Canadian Occupational Safety

W hen a student starts work at Innovative Automation, he undergoes a tiered approach to learn- ing. He is given a step-by-step agenda that outlines his tasks and how to do them safely, and he is required to E very year, Brian Bentz, president and CEO of PowerStream, rides his bike for the Enbridge Ride to Con- quer Cancer all the way from Toronto to Niagara Falls, Ont., over a two-day span, covering more than 200 kilometres. "As leaders of the organization, I really want to underscore that it is really important for us to believe in the con- cept of health and wellness and have systematically work through it. "We kind of micromanage at the start and as they develop their skills, we back off on the supervi- sion and let them do their jobs," says Steve Loftus, president of the Barrie, Ont.-based company that pro- vides factory automation solutions for Fortune 500 companies. After three months on the job, the young workers — under age 25 — are given a quiz to make sure they have retained everything and to identify any gaps. "I started on some pretty big machines. I don't think I was ever uncomfortable," says Trefor Arm- strong, 22, a mechanical engineering our staff see that we actually believe it and live it every day," says Bentz. "We have to be living examples of it." PowerStream, which has 570 employees, is a Vaughan, Ont.-based energy company that serves commu- nities immediately north of Toronto and in central Ontario. co-op student from the University of Guelph. "(The machines) may have been intimidating, but the process I went though to be trained on them, I felt fi ne the whole time." Innovative Automation, which has 83 employees in total, takes on students from local colleges and universities for co-op programs throughout the year (between four and nine each semes- ter) and it also hires summer students (around six each summer). Successful students are hired back for future work terms and many are ulti- mately hired as full-time employees. The student work terms overlap so a Bentz and other senior leaders in the organization participate in many of the wellness initiatives developed by PowerStream's wellness committee. There is a hockey team, a semi-formal soccer team, a fi tness benefi t program and a bicycle team. Last year PowerStream launched an eight-week healthy eating challenge. Staff is provided with ongoing sup- port through weekly emails, recipes, tips and shopping lists. "It really taught them how to make healthy eating a lifestyle," says Daniella Cogliano, organizational improvement co-ordinator. The on-site cafeteria also partnered with the wellness committee on this young worker coming in has the opportu- nity to learn from a peer who reinforces the safety training. "The first day on the job can be very intimidating. I came here out of my fi rst year (of university) and I didn't know what I got myself into, but having that other student there was a big benefi t," says Kevin King, 24, a mechanical engineering co-op student at the University of Guelph. A major component of keeping young workers safe at Innovative comes back to the corporate culture. It has a very "relaxed, family-style" cul- ture, says Loftus, with lots of activities to bring people together, including Friday morning hockey, Tuesday night skiing and numerous barbecues in the summer. These activities help initiative, offering employees a chal- lenge-friendly breakfast and lunch option throughout the eight weeks. One promotion area for this challenge is the effect healthy eating can have for those with Type II diabetes. "Because we've got a little bit of an older generation, (they) do have diabetes or they have heart issues or cholesterol issues. So this helped with that and helped encourage people to eat healthier," says Cogliano. Another successful initiative is the stretching program for fi eld and offi ce staff. PowerStream developed and distributed mouse pads with pictures of six different stretches that can be done at the offi ce. Wellness commit- tee members visited staff and walked them through the exercises. Mental health has become an important factor to address and will be one of the main focus areas in the 24 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com G O L D YOUNG WORKER SAFETY WELLNESS systematically work through it. the start and as they develop their skills, we back off on the supervi- sion and let them do their jobs," says Steve Loftus, president of the Barrie, Ont.-based company that pro- S I L VER S I L VER Apex Oilfi eld Services Crystal Fountains WELLNESS G O L D S I L VER London Hydro Bentz and other senior leaders in the organization participate in many of the wellness initiatives developed by PowerStream's wellness committee. There is a hockey team, a semi-formal soccer team, a fi tness benefi t London S I L VER Sault Area Hospital YEARS K-LINE MAINTENANCE & CONSTRUCTION LIMITED High Voltage | High Quality | High Performance www.k-line.ca

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