benefits sessions to show employees services that are available. Communications of progress in this areas is made on a regular basis.

Lessons Learned

Information learned from engagement surveys is very valuable to spear head changes in the operating environment. Any changes made as a result of an engagement survey need to be communicated back to the employees so they can see the direct linkage from their feedback to the implementation of the change.

Section III – Supplementary Information

Financial Highlights

Condensed Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position (Unaudited)
For the Year Ended March 31, 2013
($)
  2012–13 Planned Results 2012–13 Actual 2011–12 Actual $ Change (2012–13 Planned vs. Actual) $ Change (2012–13 Actual vs. 2011–12 Actual)
Total expenses 10,230,279 10,271,966 10,759,236 41,687 487,270
Total revenues 4,000,000 3,991,799 3,798,881 (8,201) 192,918
Net cost of operations before government funding (6,230,279) (6,280,167) (6,960,355) (49,888) 680,188
Net financial position (1,900,634) (2,137,854) (2,709,315) (237,220) 571,461
Condensed Statement of Financial Position (Unaudited)
As at March 31, 2013 ($)
  2012–13 2011-12 $ Change
Total liabilities 2,953,812 3,730,041 (776,229)
Total financial assets 605,379 790,623 (185,244)
Net debt (2,348,433) (2,939,418) 590,98
Total non-financial assets 210,579 230,103 (19,524)
Net financial position (2,137,854) (2,709,315) 571,461

Financial Highlights Charts/Graphs

Financial Highlights Chart: Assets by Type

[D]

Overall, assets are lower this year as the due from the consolidated revenue fund was lower due to decreased payables. In addition inventory values are lower due to write-offs of older products.

Financial Highlights Chart: Liabilities by Type

[D]

Overall, liabilities are lower due to employee severance benefits being paid out as this benefit ceases to accrue for future years. Employees had the option of payout in the current year or upon termination. Accounts payable were lower at year end due to lower payroll costs and the timing of pay periods.

Financial Highlights Chart: Expenses - Where Funds go

[D]

Salaries and benefits represent the largest expense and our employees are our biggest asset. We also incur costs for professional services for items such as translation, royalties on information products and staff development. Salaries and employee benefits are lower than prior year due to staff not being replaced. Overall, operating expenses are comparable to prior year, excluding compensation increases and retirement benefits.

Financial Highlights Chart: Revenues - Where Funds Come From

[D]

CCOHS earns revenues from the sale of various products and services relating to health and safety. This includes e-learning, collaborative projects, legislation, chemical databases and management services. Overall, revenue is higher on an accrual basis than last year as a result of increased revenue for the Forum and higher e-learning sales.

Financial Statements

http://www.ccohs.ca/ccohs/reports/reports_council.html

List of Supplementary Information Tables

Electronic supplementary information tables listed in the 2012–13 Departmental Performance Report can be found on the CCOHS' website.

Tax Expenditures and Evaluations Report

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates,exemptions,deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures annually in the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations publication. The tax measures presented in the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations publication are the sole responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Section IV: Other Items of Interest

For further information about this document or any of the products and services available from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety please contact:

CCOHS
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www.ccohs.ca

Steve Horvath
President and Chief Executive Officer
905-572-2981, ext 4433
steveh@ccohs.ca

Bonnie Easterbrook
Chief Financial Officer
905-572-2981, ext 4401
bonnie.easterbrook@ccohs.ca