Primary prevention: aims to prevent illness, disease or injury before it ever occurs. This is done by preventing exposures to hazards that cause illness, disease or injury, altering unhealthy or unsafe behaviours that can lead to disease or injury, and increasing resistance to disease or injury should exposure occur.
The Workers Health and Safety Centre (WHSC) is the leading provider of primary prevention (Health & Safety) training in Ontario. Prevention Link recommends the WHSC to individuals and employers wishing to engage in primary prevention education and training.
Secondary prevention: aims to reduce the impact of an illness, disease or injury that has already occurred. In the medical sense – this is done by detecting and treating illness, disease or injury as soon as possible to halt or slow its progress, encouraging personal strategies to prevent re-injury or recurrence, and implementing programs to return people to their original health and function to prevent long-term problems. (i.e., suitably modified work so injured or ill workers can return safely and therapeutically to their pre injury jobs.)