Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine is the premier workplace health and safety publication in Canada. We cover a wide range of topics ranging from office to heavy industry, and from general safety management to specific workplace hazards.
Issue link: https://digital.thesafetymag.com/i/585162
October/November 2015 3 October Flash re Pandemic planning Slips and trips Safety leadership November Hearing protection Machine guarding Combusible dust Winner videos Still curious why the winners of Canada's Safest Employers awards were chosen? Or looking for some ideas to implement in your company? Take a look at videos of all the gold winners here: www.cos-mag.com/video/ corporate-videos.html Webinars The COS webinar library is lled with on-demand topics including arc ash, safety leadership and a sneak peek at the ISO 45001 standard. Sign up now for the next webinar on fall protection. www.cos-mag.com/CPDCentre on now @ twitter.com/cosmagazine Join Canadian Occupational Safety group on Follow us on Culture Shock Shawn Galloway, president of ProAct Safety, presents a monthly video on safety culture. Watch the latest video on the ve measurements of behav- iour based safety effectiveness. Training ESL workers In a workplace where English is a second language, employers and employees are presented with unique safety challenges. 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AMANDA SILLIKER FROM THE EDITOR Canadian Occupational Safety's Editorial Advisory Board Dave Gouthro, CRSP, CHSC, CHSO Occupational Health & Safety Consulting David Johnston, CRSP Director, EHS, Toronto Hydro-Electric System Ltd. Eldeen Pozniak Director, Pozniak Safety Associates Inc. Guy Chenard Retired, Senior H&S Advisor, Ontario Power Generation Maureen Shaw President, Act Three Consulting Dr. Ron Saunders Director of Knowledge Transfer & Exchange Institute for Work & Health cos-mag.com visit us online More videos at www.cos-mag.com/video.html coming up online latest videos High 5 I could not be more proud of this year's Canada's Safest Employers awards, which is celebrating its fi fth year. When it fi rst started, there were only fi ve winners. This year we have 36 winning companies — the most yet— and our judges even had a hard time capping it there. (See page 14.) It's a true testament to how safety has evolved over the last fi ve years. While the winning companies back in 2011 were truly deserving, the competition was not as stiff as it is today. We received nearly fi ve times more nominations this year than in the fi rst year, and the quality of the companies applying is very impressive. Now, employers across the country, spanning all industries, seem to understand the importance of safety and how it contributes to their bottom line. This year we launched a brand new award, Canada's Best Health + Safety Culture, to recognize com- panies that not only have an outstanding safety culture within their own walls, but are also actively spreading the safety word within their communities. Additionally, their C-suite and boards of directors truly believe in safety. We all know a strong safety culture needs to come from the top, and these companies take it all the way. (See page 25.) We also launched a new award for companies with programs in place targeting young workers (those under age 25). This segment of the workforce faces a disproportionately high number of injuries, which is all the more devas- tating due to their young age. The winning companies take the time to properly train these young workers in ways that resonate with them, while at the same time developing their future workforce. (See page 24.) I also want to give a special thank you to our judges — health and safety experts from all across Canada — who volunteer their time to make Canada's Safest Employers awards possible. This issue also includes an update on the seemingly never-ending Metron case, where four workers fell to their death after a swing stage collapsed in Toronto on Christmas Eve 2009. Legal columnist Jeremy Warning goes through the latest fi nes and penalties placed on the project manager. While the fi nal sentencing had not occurred at press time, regardless of the outcome, this reminds everyone that not just the companies themselves can be held liable in the event of a workplace tragedy. (See page 10.) When I was at a conference, earlier this year, I had a very passionate discussion with Mark Caldwell of Capital Safety who spoke with me about the importance of having "fall protection for tools." He said that while fall protection for people is widely accepted, harnesses, lanyards and other devices to prevent objects from falling at heights and injuring individuals is something that needs to be more widely adopted. (See page 30.) Nothing brought this point home more than the tape measure that fell on a site in New Jersey, killing a truck driver below. The construction industry has come a long way in adopting safety; I strongly urge it to consider fall protection for tools as its next step. The Up Close feature in this issue looks at the entertainment industry. (See page 8.) There are a myriad of safety issues that arise during fi lm shoots, plays, musical theatre, dance performances and television productions. But there are also many psychological safety issues. I have a few friends who are actors and the stories I hear make my skin crawl. They travel across the country and live with strangers who are willing to host them during the run of their production. In one case, my friend stayed with a man who regularly hosts actors and propositions them for sex during their stay — my friend included. Harassment exists within the industry, too. Inappropriate touching is more common in these highly physical environments than traditional offi ce settings, and a director told one friend of mine she was not getting a role because she refused his advances. Unfortunately, no one wants to speak up for fear of ruffl ing feathers and not getting future jobs in this very volatile industry. Various organizations and unions within the industry seem to be working on the safety side of things, but I also would encourage them to start taking a close look at psychological safety hazards as well. Amanda Silliker, Editor amanda.silliker@thomsonreuters.com