Canadian Occupational Safety

8 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com M ore than 40 employers were recognized for award- winning safety practices at the sixth annual Canada's Safest Employers awards gala in Toronto on Oct. 24. And there were more nomina- tions for 2016 than ever before, said Amanda Silliker, editor of Canadian Occupational Safety. "The 41 winning companies that we are celebrating tonight are the best and the brightest when it comes to health and safety, wellness, psycho- logical safety, young worker safety and overall culture. This year, our winners truly span across the coun- try from an oil platform off the coast of Newfoundland to a mining site in Nunavut," she said. The awards are an opportunity to recognize amazing work and "a chance to tell the stories of the winners, share best practices and help organizations across Canada eliminate preventable injuries," said Karen Lorimer, director and group publisher of media solutions at Thomson Reuters in Toronto. The nominees and fi nalists were also congratulated by Federal Deputy Minister of Labour Lori Sterling. "Really, without your commitment and your leadership to improve the safety of Canadian workplaces, we would not really be the envy of the world. Each time you take to improve safety in whatever industry you are (in), you raise the standards of that industr y; you create a new bench- mark for others to follow. And, at the end of the day, your goal is shared by all of us here in the room and that is that workplaces are safe and workers go home at night." Canada's workplaces are among the safest in the world, she said, and the country is doing better over time. For example, in the last 10 years, Canada saw an 18 per cent decline in the disabling injury rate in the fed- eral jurisdiction, with 2014 being the lowest on record. Fatalities are also down by 35 per cent, said Sterling. "Nevertheless, on an average year, across Canada, 919 people lose their lives in the workplace. And so while we are making progress, it's really way too early to sit on our laurels and there's still good work to be done." PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY But while disabling rates or grain dust in the air are things that can be measured, what's harder to pin down is mental health in the workplace, said Sterling. "This is a journey that has just started. Maybe some would say we're at the tipping point. But as our workforces change, mental health, psychological well-being in the workplace is really going to be a major focus." There's a business case for it too, she said, citing the fact that one in fi ve workers is off work for a mental health problem, and 30 per cent of all disability claims are related to mental health issues. "Whether it's from the business case or from the personal angle, increasingly, companies are going to have to spend time thinking about the best way to address mental health in the workplace." Touching on that very issue was keynote speaker A llan Kehler, mental wellness and positive living expert from Saskatoon. Having lived through addiction, substance abuse and sexual assault, he said he has learned the importance of reaching out to people in pain. "If we just approach them and say, 'I don't mean to pry, I just want to let you know I'm concerned, I just want to let you know I'd be more than happy to listen if you ever needed to talk' — that's it." Psychological safety in spotlight at Canada's Safest Employers Annual event recognizes award-winning safety practices By Sarah Dobson PEOPLE & PLACES Federal Deputy Minister of Labour Lori Sterling addresses the crowd Zybin Christy, Durabuilt Windows and Doors, reads framed articles about gold winners Alan Noble, Levitt-Safety, presents award to Hassan Hussein, Borger Group of Companies, with Lynn Brownell, Workplace Safety and Prevention Services

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