Canadian Occupational Safety

8 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com PEOPLE & PLACES By Liz Bernier T hrough his children's workplaces, Paul Kells has seen the very best and the very worst when it comes to workplace safety culture. "I understand fi rsthand the difference between places where dignity and respect are paramount, and others where their absence leads to tragedy," he said. But on Oct. 28, Kells was surrounded by some of the best. Kells, an expert on workplace safety and culture change, was the keynote speaker at the fourth annual Canada's Safest Employers Awards gala in Toronto, hosted by Canadian Occupational Safety. Twenty-seven award winners in 12 different categories were honoured at the gala. The awards pay tribute to organizations that are proven occupational health and safety leaders, said Don Van Meer, president and CEO of Carswell, a Thomson Reuters business. "It's hard to envision anything more important for an organization than to ensure that every one of its workers is provided with a safe working environment that enables them to return home at the end of the day," he said. "The fi rms taking the stage tonight serve as examples for all of us, and push us as leaders to continually raise the bar on health and safety practices." Though the winners are from different industries and backgrounds, they have something in common — the people in the organizations and their responsibility to keep them safe, said Dean Johnson, president of Acklands-Grainger, the national founding and title sponsor of Canada's Safest Employers Awards. "Your hard work is essential in keeping team members safe each and every day," he said. "The 27 companies being recognized tonight understand the importance of building a strong safety focused culture, and represent the best of the best." There's a lot of progress being made in the fi eld of occupational health and safety, said Lois Brown, member of Parliament for Newmarket-Aurora, Ont. But for companies that don't buy in, the costs are high. "There are enormous costs associated with workplace injuries and illnesses," she said. "In fact, in Canada, occupational illness and injuries at work cost our economy about $19 billion a year. But beyond these fi nancial losses, we also have to keep in mind the human costs." The human costs are something Kells knows all too well. Twenty years ago, his 19-year-old son Sean was killed in a workplace explosion on his third day of a new job. "It was an unsafe, unhealthy workplace. Everything went wrong," said Kells. "I've lived with the aftermath of that for… I still do." A truly safe, healthy workplace is one with a culture of dignity and respect, he said. "A life lost or damaged — or a life saved, for that matter — it's not about rules and regulations. It's about the people who understand and are committed to bringing life and soul into the values that such rules are based upon," he said. Organizations and individuals who understand that create a dramatically different safety culture — like the culture that emerged during the recent shooting on Oct. 22 on Parliament Hill, where Kells' daughter works. "Hundreds of people put themselves in harm's way to protect everyone else," Kells said. "I learned the full extent of the kindness and the caring of everyone in that workplace, but most especially (Sergeant-at-Arms) Kevin Vickers. He reached out over and over and over again, in the most trying times… to comfort my daughter." That concern for both the physical and psychological well-being of everyone in the workplace is what characterizes a truly strong safety culture, said Kells. That is what sets Canada's Safest Employers apart — the winners understand the importance of both. "Employers need to realize that it is in their interest to maintain a healthy workplace. That means helping and supporting workers who have mental illnesses, just as they would a worker who has a physical illness or a disability. It also means doing their part to prevent mental illness and injury in their workplaces," said Brown. Canada's Safest Employers Awards introduced a new psychological safety award this year, which was won by the County of Wellington in Ontario. Creating safe and healthy workplaces is a shared responsibility between employers, employees, governments and associations, said Brown. "But I am reassured that more and more employers across the country understand that paying attention to safety is not just the right thing to do from a moral perspective, but it's a smart thing to do from a business perspective," she said. "You the employers, and your employees, are best placed to identify health and safety risks in your workplace, because you're right there." For the complete list of winners, visit www.cos-mag.com/cse2014winners.html. 'The best of the best' Paul kells, keynote speaker Lois Brown, MP amanda silliker, COS editor with Jeff Harrison, London Hydro Dean Johnson, president, Acklands-grainger with chris butler, calgary Laboratory Services Don Van meer, president and ceo, carswell

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