All employers are required to pay their CNESST insurance premium periodically via a payment slip provided by Revenu Québec. For employers who are not required to make source deductions and employer contributions, the payment slip does not include the CNESST box to enter the amount of their insurance premium payment.

The payroll statement to the CNESST should be completed by March 15 each year. An employer who ceases to operate must send, no later than the 45th day following the date on which he ceases operations, a form stating the amount of the insurable wages paid to his workers from the start of the calendar year to that date.

There is no minimum salary insurable by the CNESST.

The maximum insurable salary is the amount used to calculate both the worker's maximum benefit and the employer's maximum contribution for a worker. Each year, the CNESST reviews the insurable annual maximum. For the most recent information, visit the CNESST web page.

The periodic insurance premium is paid to Revenu Québec, at the same time as the employer's source deductions and contributions. The amount of the periodic payment is calculated based on the wages paid to the workers and the rate of the periodic payment set out by the CNESST.

Employers who fail to submit their payroll statement by March 15 (or no later than the 45th day following the departure date of the last worker if operations have ceased) shall incur a penalty of $25 per day late, to a maximum of $2,500. Any amounts then due to the CNESST for the payroll statement, including the amount of the penalties, shall then accrue interest as of the overdue date.

Only casual workers are excluded from the payroll allocation. The salary paid to that worker is not allocation about the classification units; instead, it should be reported in the appropriate CNESST file (99999). The CNESST then allocates itself the casual workers' wages into the various classification units according to its financing regulations.

Every year, the employer must send the Commission, before March 15, a form indicating the amount of insurable wages paid to its workers during the previous calendar year. This statement of the workers' insurable wages is prepared by the employer and must accurately represent its activities and be based on verifiable data.  

The payroll statement allows the CNESST to determine the contribution required from the employer and adjust it based on the installments paid during the year.

No one is obligated to obtain personal coverage, since this is optional and is only required for those people who are not covered under the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases. Self-employed workers, housekeepers, family resources, intermediate resources, employers, executives or members of the Board of Directors of a company may also enroll with the Commission to receive the coverage offered by that Act. That person is then said to have filed for personal coverage with the CNESST.

When you have several experience files, you must document the name and occupation of each worker, as well as the portion of the insurable wages that has been paid out and the relevant experience file.

If a worker, who is not a casual worker, is taking part in activities covered by more than one unit, you can allocate his salary among the various units, provided you can clearly specify and document the times where that worker performed the duties under each unit. However, you still need to report that worker's insurable wages in the unit with the highest contribution rate if that worker is exposed to the risks of occupational injury of several activities in various units on a significant and simultaneous basis.

To determine if experience continuation is applicable as the result of a corporate transaction, the CNESST needs to verify the following:

• A transaction needs to have taken place; and
• The insured risk of the predecessor must remain with the successor following the transaction.

The CNESST considers a transaction to have taken place when, following a legal transaction, the buyer continues, in whole or in part, the activities of the seller and when the retained workers constitute a significant portion of the workforce assigned to those activities.
Following analysis of the corporate transaction, the CNESST confirms in writing the decision as to whether experience continuation will apply.

For a purchase, depending on the type of transaction, the CNESST could do an experience continuation that would affect the buyer's contribution rate for the current year and the following 5 years. In the case of a sale, there is no impact on your contribution rate. However, it may be interesting to know the value of the experience that you pass down to the new owners in order to recognize your good OHS experience. In any event, a more thorough review of the situation is strongly recommended.

An employer's customized rate is the contribution rate calculated by the CNESST based on the employer's own experience. Such a rate is based on the rate of the classification unit, adjusted higher or lower based on the employer's occupational injury experience as compared to his business sector. An employer with a better experience will benefit from a reduced contribution rate whereas an employer with a worse experience will see its contribution rate increase.

The CNESST determines your contribution rate by comparing your claim experience for the last 4 years with that of other employers in the same classification unit (business sector) as you. Then, based on the payroll reported for that same period, the CNESST determines the credibility of your experience compared to that of the unit. It then adjusts your contribution rate, higher or lower, compared to the unit's rate, based on that calculation.  

If you are a member of a safety group, the CNESST substitutes the experience used to calculate the rate with that of the group according to the membership period.

You have 30 days to appeal the classification decision you receive from the CNESST. If you appeal within 30 days, you will then have the opportunity to explain your situation and request a review of your classification. The Commission will then need to issue a new classification decision. If you still disagree with the new decision, you can appeal your case before the Commission des lésions professionnelles.

The CNESST determines annually the classification units (business sectors), the corresponding rates for each of those units, and the classification rules for employers assigned to those units. Every year, generally in October or when the CNESST is notified of a change in the business sector, employers receive a Notice of Classification Decision for the following year. That Notice of Classification is very important because it determines the basis of calculation for all of your CNESST dues.

Furthermore, since 2011, the Notice of Classification also outlines the details of the calculation of the average rate that will be used for your installments in the upcoming year. You can request a review of that calculation if you feel that it is not representative of the distribution of your business activities.

The Assessment Notice is sent to you regularly by the CNESST. It represents your account statement, showing the details of your invoice and your credit. Although it is rarely contested, you have 30 days to contest an Assessment Notice. Regardless of whether or not you contest your Assessment Notice, you are required to pay the due amounts prior to the 21st day of the month following the date on which the Assessment Notice was sent.

The experience index allows the experience of an employer or a group of employers in a safety group to be compared with that of employers classified in the same classification unit. An index of 1 means that the experience is similar to all employers in the same business sector. The lower the index, the more the employer or group of employers can expect a significant reduction in its contribution compared to its business sector. An index greater than 1 reflects a poorer experience as compared to other employers.

It is personal protective equipment.

Yes, by contacting the CNESST and providing the employer number issued by the CNESST or by calling a dispatcher in Novo SST's Safety Groups Department.

The CNESST issues a new certificate annually, following renewal of enrollment in the group.

For the term of the agreement between the company and the CNESST, i.e. as long as you are a member of the safety group.

It is the statement issued by the CNESST every year indicating that the employer is a member of a safety group.

As required by the CNESST, it should be posted in every facility and in areas that are easy to access for workers. It would also be preferable that the location selected, while it must be accessible to workers, is also accessible to clients and/or visitors, to illustrate our commitment as a company towards the health, safety and physical integrity of our workers.

Essentially, it needs to be posted because it is part of the obligations of an employer who joins a safety group. Posting the certificate also tells the workers that the company they work for is a member of a safety group and, as such, it is committed to making the group's obligations its own. Finally, posting the certificate shows our membership in our group and confirms that we comply with its values. The group must show that it concretely promotes the prevention of occupational injuries, rehabilitation and the return to work of injured workers.

It is one of the instructions or guidelines adopted by management and with which all company staff must comply (managers, supervisors, and workers).

The objectives of the investigation and the analysis of an accident with or without injury are as follows: 

• To identify the causes of the occurrence of the accident in order to take corrective and preventive measures so a similar event does not recur.
• To comply with the legal obligations set out by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA section 51.1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11).
• To improve the work conditions and environment and avoid the recurrence of similar events.

WHMIS is a system that makes employers and workers aware of the risks of hazardous materials and the appropriate preventive measures. It is an information system on hazardous materials used at work.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act makes the establishment of a Health and Safety Committee mandatory in companies in certain business sectors that have more than 20 workers. Some so-called priority sectors must have a Health and Safety Committee. Certain sectors have not yet been deemed priority sectors and are not required to put in place a Health and Safety Committee.

A Health and Safety Committee is an organized group, comprised of employer and worker representatives, who work together to improve, in a realistic and ongoing manner, the prevention component of the workplace health and safety program and to update the prevention plan.

Aside from the Health and Safety Committee meetings, safety meetings with the workers are a preferred activity that allows for an exchange of information between both parties. The workers can hence express what they are experiencing from the perspective of their work and the employer gathers important information regarding the risks identified and safe work methods. Safety meetings also give the employer the opportunity to raise awareness among his workers and demonstrate his involvement and that of the managers in health and safety.

Making workplace inspections a consistent activity is essential within every company that wants to prevent workplace accidents and occupational illnesses. In addition to the observation round, which should be performed before each Health and Safety Committee meeting, we recommend performing a more thorough audit of the entire facility four times a year to check the operating status of all equipment present.

In Québec, according to the First-Aid Minimum Requirements Regulation, each employer must provide an adequate number of first-aid kits. The kits must be located in areas that are easily accessible, and as close as possible to the worksite. The kits and their content, whose expiry date should be checked regularly, should be kept neat and in good condition. All expired, soiled or yellowed material should be replaced.

Employers must provide a minimum number of first-aid attendants on the worksite so that any worker or accident victim or ill person may receive first-aid immediately.
The First-Aid Minimum Requirements Regulation* stipulates that all employers in a facility and owners of a work site must ensure the presence, at all times during work hours, a minimum number of qualified first-aid attendants.

The contingency plan consists of a set of activities implemented in order to react quickly and efficiently in an emergency situation. The contingency plan is specific to each facility based on the possible emergencies due to the risks present in the workplace or the work environment. Every company must be prepared to act efficiently in an emergency.

The preventive maintenance program is a program specifically designed for a facility. Its goal is to keep the devices and equipment in good condition, prevent failures and reduce the risk of accidents due to poor functioning. Periodic preventive maintenance is done on equipment to make it reliable, detect premature wear and tear and minimize unforeseen failures. Failures could affect operations and cause accidents in the event of breakdowns.

A prevention program is a safety action plan unique to each facility or site. It is the main tool in the management of prevention set out by the OHSA. It intends to eliminate, or control, the hazards in the workplace and includes concrete measures to achieve that. The prevention program should be realistic and reasonable; it should be tailored to your needs and incorporated in your current management.

Companies who decide to join a safety group must first sign the legal document required to obtain funding information from the CNESST, i.e. the Autorisation d'accès aux dossiers accordée par l'employeur (Authorization to access records granted by the employer), and fax it to Novo SST at +1.418.687.4470, for a free assessment of their file. Our Business Development Department will consequently contact the employer. Please note that the document must be signed by an authorized signing officer as per the Registrar's records.

You are eligible if you are in good standing with the CNESST and comply with all CNESST-imposed requirements. However, you should not be part of the retrospective rating plan.

All businesses can enroll in a safety group, but some groups are associative and require enrolment in the association that sponsors the group in order to join.

Simply contact us at 1 418 650-7396 or at  1 855 650-7666 or at mutuellesnovo@novosst.com, or forward an access authorization from your other company directly to 1 418 687-4470.

The deadline is September 30 or the closest business day preceding September 30. However, you must notify your future safety group manager of your intent at least 3 to 4 weeks before the deadline to give them time to produce the required documents.

As a member of a safety group you must comply with the CNESST requirements. Before March 31, you must develop a safety program, tailored to the risks of your environment and involving your workers. Then, by January 1st of each year, you must update and implement that program. You must also post your safety group enrolment certificate where it is visible to workers.

A company that joins a safety group will benefit from the overall loss experience of the combined group of employers which, most of the time, significantly reduces their CNESST dues. Furthermore, being part of a group opens the door to high-quality services that help the company increase its prevention control and facilitating the return to work of injured workers.

A safety group is a product governed by the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) that gives Québec employers (SME) the opportunity to come together and form a group. The purpose of such a group is to promote the prevention of workplace accidents and the rehabilitation of workers. It also lets members enjoy a substantial reduction in their CNESST dues.

No, you do not need to sign a contract every year. It contains an automatic renewal clause.

The basic services are occupational injury claim management services, variable safety services based on the groups, and a financial statement showing the effects on dues as a result joining a group.

Just contact us at 1 418 650-7396 or at 1 855 650-7666 or at mutuellesnovo@novosst.com, or visit our French training web page.

The Tribunal administratif du travail (TAT) receives and processes appeals from workers and employers who are dissatisfied with the decisions issued by the Administrative Review Branch (ARB).

A worker may file a grievance under section 32 of the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases when he feels that he has been aggrieved (termination, suspension, etc.) because he suffered an occupational injury.

The employer can maintain the employment relationship with the worker and more closely monitor the worker's injury. He can also rely on experienced resources. The fact of temporarily assigning a worker represents substantial long-term savings for your CNESST contribution rate.

You can assign the worker to those duties based on his regular work schedule unless the attending physician issues restrictions regarding the work schedule.

This process is to maintain the employment relationship and to promote the worker's rehabilitation process.

It can be any work for which the worker is qualified.

A temporary assignment consists of temporarily offering to a worker duties that correspond to his functional limitations. Those duties must be pre-authorized by the attending physician using the temporary assignment form.