159 (1) The body corporate known as the Workers’ Compensation Board is continued under the name Workplace Safety and Insurance Board in English and Commission de la sécurité professionnelle et de l’assurance contre les accidents du travail in French and is composed of the members of its board of directors.  1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (1). Powers of the Board (2) Subject to this Act, the Board has the powers of a natural person including the power, (a)  to establish policies concerning the premiums payable by employers under the insurance plan; (a.1)  to establish policies concerning the interpretation and application of this Act; (a.2)  to establish policies concerning evidentiary requirements for establishing entitlement to benefits under the insurance plan; (a.3)  to establish policies concerning the adjudicative principles to be applied for the purpose of determining entitlement to benefits under the insurance plan; (b)  to review this Act and the regulations and recommend amendments or revisions to them; (c)  to consider and approve annual operating and capital budgets; (d)  to review and approve its investment policies; (e)  to review and approve major changes in its programs; (f)  to enact by-laws and pass resolutions for the adoption of a seal and the conduct of business and affairs; (g)  to establish, maintain and regulate advisory councils or committees, their composition and their functions; (h)  to provide, on such terms as it sees fit, financial assistance to an employer who will modify the work or workplace so that an injured worker or the spouse of a deceased worker may re-enter the labour force; (i)  to establish a program to designate return to work and labour market re-entry service providers, to monitor the service providers’ performance and to charge them a fee for the cost of the program.  1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (2); 1999, c. 6, s. 67 (42); 2005, c. 5, s. 73 (41); 2017, c. 8, Sched. 33, s. 8 (1). Same (2.1) A policy established under clause (2) (a.2) or (a.3) may provide that different evidentiary requirements or adjudicative principles apply to different types of entitlements, where it is appropriate, having regard to the different basis for and the characteristics of each entitlement. 2017, c. 8, Sched. 33, s. 8 (2). Employees (3) The Board may employ upon such terms as it approves such persons as it considers necessary for its purposes.  1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (3). (4) Spent:  1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (4). Investigations, research and training (5) The Board may undertake and carry on investigations, research and training and, for those purposes, may make grants to individuals, institutions and organizations in such amounts and subject to such conditions as the Board considers acceptable and may publish the results of the investigations and research.  1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (5). First aid requirements (5.1) The Board may require employers in such industries as it considers appropriate to have such first aid appliances and services as may be prescribed.  2011, c. 11, s. 23 (1). Repeal (5.2) Subsection (5.1) is repealed on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.  2011, c. 11, s. 23 (1). Acquisition of real property (6) With the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, the Board may acquire real property that the Board considers necessary for its purposes and may dispose of it.  1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (6). Exception (6.1) The requirement in subsection (6) to obtain the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council does not apply to the acquisition and disposition of real property by lease. 2023, c. 2, Sched. 9, s. 3. Agreements to co-operate (7) The Board may enter into agreements with the government of Canada or of a province or territory of Canada or with the appropriate authority of such a government providing for co-operation in matters relating to workers’ compensation and return to work and providing for the avoidance of any duplication in compensation.  1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (7); 2011, c. 11, s. 23 (2). Same (8) With the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, the Board may enter into agreements with any state, government or authority outside Canada providing for co-operation in matters relating to workers’ compensation and return to work and providing for the avoidance of any duplication in compensation.  1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (8); 2011, c. 11, s. 23 (3). Agreements to exchange information (9) With the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, for the purpose of administering this Act the Board may enter into agreements with the government of Canada or of a province or territory of Canada or with a ministry, board, commission or agency of such a government under which, (a)  the government, ministry, board, commission or agency will be allowed access to information obtained by the Board under this Act; and (b)  the government, ministry, board, commission or agency will allow the Board to have access to information obtained by the government, ministry, board, commission or agency under statutory authority.  1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (9). Exception (9.1) The requirement in subsection (9) to obtain the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council does not apply to an agreement between the Board and the Ministry of Labour to exchange the information described in subsection (9).  2011, c. 11, s. 23 (4). Agreements for cost sharing (10) Despite any provision in this Act, the Board may enter into an agreement with the appropriate authority in any other jurisdiction in Canada to provide for the apportionment of the costs of the claims for occupational diseases for workers who have had exposure employment in more than one Canadian jurisdiction.  1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (10). Same, industrial noise claims (11) Despite any provision in this Act, the Board may enter into an agreement with the appropriate authority in any other province or territory of Canada to provide for the sharing of costs of workers’ claims for hearing loss induced by occupational noise. The Board’s share must be in proportion to the actual or estimated amount of workers’ exposure to occupational noise in Ontario which contributed to their hearing loss.  1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (11). Agreement re administration of Part VII (11.1) The Board may enter into an agreement with any person or entity for the purpose of administering Part VII. 2021, c. 35, Sched. 6, s. 5. Non-application of corporate Acts (12) The Corporations Act
and the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 do not apply to the Board.  2010, c. 15, s. 248 (3). Section Amendments with date in force (d/m/y) 1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (3) - 10/04/1995 - see 1997, c. 16, Sched. A, s. 159 (4) - 01/01/1998; 1999, c. 6, s. 67 (42) - 01/03/2000 2005, c. 5, s. 73 (41) - 09/03/2005 2010, c. 15, s. 248 (3) - 19/10/2021 2011, c. 11, s. 23 (1-3) - 01/04/2012; 2011, c. 11, s. 23 (4)
- 01/06/2011 2017, c. 8, Sched. 33, s. 8 (1, 2) - 17/05/2017 2021, c. 35, Sched. 6, s. 5 - 01/01/2022 2023, c. 2, Sched. 9, s. 3 - 22/03/2023