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Safety Tip: Crystalline silica
Breathing in tiny fragments could
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potentially fatal disease
Awards gala
Excellent guest speakers took the
stage at the 4th annual Canada's
Safest Employers Awards gala
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FROM THE EDITOR
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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 and Health
National security
meets workplace safety
o
ne week before we were celebrating the safest employers across Canada, a gunman opened fi re in one of the
most well-known workplaces in the country — the House of Commons. While it is shocking and horrifi c for
the country's federal legislative offi ces to have a gunman inside from a national security perspective, there is
also a very strong occupational health and safety angle to the story.
The employees within the House of Commons — and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, who was shot dead by the gunman
at his post in front of the National War Memorial — were all just going to work that day. They likely felt pretty safe
working in the same building as the prime minister with security guards, metal detectors and scanners available for
every visitor that comes through the door. Unfortunately, the gunman stormed in and put the lives of everyone inside
the building at signifi cant risk.
While this was certainly a wake-up call for the federal government to take another look at heightened security for
the House of Commons and make sure it is truly prepared for an act of violence, it should also serve as a reminder
of its duty to protect the thousands of public servants that work on Parliament Hill. The federal government has the
same requirements as you do in your workplaces to keep workers safe, and the law clerks, IT staff, custodians and tour
guides have the right to be as protected as those who make the decisions that shape this country.
Paul Kells, workplace safety and respect champion, commends the government — especially Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin
Vickers — for its response. His daughter Robin works in the House of Commons and was only a few feet away from
the gunman that day. Kells was a guest speaker at the fourth annual Canada's Safest Employers Awards gala on Oct.
28, and he shared how Robin's workplace took care of her during and after that terrifying day. (See page 8 for more.)
Kells also has experience with the other end of the spectrum — workplaces that do not respect the health and safety
of their workers. His son Sean died on his third day on the job when he was 19. While that was 20 years ago, we still
face issues with young worker safety today. In the federal jurisdiction alone, young workers account for eight per cent
of the workforce and they account for eight per cent of total injuries. In 2012 more than 31,000 young Canadians
were seriously injured on the job and 32 of them died. Fortunately, there might be some headway being made on
protecting co-op students, interns and apprentices under health and safety legislation. (See page 6.)
What companies across Canada need in order to keep all workers — young and old — safe on the job are passion-
ate and talented safety professionals like Dave Hagen. He is the deserving recipient of the 2014 Safety Leader of the
Year Award. Hagen takes safety to the next level by working with manufacturers and even competitors to keep his
employees at Chemco Electrical Contractors — and workers all across Canada — safe. (Learn more about him in our
cover story on page 16.)
If you know someone who is an exceptional safety leader and is a deserving recipient of the 2015 award, visit
www.cos-mag.com in March for the nomination form. We are also launching the search for the 2015 Canada's Safest
Employers on Jan. 14, so check out www.safestemployers.com to see if your company has what it takes.
Amanda Silliker, Editor
amanda.silliker@thomsonreuters.com
