16 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com
Tridon
Communications
Retail and
Services
Edmonton
Police Service
Public Sector
and Non-Profi t
R
eal estate, investment and management company Morguard takes a system-
atic approach to safety management. That approach, which aims to engage
workers and management alike, has proven successful.
"Our system ensures everyone is a part of the process and safety gets into every
part of the day-to-day operations. It's fi rst and foremost," says Suman Bhasker,
national manager of occupational health, safety and security at the Mississauga,
Ont.-based company.
Morguard's philosophy, that safety is number 1, along with senior manage-
ment's commitment to their occupational health and safety programs, is the
starting point of the system, he says. From there, the occupational health and
safety team does a comprehensive risk assessment, ensuring they are complying
with all regulations, internal policies and best practices. They then implement
operational controls, including emergency preparedness.
Managers are responsible for monitoring the OHS program to make sure safe
procedures are being followed. That management review is reinforced by an
internal audit program, Bhasker says. Every year Morguard audits some key assets
to ensure properties are in compliance with legislation and company policies.
As fi duciaries, says John May, director of risk management and insurance, the
company believes it needs to understand its risks extremely well.
"Employees are one of our biggest assets — and our biggest risks, as well. So we
make sure they understand that we're a team and that we have to work together
as a team to perform well and to ensure we minimize the risk to them and to
ourselves," he says.
Morguard, which has 1,500
employees across Canada and
the United States, commu-
nicates safety information in
several ways. On the intranet site,
employees can view OHS poli-
cies and procedures, manuals
and forms. The various company properties have boards where key OHS policies
and programs are posted, such as the workplace violence and harassment policy.
May says the senior team fully supports the OHS program, ensures workers
are trained to meet the risks they face and provides employees with the equip-
ment and tools they need to succeed.
"They lead by example, because it's not what you say, it's what you do and
how you act," he says. "Employees can see that senior staff are behind it and that
really helps them to stay engaged."
Faculty of Education
Centre for Adult Education
and Community Outreach
W
ith staff work-
ing in areas
as diverse as roads,
libraries and long-
term care, promoting
health and safety in
the public sector is a
huge undertaking.
But with an emphasis on fun,
education and support from senior
management, the County of Wel-
lington, a municipal government in
southwest Ontario, has been successful
in keeping its workforce healthy and
focused on safe practices.
"We just have such diversity in
people's skill sets, people's education
levels, people's hours of work, the
legislation they have to work within
— it's all so different but I think
that one key factor that brings them
together is this commitment to health
and safety," says human resources
supervisor Melanie Shaye.
Making safety more exciting has
been the key to participation, explains
health and safety co-ordinator
Michele Richardson.
"Anything that can make people
smile, they enjoy and now we have
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