Safety

THESAFETYMAG.COM/CA
ISSUE 58.05

LEADERS
OF THE YEAR
Meet this year’s
CSE Awards finalists!

CHEMICAL PPE FOR TECH

SAFETY WOMEN ROUNDTABLE
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What is an SDS? Maybe one size doesn’t Is tech the future of OHS?
Why is it so important? really fit all Experts weigh in

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 EDITORIAL

www.thesafetymag.com/ca
CANADIAN

EDITORIAL
OCCUPATIONALSAFETY
ISSUE 58.05

SALES & ADVERTISING

Not all heroes

Editor Fred Crossley
Amanda Silliker (on leave) fred.crossley@keymedia.com
416 644 8740 ext. 236
Acting Editor

wear capes
Maia Foulis
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Production Editor Guy Chenard,
Patricia Cancilla CRSP, C.E.T.
Safety Consultant
Writer
Jim Wilson Dave Gouthro,
CRSP, CHSC, CHSO
Columnists Occupational Health & Safety all look for silver linings — it’s in our very nature to try and find optimism in
Cathy Chandler WE
Consulting dark times. It’s not easy to find any good sides to a global health crisis that has
Cheryl A. Edwards
David Johnston, left hundreds of thousands of people dead, millions without jobs and a worldwide
Dave Fennell
Glyn Jones CRSP recession. Maybe one piece of good news we can cling on to is that the safety profession
Director, EHS, Toronto Hydro has come into sharper focus over the past few months.
PRODUCTION Eldeen Pozniak, With the current pandemic, workplace health and safety is more important than ever — and the
CHSC, CHSMSA, CRSP, sector is receiving increased visibility with concerns over PPE and occupational diseases becoming
Designer Director, Pozniak Safety Associates
Jommel Ramos mainstream.
Laura Rourke, More so than ever before, safety professionals have been essential. As businesses and organizations
Production Coordinator
CRSP, Peng, TSRP navigate ever-changing guidelines, safety heroes have been leading the way.
Kim Kandravy
EHSS manager, Tigercat Industries
This year’s Canada’s Safest Employers Awards was always going to be special; 2020 marks the
Client Success Coordinator
Dan Strand, event’s 10-year anniversary! We may have envisioned our celebrations slightly differently, but we are
Kshipra Dhindaw
CRSP, CIH, ROH as proud as ever to shine a spotlight on the OHS community and the individuals paving the way for a
Global Production Manager Director, Prevention Field Services,
Alicia Chin (on leave) WorkSafeBC
better, safer and healthier workplace.
For our cover story this month, come and discover the eight finalists up for Safety Leader of the Year
— one of the event’s most anticipated prizes.
Aside from spotlighting our safety heroes, this issue is chock-full of other essential features.
Printed in Protective clothing is an integral part of the safety profession. Most occupations wouldn’t function
properly without it, and for many workers, protective clothing can be the differentiating factor between
being safe on the job and exposing themselves to danger. Nevertheless, female workers still struggle
with finding clothing that will actually fit! In this issue, COS takes a deep dive into protective clothing
for women for its PPE focus.
Contents of Canadian Occupational Safety are copyright © 2020 HAB Press Limited
and may not be reproduced in whole or part without written consent. HAB Press Hot on the heels of last month’s successful roundtable, this month we hand the mic over to a panel
Limited disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of
the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of
any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication.
of experts in the tech sector. Once a sector that may have been reticent to embrace new tech, this
HST/GST # 70318 4911 RT0001
pandemic has accelerated the development of tech to a dizzying degree. We ask the experts: Is tech the
future of OHS?
Canada Post – Canadian Publications
Mail Product Sales Agreement 41261516 Lastly, increased sanitization measures mean that more and more workers are having to handle
International Standard Serial Number 0008-4611. chemical substances — with potentially hazardous results. An integral part of chemical safety, Safety
The publishers accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, colour
transparencies or other materials. Manuscripts or other materials must be
Data Sheets (SDS) can help provide answers. We spoke with subject matter specialists to help shed
accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. more light on the topic.
Canadian Occupational Safety is published six times yearly by HAB Press Limited,
More than a profession, safety is a community — and one of which COS is a proud member.
KEY MEDIA and the KEY MEDIA logo are trademarks of Key Media IP Limited,
and used under license by HAB Press Limited.
CANADIAN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY is a trademark of HAB Press Limited. Maia Foulis, editor, Canadian Occupational Safety
20 Duncan St. 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON. M5H 3G8 www.cos-mag.com
Issue dates are March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October,
November/December, January/February.
Subscription price: Canada: $69 plus tax; US: $69,International: $96
Canadian Occupational Safety makes every effort to ensure accuracy in all items
reported, but cannot accept responsibility for the representations or claims made
by sources used. It is also not responsible for claims made by its advertisers.

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 CONTENTS

IS SUE 5 8.05
CONNECT WITH US
Stay up to date with the latest health and
safety news here:

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LEADERS FEATURE
PPE FOCUS
Protective clothing for women:
COLUMNS
12 Professional development

OF THE YEAR Adequate PPE for women isn’t just Asbestos, mould: home and work hazards
about making it pink By Glyn Jones

24
13 Safety culture
Setting goals for safety culture
By Dave Fennell

14 Legal landscape
COVID-19: the risks of reporting
By Loretta Bouwmeester

18
COVER STORY
SAFETY LEADERS OF THE YEAR DEPARTMENTS
Discover our eight finalists vying for the title of Safety Leader of the Year
at Canada’s Safest Employers awards 6 Workplace news
FEATURE 8 Fines and penalties
CHEMICAL SAFETY 10 Products and services
Safety Data Sheets are a key part of
chemical safety. Here is what you need 31 My safety moment
INDUSTRY PROFILE to know about them
LISA MCGUIRE
CEO and founder of
the Manufacturing
Safety Alliance of B.C.
on educating and
empowering organizations

22 FEATURE
TECH ROUNDTABLE
27
Key voices in tech weigh in on a
big topic in the sector: Is tech the
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 UPFRONT
WORKPL ACE NEWS
ONTARIO INVESTS FOR HEALTH,
SAFETY IN INDIGENOUS
WORKPLACES
Province to invest in mental health and violence
and harassment in Indigenous workplaces in the
Robinson Superior Treaty area
is investing $280,500 for
ONTARIO
the Nokiiwin Tribal Council
to provide culturally appropriate
training and programs that will help
protect the health and safety of workers
from First Nations communities in
Northwestern Ontario.
“We are committed to supporting
workers, students and families living in
First Nation communities of the
Robinson Superior Treaty area and
beyond,” says Greg Rickford, minister of
energy, northern development and
mines and minister of Indigenous
affairs. “This initiative offers an
opportunity to harness workplace
health and safety as a catalyst for
positive and lasting change.”
The programs — under the
G'minoomaadozimin We Are Living
Well Health and Safety Initiative — will
address mental health and workplace
violence and harassment and expand
6 www.thesafetymag.com/ca
06-07_COS5805_News-SUBBED.indd 6
supports for vulnerable workers. The
G'minoomaadozimin project will offer
training to help foster respectful
workplaces and design programs that
utilize the Seven Grandfather Teachings,
namely: Love, Respect, Courage,
Honesty, Humility, Truth & Wisdom.
These teachings are inherent to the First
Nations belief system.
“G'minoomaadozimin is steered by
the needs and priorities of our member
First Nations. The continuation of this
initiative, especially during this
unprecedented time, is integral to
developing safety initiatives and
solutions that are built on the
traditional cultural foundations of our
communities,” says Audrey Gilbeau,
executive director of Nokiiwin Tribal
Council. “Utilizing workplace health
and safety as a catalyst for change leads
to safer families and safer communities.”
The Nokiiwin Tribal Council will also
implement activities and tools to
support safer workplaces, homes and
communities and engage youth through
creative storytelling exercises and
artistry to foster safety and mental
health. The council’s mandate is to
provide culturally appropriate advisory
services and training opportunities that
enhance growth and prosperity for
member communities in response to
their individual needs and priorities.
“As Ontario's economy begins to
reopen, it is important to ensure that
workers from First Nations communities
are returning to safe and healthy
workplaces,” says Monte McNaughton,
minister of labour, training and skills
development. “I have made the health
and safety of every worker a key priority
as minister. The culturally sensitive
training and programs developed and
delivered by Nokiiwin Tribal Council are
crucial supports.”
Previously, Ontario invested $10
million in the Support for People and
Jobs Fund for Indigenous-owned small
and medium-sized businesses that are
either ineligible for or unable to access
existing federal and provincial COVID-
19 response initiatives for small
businesses. Since 2015, the Ministry of
Labour, Training and Skills
Development has provided more than
$1.1 million in funding to the Nokiiwin
Tribal Council.
CCOHS releases safe
return-to-work course
The Canadian Centre for
Occupational Health and Safety
(CCOHS) has released an online
course to guide businesses on how
to safely return to work during
the COVID-19 pandemic. Titled
Pandemic Planning: Reopening
for Business, the course will
teach employers, supervisors,
managers and workers how to
prepare for a safe return to work
and what controls are needed to
be put in place to protect everyone
and minimize the impact of the
pandemic. The course is available
online in French and English
languages.
Yukon passes regulation
against violence and
harassment
Yukon has approved the
Violence and Harassment
Prevention Regulation, which
the government says will help to
foster a positive culture in the
workplace as well as increased
physical and psychological
safety. The new regulation
will take effect Sept. 4, 2021.
During the waiting period, the
Yukon Workers’ Compensation
Health and Safety Board will be
offering support, particularly
to employers with small
businesses, with a how-to guide,
ready-to-use tools and training
resources. In addition to the
new regulation, the government
also made enhancements to the
existing regulations about hazard
assessment to make them clearer
and easier to understand.
“As Ontario's economy begins to
reopen, it is important to ensure
that workers from First Nations
communities are returning to
safe and healthy workplaces.”
Monte McNaughton
Minister of labour, training and skills
development
6/10/2020 1:40:08 AM COS K
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6/10/2020 1:40:59 PM
AM
 UPFRONT
F I N E S A N D P E N A LT I E S
Worker fatally
injured in forestry
operation
Western Forest Products Inc.,
an integrated forest management company, has
been fined $73,266.29 following the death of a
worker during a forestry operation at Quatse
Lake, B.C. The incident occurred when workers
had been operating a yarder in an attempt to fall
a dangerous tree. While doing this, an adjacent
hemlock tree became uprooted and the top of the
tree struck a faller, fatally injuring them.
WorkSafeBC determined that “falling work had
not been adequately planned, coordinated, and
managed, to take into account the risks
associated with multiple fallers and equipment
operators.”
Alberta firm
Parkland Fuel
Corporation fined
$187K
In November 2018, a worker at a residential
property in Chesley, Ont. was burned on a
worksite. The incident occurred when two
workers were delivering liquid propane tanks
to the residence. As one worker filled up the
propane tanks, the other observed the pump in
the cabinet of the tank truck. According to the
MOL, “When the worker who was filling the
tanks was filling a second one, the physical
connection was not done properly and the
nozzle blew off the propane tank, spraying
liquid propane into the air.” The gas ignited,
setting the worker’s clothes on fire.
Drilling rig company
pleads guilty after
worker fall
Drilling rig company Bonanza
Drilling was fined $50,000 after
pleading guilty to one count under The
Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996
in Rosetown Provincial Court in Saskatchewan. On
Aug. 13, the Brooks, Alta.-based company pleaded
guilty to contravening clause 12(a) of the
regulations. Charges stem from a Feb. 17, 2018
incident near Herschel, Sask., where a worker
sustained serious injuries after falling from a
walkway while cleaning a rig. The company was
fined $35,714.28 plus a surcharge of $14,285.72.
One other charge was withdrawn.
8 www.thesafetymag.com/ca
08-09_COS5805_Fines and Penalties-SUBBED2.indd 8
ONTARIO
CHEMICALS
COMPANY
OWNER
ARRESTED FOR
SUBSTANCE
VIOLATIONS
THE Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) arrested the owner of a
chemicals company in Ontario for seven violations
against the law.
Wister Wei Lap Lee, owner of Genaxx Pharma
and Dufore Technologies, was arrested following
an RCMP investigation for allegations of diverting
chemical products and laboratory equipment to
illicit laboratories knowing that these items were
to be used to manufacture controlled substances,
including fentanyl and methamphetamine.
“The diversion of chemicals for the illegal
production of fentanyl or other illegal synthetic
drugs poses a danger to our society.”
Inspector Marwan Zogheib, OIC of the Toronto West RCMP Serious and Organized Crime Unit
RCMP officers of the Toronto Serious &
Organized Crime Unit based in Milton, Ont.
arrested Lee on Aug. 27 and executed search
warrants at his residence and at facilities used by
Genaxx Pharma and Dufore Technologies. Four
hundred barrels of chemicals and lab equipment
were seized by police.
The 38-year-old from Markham, Ont. was
charged with: the sale of chemical products
knowing they will be used to produce fentanyl, a
controlled substance, contrary to the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act; possession for the
purpose of sale anything that will be used to
produce a controlled substance, contrary to the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; illegal
Importation of Class A precursors contrary to
the Precursor Control Regulations; possession of
Proceeds of Crime, contrary to the Criminal Code;
offer to transfer restricted firearms when not
authorized, contrary to the Criminal Code; attempt
to possess a firearm for the purpose of trafficking,
contrary to the Criminal Code; and breach of
Prohibition Order, contrary to the Criminal Code.
Also charged was 29-year-old Sean Curtis
McDonald of Toronto for offering to transfer
restricted firearms when not authorized, contrary
to the Criminal Code.
“The success of the investigation is due to the
diligent efforts of the RCMP officers, analysts,
outreach personnel and the efforts of our
partners. The diversion of chemicals for the illegal
production of fentanyl or other illegal synthetic
drugs poses a danger to our society. There is a
marked disregard for the wellness of individuals
in the profit-driven crime of chemical product
diversion,” says Inspector Marwan Zogheib, OIC
of the Toronto West RCMP Serious and Organized
Crime Unit. “The illegal firearms acquisition by
criminals is of particular concern and it increases
the propensity for violence. Our communities and
our environment face the additional risks due to
the illegal dumping of the hazardous waste from
clandestine laboratories.”
Along with the pandemic, Canada is also
currently in the middle of an opioid crisis.
According to a Health Canada report from 2016,
the country saw about 2,458 opioid deaths that
year, with numbers remaining high in recent years.
This has notably been an issue in corrections
facilities, where correctional officers fear that
fentanyl use by prisoners is putting the workers
at greater risk. In their paper, “Fentanyl Behind
Bars: The Implications of Synthetic Opiates for
Prisoners and Correctional Officers,” researchers
Sandra Bucerius and Kevin Haggerty found that
an estimated 85 per cent to 90 per cent of male
prisoners and 90 per cent to 100 per cent of female
prisoners had substance abuse issues.
6/10/2020 1:42:05 AM

MINING
COMPANY PAYS
$400,000 FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL
VIOLATIONS
a division of K+S Windsor
SELEINE MINES,
Salt, was fined $400,000
after pleading guilty to four counts of violating
subsection 125(1) of the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act, 1999.
An investigation by Environment and Climate
Change Canada enforcement officers found that the
company had disposed of dredged material on four
occasions outside of the disposal area authorized
by the disposal at sea permit issued by the same
department. The incidents happened between Aug.
10 and 14, 2014.
As a result of this conviction, the company’s
name will be added to the Environmental
Offenders Registry.
“Disposal at sea is prohibited unless a permit
is issued by Environment and Climate Change
Canada’s Disposal at Sea Program. Only a short
list of non-hazardous wastes can be considered
for disposal. A permit’s conditions on quantities
of waste, disposal sites, and special precautionary
measures are designed to ensure that the disposal is
the most practical and environment-friendly option,”
said Environment and Climate Change Canada.
The fines will be directed to the federal
government’s Environmental Damages Fund,
where they will be used for environmental and
conservation projects, often in the community
“A permit’s conditions on quantities of waste,
disposal sites, and special precautionary measures
are designed to ensure that the disposal is the most
practical and environment-friendly option.”
Environment and Climate Change Canada
where the offence occurred. Created in 1995, the
fund is a program administered by Environment
and Climate Change Canada to ensure that
court-awarded penalties are used for projects with
positive environmental impacts.
There has been a raft of environmental
convictions in recent months.
The Town of Bow Island in Alberta and one of its
former employees pleaded guilty to offences under
the Environmental Protection and Enhancement
08-09_COS5805_Fines and Penalties-SUBBED2.indd 9
Act filed against them. The town pleaded guilty
to failing to immediately report structural or
equipment malfunctions in the waterworks system.
It was fined $10,000 and was placed under a two-
and-a-half-year probation order that will closely
monitor its compliance with legislated monitoring
and reporting requirements.
Montreal-based holding company 4422236
Canada Inc. was fined $260,000 after pleading
guilty to two counts of violating the PCB Regulations
and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act,
1999. An investigation by Environment and Climate
Change Canada enforcement officers found that the
company, owner of the Baltex Building in Montréal,
was using a transformer containing polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) at a concentration greater than 500
ppm in September 2018.
PCBs have been widely used for decades,
particularly as refrigerants and lubricants for certain
types of electrical devices such aS transformers
and capacitors. PCBs are toxic, and measures
under the act have been taken to control their use,
import, manufacture, storage and release into the
environment, according to the federal government.
Lastly, the Alberta government has laid seven
charges against Suncor Energy related to an
incident that took place at the company’s refinery
located in Strathcona County in 2018. The company
faces five charges for contravening a term or
condition of an approval and two charges for
releasing a substance into the environment that
may cause an adverse effect and failing to report the
release in a timely manner. All of the charges are
contraventions under the Environmental Protection
and Enhancement Act. The incident is alleged to
have occurred in July 2018.
Fine Choice Foods
Ltd. penalized for
mixing blade
incident
Food manufacturing company Fine Choice Foods
Ltd. was fined $69,464.36 following an
investigation by WorkSafeBC. WorkSafeBC
inspected Fine Choice Foods’ processing facility
after a worker was seriously injured. The incident
occurred when the worker was adding scrap
dough to an unguarded mixer. The worker was
seriously injured after they were struck by the
mixing blade. According to WorkSafeBC, “The
firm failed to ensure that machinery and
equipment was fitted with adequate safeguards to
prevent workers from accessing hazardous points
of operation. This was a repeated and high-risk
violation.”
Fitness chain hit
with $147K fine for
workplace violations
Steve Nash Fitness World & Sports
Clubs, a company that operates fitness centres and
gyms throughout Canada, has been fined $147,238.19.
Following a work site inspection at one of the chain’s
locations in Nanaimo, B.C., WorkSafeBC observed
that, although the work site had more than 20
workers, the location did not have a functioning joint
health and safety committee. Furthermore,
WorkSafeBC then determined that the company did
not have joint health and safety committees at any of
its locations. The club’s locations were closed during
the pandemic. In addition, around 1,300 employees
had their contracts terminated.
Workers injured
after explosion at
Colter Energy
Services
Colter Energy Services (Canada) Ltd., headquartered
in Okotoks, Alta., was fined $25,860.15. WorkSafeBC
conducted an investigation at the company’s work site
in Wonowon, B.C., a natural gas wellsite, following an
incident involving a vacuum truck that was being
used to clean the company’s pressure separator vessel
of waste materials. These materials included
flammable hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The vacuum truck
had not been bonded or grounded, despite being used
with flammable materials. This created a static
electricity ignition source, which led to an explosion.
Two workers sustained serious injuries.
www.thesafetymag.com/ca 9
6/10/2020 1:43:01 AM
 UPFRONT

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in a factory assembly or service environment were received and read. It also has a Inventory Management. In the era of
or outdoors in a range of weather conditions. monitoring service that allows the COVID-19, these apps can help
The Aquila range of coated gloves includes user to track global events. Employers employers provide total worker care.
different dips and finishes, such as latex, can be aware of global events that Companies can also integrate the Safe
nitrile and sand — by dipping the whole might affect employees and help take Workplace Dashboard, which allows
glove or just the fingers and palm to achieve action when they need help. Concur employers to collate and display data
a balance between grip and dexterity. Aquila Locate can also provide pre-travel from the app suite. ServiceNow has
gloves are available with flexible but grippy advisories, incident analysis and also announced a partnership with
coatings over the whole glove for grip and reporting, as well as additional Cisco DNA Spaces to enhance contact
liquid protection or just the fingers/palm messages and alerts. If there is an tracing with Wi-Fi-enabled proximity
for lightness and to enable gripping of small emergency, Concur Locate can be used reporting. This will allow customers of
parts. Where larger cables or metal rods, to pinpoint employees’ locations, help both companies to import location-
among others, must be handled in wet, muddy employers communicate with them based data into the ServiceNow
or oily conditions, then a sandy coating is available. and even send help if necessary. Contact tracing app.

10 www.thesafetymag.com/ca

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 STAYSAFE HELPS MANAGE LONE
WORKER SAFETY easy to use low cost

provides companies around the world with a

STAYSAFE
low-cost, easy-to-use solution to manage the safety of
their lone workers. Employees can start a timed session in the app
before they begin a period of lone work or travel. The StaySafe app
gives employers visibility of the location and safety status of lone
workers during a period of lone work or travel and allows them to
check in safely once they have finished this session. If an employee
fails to check-in safely during a session or raises a panic alert in the
app, monitoring agents, either within the organization or at an
external monitoring service, will be immediately alerted. They will
quickly verify the alert and dispatch the appropriate assistance to
the employee.
The new release includes a simplified activation process and
unique in-app interactive training that means new systems can be
up and running in 24 hours if required, and onboarding progress
reports help speed up user acceptance. StaySafe was always an
easy lone worker app to use but now making the app even simpler
for lone worker users with increased usability further ensures
integration into their working day.
The introduction of customizable escalation response
functionality and improved mapping capabilities, including the
use of “what3words” locations, which is becoming a standard for
many emergency response organizations, along with StaySafe’s low
signal technology, means quicker and more accurate responses to
individuals in need of help.
Don Cameron, CEO of StaySafe, says, “The StaySafe app is the easiest-to-use lone
worker solution available today. This new release increases engagement and use by lone
workers and simplifies getting responders to the exact location of an incident quickly.” interactive training

ADDG invests in innovative orthotics

BASF and
Timberland
partner up
BASF’s polyurethane (PU) and
thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) are
key components in the new
Timberland PRO Reaxion safety shoe.
It features Timberland’s proprietary
Aerocore Energy System, fusing
together the comfort and flexibility of
an athletic shoe with the performance
and durability of a work boot. The
Aerocore Energy System is comprised
of three layers: the Anti-Fatigue
Technology footbed, a foam midsole
and a non-marking outsole. The layers
work together to provide superior
energy return, comfort and grip.
BASF’s Elastollan TPU is featured in
the outsole because of its good
anti-abrasion and traction
performance. Elastopan high-rebound
PU foam is used in the midsole and
insole to offer all-day support and
comfort.
eCompliance
expands mobile
app
eCompliance has launched version 7.0
of its mobile app, offering intuitive and
expanded feature capabilities, including
extended language support, faster
system response and a more intuitive
UX design. The eCompliance 7.0 app is
now available in app stores for both
Android and iOS users. This update is
important for all hazardous industries
coping with the impact of COVID-19.
This safety software will help manage
and centralize all safety program
requirements and empower front-line
workers to participate and drive safety
precautions — now available for three
months free. “As the eCompliance safety
solution expands, we always want to
ensure the developments provide our
customers with key updates to make
their workforce safer and easier to
navigate,” says Harish Pandian, director
of product at eCompliance.
YEARS
of research and development by the
Alliance Design & Development Group
(ADDG) have culminated in the creation of
orthotics with arch control technology. SelectFlex
insoles help prevent the many ailments that
often afflict those who work on their feet
all day. SelectFlex PowerController
dynamically lifts the foot into
alignment with the body,
corrects abnormal
pronation and conforms to
individual arch geometry within
three selectable support settings
that can be different for each foot or
type of activity. The PowerLift Arch
suspension system and PowerBeam
arch lifting technology duplicate impact
absorption of spring ligaments and mitigate downward compressive forces and
release energy back to the body throughout the gait cycle.
SelectFlex also features the PowerCup, which holds the heel in a soft durometer
that cushions impact and dissipates walking pressures. The SelectFlex PowerBed
adds three extra layers — a medical-grade ergonomic shell and composite memory
foam footpad, wrapped in an antimicrobial, deodorizing, moisture-wicking,
low-friction fabric cover. SelectFlex offers the workforce population personalized
comfort, pain relief, injury prevention and energy restoration, which translate
into decreased worker’s comp claims, reduced insurance premiums, fewer missed
workdays and higher productivity for employers.

www.thesafetymag.com/ca 11

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 COLUMNS
OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE
ASBESTOS, MOULD:
HOME AND WORK
HAZARDS
Hazard recognition is the key starting point to managing health and
safety risks, whether at home or at work. Two hazards that present
real danger at home or at work are asbestos and mould
asbestos nor mould are new hazards,
NEITHER
but they are both often overlooked
leading to unnecessary exposure and the
associated health risks and concerns of friends,
family and colleagues at work. Exploring these
two hazards, we can be reminded of strategies
for effective hazard control and risk reduction.
Asbestos is commonplace in our homes,
offices and most buildings built before 1995.
Asbestos is a group of minerals that occur
naturally as bundles of fibres. It was once
dubbed the “miracle fibre” for its strength,
insulation properties and ability to resist
corrosion and fire. Asbestos is typically present
at a concentration of one per cent to 80 per cent
in many common construction materials such as
insulation, ceiling tile, floor tiles, texture or
stipple coat and cement board. We now know
asbestos is extremely dangerous if inhaled and
exposure can cause disease and early death.
When an asbestos-containing product is
disturbed, asbestos fibres are released into the
air. Breathing asbestos fibres creates the risk of
developing diseases including asbestosis, lung
cancer and mesothelioma. Asbestosis is a Glyn Jones
buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs that EHS
results in loss of lung function that often Partnerships
progresses to disability and death. Asbestos also
causes cancer of the lung itself and a rare but
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deadly form of cancer of the lung lining, or
pleura, called mesothelioma. This is a fatal
malignant condition that is not treatable.
The control of the asbestos hazard is quite
simple. Assess or survey buildings to determine
which materials contain asbestos and then
minimize the disturbance of these materials.
This requires careful sampling of suspect
materials for analysis in a laboratory. Hire the
services of an industrial hygienist to do this
work. If these materials will likely be impacted
by renovations or site improvements, seek the
advice and input of an industrial hygienist
expert in asbestos management. They can help
ensure a contractor capable and experienced in
handling asbestos can be retained to properly
remove the material before work continues.
Mould is naturally occurring and will grow
anywhere there is moisture or an uncontrolled
water event. A health hazard is created when
water is not controlled and mould is allowed to
grow indoors. This growth is associated with
mould particle production including mould
spores and mould fragments. Scientific research
on the health effects of mould exposure is
ongoing, but some facts are known. The most
common health effects of mould exposure
include allergic reactions, skin or mucous
membrane infections, increased asthma attacks
and skin, eyes, nose and throat irritation.
If left unchecked, mould growth can
cause significant building damage.
Uncontrolled mould growth can eventually
cause structural damage to a wood-framed
building, weakening floors and walls as it
feeds on moist drywall and wooden
structural members.
The control of mould and its associated
health risks involves the control of
moisture. Be on the lookout for water
damage, leaks or excessive moisture, and be
sure to clean up all spills immediately. If
you suspect mould in your workplace, ask
yourself these questions:
• Has there been a recent water event or is
there visible water damage anywhere?
• Are there building materials around that
have been wet for more than a few days?
• Does the building have a history of
moisture issues?
• Are workers complaining of musty,
mouldy smells?
• Is anyone reporting symptoms that could
be associated with mould?
If you answer yes to any of these
questions and are concerned, an industrial
hygienist can test surfaces or the air to
measure for mould.
To help prevent mould at home and in
the workplace, follow these basics tips:
• Repair any plumbing problems
immediately and properly.
• Maintain the building humidity to
between 30 per cent and 60 per cent.
• Regularly inspect the building’s heating,
air conditioning and ventilating systems.
• Manage rain and snow-melt runoff and
ensure adequate drainage is around the
building.
• Vent moisture from human activities
such as cooking and showering directly
outside of the building.
We need to remind our colleagues that
the hazards of asbestos and mould are
commonplace at home and work and that by
following a few simple strategies the hazards
can be controlled. Let us look around our
homes and workplaces and if need be assess
the hazards and implement a well-thought-
out control strategy.
Glyn Jones is a partner at EHS
Partnerships Ltd. in Calgary. He is a
consulting occupational health and safety
professional with 30 years of experience. He
also provides program design and
instructional support to the University of
New Brunswick’s OHS and Leadership
Development certificate programs. He can
be reached at gjones@ehsp.ca or you can
follow him on Twitter at glynjones_ehsp.
6/10/2020 1:45:40 AM
 SAFET Y CULTURE
SETTING GOALS FOR
SAFETY CULTURE
Though potentially not as exciting as some of your holiday plans,
setting meaningful and achievable goals for safety can be a great gift
to both you and your organization, and you don’t even have to worry
about wrapping paper!
is that most wonderful time of the year: the
IT
season for taking pride in our
accomplishments over the past year and getting
ready to celebrate the season and the new year. It
is also the time to set our safety goals and
objectives for the coming year. How is that for
taking the fun out of the season? Setting safety
goals for the coming year is a must, so let us
ensure it is a meaningful exercise with a positive
impact on our safety culture. I am deliberately
going to skip over the inevitable task of setting
the numeric targets for safety results, not
because they are unimportant but rather because
too much effort is already put into these
statistical elements that do little to shape our
culture. Instead, let us take a look at the goals we
may have for ourselves, specifically what can we
do to enhance the safety of our organization and
to enhance our capability as safety leaders.
12-14_COS5805_Columns-SUBBED2.indd 13
The following is a compilation of goals I have
found especially effective in my career as a safety
professional. Bear in mind, these goals were
certainly not all from the same year, as that would
have been overwhelming and unachievable. A few
of my favorite “help the organization” goals over
the course of my career have looked something
like this:
• Schedule a one-on-one personal meeting
with every division/department manager for a
formal safety discussion. These meetings turned
out to be an excellent way of getting managers to
think about their influence on the safety culture of
their division or department and helped them set
their goals for safety as well.
• Work directly with (insert manager’s name
here) on their impact on safety. This goal was
reserved for the influential individuals in the
organization that inadvertently were
undermining the safety culture.
• Improve the incident investigation
process to ensure a more balanced assessment
of incident causes. This goal was aimed at
reducing the blame on individual workers
when the management systems were at the
root of the incidents.
• Spend 20% of my time directly assisting
(insert mentee’s names) so they can become
more independent on managing safety in their
area. Every plan should have goals related to
the development of people.
• Remove 10 redundant standards from the
safety management system, a goal focused on
efficiencies.
• Meet at least once with the OH&S officer
(or other safety regulator) for your company’s
location. Depending on your position in the
organization, you may want to meet with the
more senior officials such as district OH&S
managers or the OH&S/WCB specialists for
your specific industry.
My “improve Dave” goals that would make
me a better safety professional have included
objectives such as the following:
• Instruct at least five management-level
safety training sessions. Practice makes perfect
was the theory of this goal.
• Meet with (insert your safety mentor’s
name here) to validate my model and theory
on (insert your key safety project here). We do
need to be creative and innovative in safety,
but bouncing ideas off a mentor will ensure
they are effective and aligned with good safety
management principles.
• Apply mindfulness techniques at the
incident review meetings. I had identified that
these meetings triggered negative reactions in
me, and I needed to handle them better. What
is your trigger? Do you have a plan to address
it?
• Attend three Canadian Society of Safety
Engineering (or your go-to safety organization)
meetings or lunch-and-learn sessions. Our
own professional development and keeping up
with the latest safety practices is a great way of
helping both ourselves and our organizations.
• Expand formal safety network by at least
five people. I have learned through my years in
safety that I could not be an expert in every
aspect of safety but I did need to know who the
experts were.
• Learn more about why people take risks
and research the concepts of risk tolerance. We
all need at least one goal that is going to push
the limits of our personal and collective
knowledge as safety leaders.
Achieving these goals will give you all a
meaningful present to open this time next
year.
DAVE
FENNELL Dave Fennell is an independent safety
Safety consultant and motivational speaker based
consultant in Cochrane, Alta. He can be reached at
djfsafe1@telus.net or visit www.
davefennellsafety.com for more information.
www.thesafetymag.com/ca 13
6/10/2020 1:46:19 AM
 COLUMN
LEG AL L ANDSCAPE
COVID-19: THE RISKS
OF REPORTING
Workplaces are facing tough decisions amid the ongoing pandemic.
Loretta Bouwmeester of law firm Mathews Dinsdale explains the risky
intersection between OHS COVID-19-related reporting and potential
WCB claims.
tigers and bears — oh my! That may
LIONS,
make you think of a journey on a yellow
brick road and ruby slippers. COVID-19 is likewise
a journey — but there are no ruby slippers to click
three times and go back to where we were. Our
journey is also likely to last much longer than
Loretta Dorothy’s. Conservatively, we are likely to still be
Bouwmeester dealing with COVID-19 as a potential workplace
Partner, hazard for another year or more, vaccine or no
Mathews vaccine. Some parts of the journey are frightening,
and all are happening on a twisty road with
Dinsdale & Clark
unknowns around the corner. Part of effectively
managing the risk on that twisty road is
understanding how reporting a COVID-19 infection
for a worker can have both workers’ compensation
and occupational health implications.
AHS, OHS, WCB, CMOH, CDC — oh my!
Those “initialisms” stand for Alberta Health
Services, Occupational Health and Safety, the
Workers’ Compensation Board, the Chief
Medical Officer of Health and the Centre for
Disease Control in Alberta. Each of these
bodies typically has counterparts in every
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province and territory in Canada and at the
provincial/territorial and federal jurisdictional
levels. As a safety professional working with
an employer, it is key to understand who your
regulators are, what authority they have over
the work that you do and how they intersect
with each other. This is especially important as
their powers under their respective legislation
vary. One body cannot give the other powers
or, in effect, “deputize” them. AHS can
legitimately ask for broader information from
an individual when they are doing contact
tracing, such as who that person lives with and
how they get to work, than an employer can or
should for OHS reporting purposes.
We say “oh my” as you will almost certainly
hear from all of these bodies or their
counterparts outside of Alberta if you are
dealing with an outbreak. Just five cases
amounts to an outbreak at a worksite in
Alberta, which is not a high threshold on a
large worksite. This is particularly true when
considering the reality of community
transmission and that many people interact
with others extensively outside of work. It
is possible in theory that an employer could
have an outbreak based on numbers, but
the infections did not arise in the course of
work and are not workplace related.
That leads to the key issue of OHS and
WCB reporting. In our experience, both
want employers to report every COVID-19
infection as a “near-miss” or incident and as
a potential claim. However, the applicable
legislation does not support that approach
in all instances. As an employer, if you
concede to workplace infections when the
facts or circumstances do not support that
conclusion, you put your organization at risk
for OHS regulatory action (including
demands for information, orders and even
an administrative penalty or prosecution).
On the WCB side, if you report the
infections as workplace infections when they
are not, you unnecessarily risk the cost
implications of a claim in some jurisdictions.
In Alberta, WCB has stated that it will not
assess COVID-19-related claims individually
against the employer but on an industry-wide
basis*. Where there is an outbreak, they have
also directed an employer to report all
positive cases. While premiums may still be
negatively affected, the impact will likely be
less severe than if they were individually
assessed. In Ontario, COVID-19-related
claims are also assessed on a “schedule” basis
(like industry rating) rather than an
individual basis. Nova Scotia is not assessing
any COVID-19-related claims costs against
the employer or its industry.
If an employer is inconsistent in
reporting for OHS and WCB purposes, this
creates a real challenge. Stating in a
reporting document that a COVID-19-
related claim is workplace related for one
regulator and not another creates a need to
explain, which typically leads to suspicion
and could be used as evidence of
inconsistent statements for regulatory
enforcement purposes. So, before
reporting, reflect. Only reflect after first
working, in a privacy compliant way, to
understand how and where the infection
arose. If an employer fails to do so, it puts
the organization at unnecessary risk.
*At the time of writing, on Sept 16.
Loretta Bouwmeester is a partner in Mathews
Dinsdale & Clark’s occupational health and
safety and workers’ compensation practice in
Calgary. She has close to 15 years of
experience representing employers in British
Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest
Territories. She can be reached at (403)
538-5042 or lbouwmeester@
mathewsdinsdale.com or visit
www.mathewsdinsdale.com for more
information.
6/10/2020 1:46:46 AM

ONE SIZE FITS
ALL?
This issue’s PPE focus centres around protective clothing
for women — or lack thereof. With an increasing number
of reports of female workers struggling with ill-fitting PPE,
COS takes a closer look at this essential topic
WOMEN IN 'NON-TRADITIONAL' One of the first conversations I
ONE
FIELDS IN CANADA had when I started writing for
COS was with Stephanie Benay,
chairperson of the Women in
Occupational Health and Safety Society
(WOHSS) and one of the cover stars of
our May/June issue. When I asked her
about issues facing women in the OHS
12.1% sector today, she mentioned PPE. At the
Construction time, she said that “having PPE that fits
you properly and is comfortable is
critical to being able to do your job.”
The issue struck me at the time as it
is one that — I am ashamed to admit
— I had never really thought about.
21.6% And, indeed, this topic has arisen more
Manufacturing, durables and more in the last few months
whenever speaking with female OHS
professionals. The main issue is the fit
of protective clothing, which for many
still doesn’t take into account the fact
that workers come in all shapes and
17.7%
Mining, quarrying and
sizes. This lack of proper consideration
seems to strongly affect female workers.
oil and gas extraction
What are the dangers?
An article published in the American
Journal of Industrial Medicine in 2016
entitled “Access to properly fitting
personal protective equipment for
23.5% female construction workers”
Transportation highlights the difficulties that notably
and warehousing female construction workers face with
regards to access and fit of protective
clothing, including gloves, harnesses,
safety vests, work boots, outwear, etc.
The authors of the article found that,
24.5% generally, equipment provided to
Utilities female workers was too large. The
study also noted that female workers
faced other issues, such as having to
Source: www.catalyst.org/ based on 2019 Statistics Canada figures
(Numbers by industry and total employed — per cent women)
purchase their own PPE or being
exposed to health and safety hazards
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stemming from ill-fitting protective
clothing.
On the topic of PPE for women in
construction, the Canadian Centre for
Occupational Health and Safety
(CCOHS) states: “All workers have a
right to a safe workplace. PPE designed
for the dimensions of an average male
worker means that female workers may
be forced to rely on gear that is too large
or disproportioned. From headwear to
footwear, ill-fitting PPE can cause safety
hazards, reduced dexterity from
oversized gloves, hard hats that fall off,
baggy coveralls catching on equipment,
and trips and falls because footwear or
“PPE designed for the dimensions
of an average male worker means
that female workers may be forced
to rely on gear that is too large or
disproportioned.”
CCOHS
shoe covers are too large.”
And “by recognizing the physical
differences between genders, employers
can show support for female workers in
construction by treating them fairly.
This can also support the changing
construction workplace culture as more
women enter the industry,” according to
the CCOHS.
Some revealing statistics
In April, British trade union Prospect
FE AT URE
revealed the results of a study it
conducted on PPE. The study
highlighted that the most glaring issues
arose with regards to protective
clothing such as overalls, jackets and
trousers. For example, the study found
that for trousers, 16.6 per cent of male
respondents said that their trousers
didn’t fit well, while 48.5 per cent of
women surveyed said that they didn’t
fit well. The study raised similar
numbers for overalls: 15.3 per cent of
males surveyed said that their overalls
didn’t fit well, while 44.7 per cent of
female participants said that they
didn’t fit well.
In addition, Prospect asked
whether the PPE respondents wear is
designed for men or women. Of the
male respondents, 54.4 per cent said
that PPE was made for men, 0.4 per
cent responded that it was designed
for women and 45.1 per cent said that
they didn’t know. Meanwhile, 64.7 per
cent of female respondents said that
their PPE was designed for men, 15.9
per cent said that it was made for
women and 19.5 per cent said that
they didn’t know.
In 2016, a survey conducted by,
among others, Prospect and the Trades
Union Congress (TUC), found that 57
per cent of women who took part said
that their PPE sometimes or
significantly hampered their work. The
survey also found that only 29 per cent
of female respondents said that the
PPE they use is specifically designed
for women.
At an event hosted by WOHSS in
November 2019, COS spoke with
Lee-Anne Lyon-Bartley, director at
large of WOHSS, who said, “As women,
we do wear bras, and this is not
something men are going to think about
and that underwire could become a risk
and a hazard. So, you need to make sure
that you’re not wearing undergarments
that have underwires because it does
add an additional risk if you have to
wear fire-rated clothing.”
www.thesafetymag.com/ca 15
6/10/2020 1:47:45 AM
 FE AT URE
She continued, “It’s called personal
protective equipment — the first word is
personal — and we’ve got to remember
it’s got to fit the person. For example,
women have hips and we want clothing
that is going to fit us and not be so
vertical. We want clothing that is going
to be able to conform to our shape.”
Manufacturers play a large part
In 2006, the Ontario Women’s
Directorate (OWD) and the Industrial
Accident Prevention Association (IAPA)
published a report entitled “Personal
Protective Equipment for Women
— Addressing the Need.” The report
2020 GENDER AND PPE STATISTICS
48.5%
of women reported ill-fitting
trousers, compared with 16.6
per cent of men
44.7%
of women reported poorly
fitting overalls, compared with
15.3 per cent of men
21.5%
of women reported ill-fitting eye
protection, compared with
13.5 per cent of men
15.7%
of women reported poorly fitting
respiratory equipment, compared
with 7 per cent of men
13.8%
of women reported problems
with ear protection, compared
with 7.6 per cent of men
Source: 2020 Prospect survey of 1,175 workers
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raised a number of questions on the
availability and use of PPE for women.
The report details the crucial role
manufacturers play in providing
adequate protective clothing to workers,
and notably female workers.
One of the report’s conclusions is
that there is still very little
communication around product
availability. “While several
manufacturers have begun to address
the PPE needs of women, few have
marketed their products in an
aggressive way. And yet, there is a
market out there: In the
manufacturer’s survey results, those
who advertised their products in
women’s sizes realized outstanding
sales revenues. However, this fact
seems little known,” says the report.
Nevertheless, the report does
indicate that around 75 per cent of
manufacturers and suppliers surveyed
had seen an increase in the previous
three years for requests for PPE in
women’s sizes or size ranges that would
be suitable for women.
One common mistake manufacturers
and sellers make with regards to
protective clothing for women is
thinking that appropriate clothing for
“It’s called personal protective
equipment … and we’ve got to
remember it’s got to fit the person …
We want clothing that is going to be
able to conform to our shape.”
Lee-Anne Lyon-Bartley, WOHSS
female workers means simply providing
an option in the colour pink — or in
colourways that are regarded as being
more traditionally “feminine.”
Nevertheless, this way of thinking seems
to be on its way out, with a number of
PPE and protective clothing
manufacturers branching out into
apparel for female workers.
Furthermore, there are a host of vendors
and manufacturers who specialize
entirely in clothing for women workers
such as Safety Girl, Charm and
Hammer, Covergalls or See Her Work.
There is also a need to focus on
providing apparel for women who are
pregnant, women with disabilities and
women of different ethnicities or faiths
who may need certain accommodations.
However, there are brands looking to
counter these deficiencies by providing
a more inclusive range of protective
clothing. For example, U.S.-based PPE
brand AmorSui has started selling the
the Rufaida Al-Aslamia hijab, a model
that is specifically designed for women
in STEM and health care who wear
hijabs or headscarves. The hijab is
fire-resistant and anti-microbial.
A closer look at women in health care
According to Statistics Canada, women
make up a large part of the health-care
profession. In 2016, Statistics Canada
reported that women in the health-care
sector made up 52 per cent of general
practitioners and family physicians, 72
per cent of psychologists, 61 per cent of
pharmacists, 87 per cent of social
workers, 79 per cent of
physiotherapists, 89 per cent of
licensed practical nurses and 90 per
cent of registered nurses and registered
psychiatric nurses.
This is important to note, as health
care as a profession is largely dominated
by women — especially in long-term
care, which has been hit particularly
hard by the ongoing pandemic. Around
17 per cent of health-care workers in
Canada have contracted the virus; the
percentage has been relatively steady
since the start of the outbreak.
Professor Jim Brophy of the
University of Windsor says there are
certain industries in which women are
not seen, “and because they’re not
visible, and because of the nature and
stratification of our workforce —
which is reinforced by gender — their
voices are lacking in power or just
simply ignored.”
Brophy co-authored a chapter in Sick
of the System: Why the COVID-19
recovery must be revolutionary
alongside Jane E. McArthur and
Margaret M. Keith entitled “Novel
Virus, Old Story,” which discusses the
impact of the current pandemic on
those working in the health-care sector.
“Firefighters wouldn't be expected to
go into a fire with the kinds of
protections that health-care workers
were expected to go into COVID units
with,” says Brophy.
Much has been made in recent
months of shortages of PPE, notably
N95 respirators, among health-care
workers. COVID-19 has brought to light
many uncomfortable truths, one of
those being the lack of PPE for
health-care workers and the fact that,
even if available, limited models may
not be suitable for different face shapes,
notably women’s faces.
“My understanding is that they
actually do have a smaller size [of N95
masks]. I think there's two sizes, which
are supposed to account for the different
sizes of people's faces, including the
difference between a male face and a
female face,” says Brophy. “But I don't
think I have heard of any health-care
workers in Ontario being given different
choices on face size. And I don't think
6/10/2020 1:48:17 AM

that there's been any such thing about
the N95 being specifically constructed
for women in the first instance or
accounted for differences in women's
faces. And that's in an industry where
the vast majority of frontline workers
are women.”
Aside from health care, Brophy says,
in other industries that are female
dominated such as food production or
teaching, what level of protection will be
provided to those workers? “Where
women predominate and make up a
substantial portion of the workforce,
their levels of protection will be many
times less than what would be
comparable in areas where men are a
majority,” he says.
Conversely, in industries that are
traditionally male dominated such as
construction, Brophy says that women
seem to be expected to be exactly like
their male counterparts with regards to
their protective equipment and
clothing needs. Many hazardous or
high-risk sectors are male-dominated.
Statistic Canada’s Labour Force report
indicates that, in 2019, there were a
total of 182,000 women in the
construction sector out of a total
workforce of 1.463 million.
Conscious or unconscious bias?
Ill-fitting protective clothing is
dangerous for any worker, so why is this
only recently becoming a concern for
women? In her 2019 book, Invisible
Women: Data Bias in a World Designed
15-17_COS5805_Feature1_Protective Clothing-SUBBED.indd 17
for Men, author and feminist advocate
Caroline Criado Perez says data exists
that proves women may have smaller
hands than men. She writes:
“There is plenty of data showing that
women have, on average, smaller hands
than men, and yet we continue to design
equipment around the average male
hand as if one-size-fits-men is the same
size as one-size-fits-all. This one-size-
“Because they’re not visible, and
because of the nature and stratification
of our workforce — which is reinforced
by gender — their voices are lacking in
power or just simply ignored.”
Jim Brophy, University of Windsor
fits-men approach to supposedly
gender-neutral products is
disadvantaging women.”
The examples are broadly about
pianists and tech objects such as
smartphones or tablets, but one could
potentially apply this to PPE — notably
gloves in this case. And this is just one
small example of gender bias in design.
Whether you agree with Criado Perez
or not, sexism and gender biases could
be a potential explanation behind why
protective clothing for women
continues to be ill-fitting, and this is
certainly an uncomfortable idea with
which to wrestle.
Brophy says that lack of properly
fitting protective clothing could be
because of the patriarchal structure of
our society and the level of power men
have to wield their influence in the
decision-making process in the
workplace and within society as a whole.
Speaking specifically about the
health-care sector, Brophy says, “You
can’t disconnect the violence in health
care, which is an epidemic, to the
disconnect between the violence against
women in society, which is an epidemic.
It’s really connected how both those
things happen. Why is it that women …
are most likely to be victimized both in
the work environment and in society?
And why can’t they get proper levels of
protection? Why would their level of
protection be lesser?”
More innocently, the dearth of
properly fitting clothing for female
workers could simply be employers and
manufacturers trying to catch up to a
rapidly-evolving workplace, one in
which female workers are increasingly
entering less “traditional” work
environments.
In any case, be it a conscious or
unconscious bias, women need to be
afforded access to properly fitting
protective clothing.
Where do we go from here?
Women in both male-dominated and,
surprisingly, female-dominated
professions seem to be facing this issue.
With the current pandemic reshaping
every aspect of our work lives, we could
see a push in a positive direction as
COVID-19 has brought to light the lack
of adequate PPE in the health-care
sector – and in many other sectors.
Indeed, as we have seen earlier, there
is an increasing market for female
protective clothing — but the supply
needs to match the demand.
The OWD and IAPA report on PPE
for women concludes with a list of
how women who wear PPE can be
more effective. One recommendation
was to be vocal about one’s needs and
increase participation in decision-
making such as joint health and safety
committees. But the report doesn’t
place the onus entirely on women to
act, and enjoins governments,
manufacturers, standards agencies,
employers, unions, etc. to act and
listen to female voices.
There are initiatives around the
world that are beginning to focus on
this issue. For example, in 2016, the
United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe (UNECE) launched its
Gender Responsive Standards Initiative.
This initiative aims to provide a path for
standards bodies to develop standards
and technical regulations that are
gender responsive.
Ultimately, though, access to properly
fitting protective clothing perhaps needs
to be refocused as a worker issue rather
than a gender issue, because when it
comes to the health and safety of each
and every worker, there should be no
excuses and no exceptions.
www.thesafetymag.com/ca 17
6/10/2020 1:48:42 AM
 FE AT URE
KNOW YOUR STUFF:
SAFETY DATA SHEETS
Safety Data Sheets are an integral part of chemical safety. Nevertheless,
workplaces may face challenges when utilizing them. Here is what you need
to know and what you can do to ensure effective usage of SDSs
workplaces, in some way, have
MOST
to grapple with chemical
safety, from chemical plants that may
handle hundreds if not thousands of
chemicals a day to less obvious
contenders such as beauty salons (e.g.,
nail technicians are in contact with a
host of hazardous substances such as
glues and polishes). As such, chemical
safety is a concern for most workers.
Nevertheless, there is so much data
surrounding chemicals that it can be
difficult to keep track. This is where
Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) come in.
What are Safety Data Sheets?
An SDS is a “standardized document
that provides detailed information
about the hazards of a chemical or
mixture, along with instructions on
how to mitigate those hazards or
respond to an accident,” says Brian
McFadden, a technical writer and
compliance specialist with Graphic
Products.“It’s meant to answer the
questions ‘What is this stuff?’ and
18 www.thesafetymag.com/ca
18-21_COS5805_Feature2_Safety Data Sheets-SUBBED2.indd 18
‘What do I need to do to stay safe?’”
“From my perspective, the Safety
Data Sheet is really the best source of
information for anyone who is looking
“The supplier gives you information,
but the employer still has to take that
information and understand how to
apply it in their workplace based on
how they're using the product, what
mitigation measures they have available.”
Rob Hallsworth, Rillea Technologies
to learn about the chemical product,”
says Lisa Hallsworth, CEO of Rillea
Technologies.
Hallsworth explains that it is
produced to share information with
essentially anyone who may come in
contact with the chemical product, be
it the end user, medical staff,
emergency responders, etc. SDSs are
compliant with WHMIS 2015 and are
built according to very strict criteria for
the information shared in the SDS.
“The SDS is a standardized
document created by the suppliers that
gives you the information that you
need … There's lots of technical
information in there that the average
person is not going to understand, but
the real core information, the hazard
information is in terms I think every
person can understand,” says Rob
Hallsworth, COO of Rillea
Technologies.
He adds that an SDS does not
provide workplace-specific
instructions.
“The supplier gives you information,
but the employer still has to take that
information and understand how to
apply it in their workplace based on
how they're using the product, what
mitigation measures they have
available and how they want to protect
their employees.”
Some people feel like the SDS
should tell you everything that you
need to know about the use of a
chemical in your workplace, says R.
Hallsworth, and it doesn’t. It is up to
employers to decide how workers
should safely handle that product in
their workplace.
“While the SDS is beneficial to all
users of chemical products, they are
legally required by employers handling
hazardous products,” says L.
Hallsworth.
Supplier labelling and SDS
requirements are set out under the
Hazardous Products Act (HPA), which
is a federal act. Since occupational
health and safety falls under provincial
legislation, each Canadian province has
adopted WHMIS 2015.
McFadden says the SDS is part of a
broader system created by the United
Nations (UN) that aims to improve
chemical safety. The system, entitled
Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labelling of
Chemicals (also known as GHS), is an
international project.
As the world becomes more and
more interconnected, it became
imperative for there to be a unified
framework that prevents confusion or
miscommunication over chemical
safety.
“GHS starts by classifying the
hazards of a chemical with objective
data and metrics, so that users can
agree on exactly what the hazards are,”
says McFadden. “Then, the chemical is
described with a standardized
document (the SDS) to provide an
accessible record with detailed
information. Finally, each container of
the chemical is labelled with
6/10/2020 1:49:39 AM
 standardized elements to ensure that
the critical details will always be
available to workers who handle that
chemical.”
In Canada, the Workplace
Hazardous Materials Information
System (WHMIS) is aligned with GHS.
The GHS is part of national legislation
in more than 70 countries. WHMIS is
Canada’s national hazard
communication standard. The new
WHMIS, entitled WHMIS 2015,
integrates the GHS. The previous
system is known as WHMIS 1988.
Each worksite needs an SDS for
each hazardous material present at that
site — they need to be easily accessible
when needed.
An SDS contains 16 sections:
material identification; hazard(s)
identification; composition
information; first aid measures;
firefighting measures; accidental
release measures; handling and
storage; exposure controls and
personal protection; physical and
chemical properties; stability and
reactivity; toxicological information;
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18-21_COS5805_Feature2_Safety Data Sheets-SUBBED2.indd 19
ecological information; disposal
considerations; transport information;
regulatory information; and other
information. Ecological information,
disposal considerations and transport
information are non-mandatory.
What is the purpose of an SDS and
who needs it?
An SDS provides “enough information
so employers can take the necessary
measures to protect workers,” says R.
Hallsworth.
“There are now over 150 million
different chemicals in existence. There
is no way anyone can understand the
properties and hazards of each one,” he
says.
So, who needs it? “If you have
hazardous products, you need Safety
Data Sheets,” says R. Hallsworth.
He mentions that some workplaces
will have 50 sheets, while others will
have more than 50,000!
Generally speaking, says McFadden,
you need an SDS for any chemical
mixture that is present in the
workplace, classified as “hazardous”
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under applicable regulations and not
WHAT IS WHMIS 2015?
specifically exempt from the
requirements.
“Let’s say you’ve found a chemical
that meets those criteria, and you need
 Workplace Hazardous
Materials Information System
to find or create an SDS for it. How do (WHMIS) 2015 replaces the
you begin? There’s an easy answer 1988 legislation
here: You can get the document you
need from the same place you got the
chemical itself,” says McFadden.
 It is aligned with the Globally
Harmonized System of
He says chemical suppliers are Classification and Labelling of
legally obligated to provide a complete Chemicals (GHS)
and accurate SDS for each hazardous
chemical they produce or import and,
in fact, many suppliers make their
 Health Canada is the governing
body responsible for the overall
SDSs available online. On the other WHMIS supplier-related laws
hand, if it is your organization
producing the chemical materials, then  WHMIS is additionally
regulated in the workplace
it is your organization’s responsibility
to produce an SDS that describes it. by provincial, territorial and
“Chemical products are very much federal governments under
existing OHS legislation
integrated with and really critical to
our lives as we know it today,” says L.
Hallsworth. “For the most part,  Suppliers and employers must
use and follow WHMIS 2015 for
chemicals developed by the chemical
labels and SDSs
industry are tools used to make things
possible, easier, cheaper, last longer, Source: CCOHS
perform better, etc. Examples are glues,
www.thesafetymag.com/ca 19
6/10/2020 1:50:06 AM
 FE AT URE

KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER

ABOUT SAFETY DATA SHEETS

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

is a standardized document
that contains information on
the hazards of a chemical or
mixture and information on
product safety

SDSs should be compliant with

WHMIS 2015

The SDS should be provided

by the supplier of the product
and has to be easily accessible
when needed

An SDS contains 16 sections,

including composition,
handling and hazard(s)
identification

coatings, plastic and aluminum coated
packaging, cement, insulation,
disinfectants, cleaners, pesticides,
herbicides, drugs, etc.
“And yet,” she says, “they present
hazards and, like COVID-19, the
hazards can often be undetected by the
human body. So, the only way to know
about them is to get educated about
those hazards. To me, that is the
purpose of the SDS.”
Why are SDSs so important?
“Without the SDS, GHS doesn’t have a
reliable way to make sure information
about a chemical is available to the
recipients of that chemical. The details
need to be written down or they’ll be
lost,” says McFadden.
He says there are so many details to
manage that they’ll never fit on a singer
container label — which is why a
longer document is necessary.
Furthermore, McFadden says, “to make
that document useful, it has to have a
logical and consistent format. That’s
why the SDS is such a key component
of the GHS system: It bridges the gap
between suppliers and recipients, as
well as the gap between classification
and labelling.”
L. Hallsworth says they're really very
important because it's the only way for
people to understand the potential
hazards to workers and the planet.
“It is impossible for suppliers to give
specific guidance about how a chemical
product is to be used because every
workplace has different engineering
controls such as ventilation and available
PPE for workers.”
Lisa Hallsworth, Rillea Technologies
“Nobody can look at a chemical and
identify the hazards,” says R.
Hallsworth. “There's too many
chemicals. Our senses are not reliable
indicators of the hazards. Some things
you can smell. But they're not
dangerous. Some things you can't smell
and they are dangerous. Sometimes,
the hazard only appears under certain
conditions.”
Furthermore, R. Hallsworth says,
the hazard may not appear until many
years later; for example, occupational
diseases. So, one won’t know until
decades later that they’ve been
exposed. This is why you have to
identify the hazards, he says.
“With the new version [WHMIS
2015], the terminology is really clear.
So, if I said to you ‘this product may
cause cancer,’ you understand what
that means. You don't need a doctor or
somebody to interpret it for you,” says
R. Hallsworth. “So, it's not just that
they identify hazards, but they do it in
a way that the average person can
understand.”
He also points out that SDSs will
also tell you when products aren’t
hazardous.
“We have heard many times people
say ‘SDSs are a waste of time, we have
them for white out, plant food,
markers, etc.’ There is a catch-22 with
SDSs,” says R. Hallsworth. “The only
way to confirm a product is not
hazardous is to read the SDS. If it is
not hazardous, it still makes sense to
keep the SDS in case a question comes
up in the future. In an average
organization, 1/3 of the SDSs are not
hazardous. The challenge is to get
people to see the hazards identified in
the other products and focus on
them.”

20 www.thesafetymag.com/ca

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 What are the challenges created
by SDSs?
L. Hallsworth points out the
“‘information Tsunami’ — a supplier
must update an SDS within 90 days of
becoming aware of relevant information
that may affect the way a chemical
should be handled. Managing the
changing SDSs, regulations, worker
turnover, worker health is a challenge.”
“The volume of information found in
a collection of SDSs is overwhelming. A
typical workplace has in excess of 100
SDSs. To give an idea of the volume,
consider that an SDS averages 12 pages
in length. So, 100 SDSs is 1,200 pages of
documentation. That is a lot of reading,”
says R. Hallsworth.
L. Hallsworth says employers may
often not connect hazards identified in
WHMIS with the requirements of the
provincial occupational health and
safety acts. Furthermore, employers
may suffer from a “bystander effect” as
a result of the lack of clarity about the
role of the SDS.
“Many employers believe that
COMPLETE CATALOG
18-21_COS5805_Feature2_Safety Data Sheets-SUBBED2.indd 21
suppliers have included all information
needed for workers to use the product
safety and that workers will read the
SDS,” says L. Hallsworth, but “it is
impossible for suppliers to give specific
“The keystone in the arch of GHS
implementation is training. All your
classification and documentation efforts
don’t mean much if your people don’t
understand what they’re reading or why
it matters.”
Brian McFadden, Graphic Products
guidance about how a chemical
product is to be used because every
workplace has different engineering
controls such as ventilation and
available PPE for workers.”
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Furthermore, she says that “reading
SDSs is time consuming and even with
WHMIS education, the average worker
does not feel competent to take on the
task. They just expect the employer to
tell them how the hazards can affect
them and how to use the product safely
(i.e., chemical-specific training).”
In addition, R. Hallsworth says that
too many products are not covered by
uline.ca
the HPA or WHMIS regulations. This
can include products such as
pesticides, explosives, drugs, etc. The
result of this, he says, is that the
information provided by these
suppliers is not in the same format or
may lack the clarity of an SDS.
“The two big challenges that we’ve
seen in the adoption of the SDS format
are SDS collection and training,” says
McFadden. “The keystone in the arch
of GHS implementation is training. All
your classification and documentation
efforts don’t mean much if your people
don’t understand what they’re reading
or why it matters.”
McFadden says workers and
employers need to be trained to
understand both chemical hazards and
the GHS approach to classifying and
documenting these hazards.
Ultimately, McFadden says, “the
system doesn’t rely on people
memorizing all the details — but it
does rely on people knowing where to
look to find the answers to their
questions.”
www.thesafetymag.com/ca 21
6/10/2020 1:51:06 AM
 PEOPLE

INDUSTRY PROFILE

ENGAGING, EDUCATING
First, musculoskeletal injuries (or MSDs)
with the ergonomic risk inherent to the
industry, followed by injuries related to
machine guarding, such as getting caught,

AND EMPOWERING
struck by or pulled in machines. Last,
slips at the same level round out the top
three for the sector.
This is consistent whether you work
in the food industry or in other

ORGANIZATIONS
COS recently touched base with Lisa McGuire, CEO and founder
of the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC, who shared her
organization’s goals and the challenges currently faced by
the manufacturing sector
Manufacturing Safety Alliance of
THE
BC was founded in December
2007 by Lisa McGuire. Initially, the
organization was named the BC Food
Processors Health and Safety Council; it
was changed to its current name in 2016.
McGuire founded the Alliance after
previously having experience helping
individual organizations build effective
health and safety programs. “I
recognized the challenges companies
endured with occupational and health
and safety,” she says, “and I wanted to
make a difference.” Her experience led
McGuire to “see success not only in
managing risk but also in building teams
MANUFACTURING SAFETY ALLIANCE
KEY FACTS
When?
Founded in 1988
What?
Health and safety association
for manufacturers and
food processors in B.C.
Who?
Lisa McGuire is the CEO and
founder of the organization
Core values are trust and respect,
integrity, care, leadership and
commitment
Source: Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC
within an organization to reduce injuries
and create a positive work culture.”
What is the aim of the Alliance?
The aim of the non-profit organization is
to help B.C. manufacturers and food
processors build and certify safety
programs. The Alliance is WorkSafeBC’s
certifying partner for the Occupational
Safety Standard of Excellence (OSSE),
which is the health and safety
Certification of Recognition (COR) for
manufacturers in B.C.
McGuire has a background in
agricultural science and safety. Through
her experience working with food
processors, she recognized the need for
health and safety support for the
industry. “They were having a lot of
challenges and a high injury rate, with
more than seven out of 100 being
injured every year,” she says.
The organization started as a
committee “and, over time, created the
connections and outreach to garner
support,” says McGuire. From there, the
Alliance doubled its membership beyond
food to serve manufacturing industries.
Ultimately, the organization’s goal is
“to make a difference in the lives of
people employed in the manufacturing
sector by bringing workers home to their
families safely. A dedicated team serves
industry to do just that, providing help
and support in the area of health and
safety,” she says. This includes building
tools, resources and training as well as
providing onsite advisory help.
Ultimately, this will help those in need
build effective programs to protect their
people, reduce costs and build
sustainable organizations, McGuire says.
“Our vision,” she says, “is to partner
with influential leaders to positively
change workplace cultures, generating
commitment for healthy and safe
manufacturing in B.C.”
This is accomplished “by engaging,
educating and empowering our
members,” says McGuire. “The
innovative health and safety programs,
services and tools we develop support
“Our vision is to partner with influential
leaders to positively change workplace
cultures, generating commitment for
healthy and safe manufacturing in B.C.”
Lisa McGuire
industry success and make a difference
in workers’ lives. At the end of the day,
it’s people at the end of those statistics.”
And the results are certainly there:
McGuire says that there has been a
significant reduction in injury rates over
time. Looking between 2010 and 2018,
for example, 4,367 workers were able to
go home safely as a result of avoided time
loss injuries in B.C. “If our members had
continued operating the same way they
were in 2010, more than 4,000 injuries
would have occurred,” she explains.
“These results are an important
accomplishment for industry and we are
very proud of them.”
What are the main issues the food
and manufacturing sectors are
facing?
There are three primary injury types
where we see the most injuries in the food
and manufacturing fields, says McGuire.
manufacturing industries, she says.
These types of injurious can be
serious, causing time loss and
sometimes long-term impacts on the
well-being of workers.
Mental health is another important
consideration, McGuire says. “In the
past, we looked at individuals who
suffered a workplace injury, largely
considering the impact to physical
health, but every injury includes a
mental component as well. “There is
work to be done, she notes, on how we
incorporate both when we are
considering the impact and recovery
for injuries.”
Especially now with the pandemic,
mental health is a concern, says
McGuire. “Uncertainty surrounding the
virus creates anxiety. It is mentally
challenging for many and for some more
than others. Building a mental health
strategy and programs that integrate
with a manufacturer’s OHS management
system is an important objective for the
Alliance,” she says.
Everything works together, says
McGuire. “The workplace culture is a
reflection of how health and safety
comes alive — through the interactions
of people following safe practices. That’s
why we work to impact culture. A health
and safety program should not reside on
a shelf but be a living, breathing way of
life,” she says.
What can businesses and
organizations do to mitigate the
pandemic?
“Implementing an exposure control
plan or COVID-19 safety plan allows
organizations to operate while reducing
the opportunity for transmission,” says
McGuire.” An effective plan requires

22 www.thesafetymag.com/ca

22-23_COS5805_Industry Profile-SUBBED.indd 22 6/10/2020 1:51:53 AM


Lisa McGuire, CEO and founder of the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC
assessing risks, implementing controls,
policies and effective communication
plans, training staff and continuing to
monitor to ensure the plan is working
effectively.
“Leadership plays a critical role.
Actions and decisions that consider the
well-being of the workforce build trust,”
says McGuire. It is that trust “that allows
a company to adapt quickly to this
changing, unknown landscape — to
thrive as opposed to survive,” she says.
“Regular, clear communication is
another essential ingredient, ensuring
workers understand the changing
environment and have a clear pathway
to raise concerns, “McGuire says. “The
joint health and safety committee
plays a critical role in building the
safety plan and communicating with
staff. Use them as a critical resource
for the organization.”
According to McGuire, “Knowledge is
22-23_COS5805_Industry Profile-SUBBED.indd 23
powerful. It really helps all of us
understand better what to do when
something happens.” She says it’s
important to address negative
assumptions and questions early.
In addition, she notes, it is crucial to
incorporate mental health strategies for
those who need additional help, ensuring
that the organization is equipped to
provide these services.
“There’s been a lot of conversations
around how we are preparing our
business for a second wave,” says
McGuire. “From what Dr. Bonnie Henry
has shared with us in B.C., it is not a
matter of if but when, recognizing that
every previous pandemic has
experienced one.”
McGuire says the Alliance has been
working to help prepare businesses to
operate effectively under the “new
normal” environment. “We need to get
good at following our COVID-19 safety
plan,” she says, “reviewing and revising
it as needed to adapt to the virus risk in
our area.
“You want to adopt processes to
prevent complacency,” she says. “We
need to remain vigilant because it can
be a slippery slope if we stray from our
safety protocols, and the impact is
significant.” Observation,
communication and an open
environment that support questions and
feedback are critical.
In anticipation of a potential outbreak,
McGuire says, every business should
consider developing a response plan.
“Preparation is key, and with the
approaching flu season, we need to be
prepared.”
What is the future for the Alliance?
Like many organizations, the Alliance
has sharpened its focus on the
advantages offered by expanding digital
MAKE IT SAFE 2020
When?
October 29-30
What?
Virtual OHS conference
and trade show
Why?
Connecting OHS experts, leaders
and youth from around the world
to share experiences and lessons
learned about the pandemic
Who?
24 interactive sessions with
speakers from around the world
Source: Make it Safe
platforms, offering virtual events,
services and training to a broad
audience that has expanded beyond
both provincial and national borders.
The Alliance will be hosting a virtual,
global conference Oct. 29-30. The Make
it Safe 2020 Virtual OHS Conference +
Trade Show (MakeItSafe.ca) will connect
attendees and experts to address the
changing health and safety needs of
industry in the pandemic and recovery.
International experts and supporters will
share perspectives from across Canada
as well as Mexico, Italy, Germany, Spain,
New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. In
24 interactive sessions, speakers and
panelists will address critical topics for
executives, safety and HR professionals
and youth.
“Presenting Make It Safe online
allows us to bring expertise and
perspectives together from around the
world — and create opportunities for
attendees to build new connections
while sharing knowledge and
experiences that we can adapt to our
workplaces,” says McGuire.
“The pandemic has changed the world
we live in today and that will impact how
we operate safely tomorrow. We are
hoping that the connections we all make
at this conference will open the door to a
world of new health and safety
knowledge that will stay with us well
beyond the pandemic.”
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 FE AT URE

SAFETY LEADERS
OF THE YEAR 2020
Meet our exceptional group of nominees vying for
the title of Safety Leader of the Year, one of Canada’s
Safest Employers awards’ most coveted accolades.
In such a tough year, we are proud to spotlight
individuals who have shown outstanding leadership

has been a unique year for
THIS
CANADA’S SAFEST EMPLOYERS 2020 employers throughout Canada.
The current pandemic has impacted every
single workplace and has cemented how
important the health and safety
profession is. With worker safety more
When? important now than ever before, safety
heroes are emerging as an essential,
The awards will take place
trusted voice in the workplace. It is almost
on Oct. 22 at 12 p.m. ET
impossible to tell what the landscape will
look like in the coming months — if not
years. But with leaders like these, we’re
definitely in safe hands. In their own
What? words, our finalists cover their stellar
careers, what being a safety leader means
Canada’s Safest to them and how they have faced the
Employers awards aims many challenges brought by COVID-19.
to spotlight outstanding
employers in key
Please note that by the time you have
this in your hands, the winner of
industries across Canada
for their achievements in
Canada’s Safety Leader of the Year will
have been announced (winners were
occupational health and
safety
announced live during a ceremony on
Oct. 22).
Sean Cammaert, Exposure Reduction
Where?
Process (ERP) Implementation
Leader at BASF
“First of all, leadership in any realm is a
This year, the event will privilege and is something that I have
be virtual and feature a never taken lightly. Being a Safety
live stream of the awards Leader brings in many different angles
ceremony at https://
that all have potential to have life-
safestemployers.com/
altering consequences and, as such, I
take this privilege also very seriously
and very personally.
“For me, being a safety leader
Who? means that I have the responsibility to
ensure that every employee within our
There are 21 categories organization, regardless of title,
this year — the most arrives to work every day, and that
ever! The awards will be they have the knowledge and ability to
celebrating their 10-year recognize and control exposures,
anniversary effectively remove barriers and feel
empowered to speak up when
something is not safe so that, at the
end of the day, every employee can go
home to their loved ones and that our
community is a better place because
our organization is in it.
“I feel that COVID-19 has made me
more aware of peoples’ mental health
and has taught me to be more flexible
and empathetic with my team and our
organization as a whole. We have all had
to adapt very quickly to new threats to
our health, to new work environments at
home and for many of us with children of
all ages now at home occupying the same
space (and internet). These are things
that in the past we didn’t really think
“Being a Safety Leader brings in many
different angles that all have potential
to have life-altering consequences and
as such, I take this privilege also very
seriously and very personally.” Sean Cammaert, BASF
about or perhaps took advantage off, but,
in today’s new norm, we have all had to
adopt new practices, new ways of
communicating and, as leaders, new
ways to keep our teams motivated,
providing a safe workplace for employees
in which trust, transparency and open
communication exists as the foundation
of everything we do in an effort to truly
empower employees to be a part of
creating a culture that recognizes safety
as its core value.”
Angela Keenan, Occupational
Health Safety & Wellness Manager
at Nova Scotia Health Authority
“As a leader, my goal is to remain
committed to identifying opportunities
for personal and organizational growth,
creating a workplace culture that
recognizes and embeds the
fundamentals of occupational health
safety and wellness in its strategic
direction. As a leader of safety
professionals, it is an honour to inspire,
motivate and identify opportunities for
organizational change toward OH&S
compliance. It is a privilege to
collaborate, influence and engage with
the organization at all levels to
collectively do more together than apart
impacting the physical and
psychological safety for all.
“COVID-19 has changed the OHS
profession, it has propelled it to the
forefront. Globally, households now
understand the importance of personal
education and normalized risk
assessments and mitigation of risk
through controls such as PPE. It has
highlighted the growing need for
organizations to ensure they have robust
and appropriately resourced health,
safety and wellness teams focused on
ensuring workplace safety, both physical
and psychological. COVID-19 has
increased prevalence of vicarious trauma

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 Sean Cammaert, BASF
Erin Oliver, Modern Niagara Group
in the workplace due to continual and
immersive exposure to risk and potential
harm, acute and long term. OHS
professionals have a responsibility to
continually promote the profession and
its importance through the lens of
influence, not authority.
“Education, ‘the right to know’ is
personally by far the most important
pillar in health and safety. As an OHS
leader, my professional goal is to model
OHS principles every day, in everything I
do; to lead through self, to influence and
inspire change in others.”
Hans Loeffelholz, Sector Lead,
Occupational Health and Safety, at
British Columbia Public School
Employers’ Association (BCPSEA)
Hans Loeffelholz has built up more
than 20 years contributing to the field
of environmental, health and safety. He
recently joined the British Columbia
Public School Employers’ Association
(BCPSEA) as the sector lead,
occupational health and safety, where
he will support the future growth of
occupational health and safety
programs at K-12 school districts
across the province. Prior to BCPSEA,
Loeffelholz spent three-and-a-half
years with the North Vancouver School
District as the occupational health and
safety manager. During his time in the
public education sector, he has shared
his passion for safe and healthy
workplaces with both educators and
other OHS professionals in the sector.
His vision brought together a
community of professionals in the
sector using technology to share
24-26_COS5805_Feature3_Safety Leaders_CoverStory_v2-SUBBED2.indd 25
Angela Keenan, Nova Scotia Health Authority
Robert Palmer, Air Canada
experiences, learn, and grow in real
time. He has also worked extensively
with educators to manage complex
work situations by clarifying
instructions for workers and
identifying new tools.
Loeffelholz has a background working
for industry-leading multinational
corporations including, Siemens and
Abbott Laboratories. In both
organizations, he was instrumental in the
implementation and maintenance of ISO
14001 registered environmental
management systems. During that period,
he focused on incorporating safety and
environmental protection into
“Being a leader in the world of
safety, regardless of the industry or
organization, is unquestionably one of
the most difficult leadership roles in
business today.” Robert Palmer, Air Canada
organizational change management
practices. Loeffelholz worked on a
number of environmental sustainability
projects from waste and toxic chemical
reduction to tree planting. He earned his
designation as a Canadian Registered
Safety Professional in 2007 and as an
Environmental Professional in 2005.
Loeffelholz currently volunteers as a
director for the School Safety Association
of British Columbia and sits on two sector
committees chaired by WorkSafeBC.
Hans Loeffelholz, BCPSEA
Virginie Tremblay, Canada Post
Kody Messenger, Corporate
Compliance Advisor at Enger
“My view of safety and being a safety
leader grows out of my background as a
commercial diver. As a diver, I was faced
with all kinds of different challenges
and hazards and was expected to be
competent and adaptable in face of
them. Making mistakes and neglecting
safety in that world was a thin line
between living and dying. I remember
feeling this disconnect between safety
and the work I was doing, however. It
felt as if safety needed to babysit us to
prevent us from dying at work. Once I
switched into occupational health and
safety, I was committed to giving people
the benefit of the doubt and helping
them make their work easier. I felt that
it was important to treat people as the
experts they are in their fields, that they
were solutions to be empowered and not
problems to be managed. It’s vital for us
to remember that people want to be safe
and that they don’t need people to tell
them to be safe. We have to hold in
tension that errors are normal, and even
the best and most competent workers
Kody Messenger, Enger
Steve Wrixon, Cementation Canada
and teams make them. I believe that we
as safety leaders are in place to facilitate
worker and organizational
empowerment, to help them make work
better and not there to constrain their
operations unnecessarily.”
Erin Oliver, Vice President of Health
& Safety & Sustainability at Modern
Niagara Group, Inc.,
Erin Oliver has spent more than 25 years
as a health and safety professional
leveraging her education in kinesiology
and forensics to guide her leadership. In
her role with Modern Niagara Group,
Oliver manages the company’s national
health and safety program to ensure all
employees work in a safe and healthy
environment. She oversees all facets of the
program including training, development,
injury prevention, rehabilitation, wellness
and mental health. She also oversees
corporate sustainability.
Prior to joining Modern Niagara,
Oliver founded a consulting firm that
specialized in inspections, investigations
and OHS program development for a
wide range of clients. She was an active
member of the Ontario Labour
Management Regulatory Advisory
Committee, the Occupational Disease
and Research Advisory Committee. She
is an active member of the Provincial
Labour Management Health & Safety
Committee for pipe trades and a
contributor to the Ontario General
Contracting Association’s safety
committee.
Oliver is a past president of the
Ontario Kinesiology Association and
currently registered with the Ontario
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 FE AT URE

Virginie Tremblay is a health and safety perspective on workplace safety.

PREVIOUS SAFETY LEADER WINNERS professional with a bachelor’s degree in “True safety leaders seek
mechanical engineering from the collaboration at all levels and between
2019: Mike Doyle, team leader for safety, strategy and operations services, University of Sherbrooke. She is a all functions to prevent workers from
Suncor Energy, St. John’s and mayor of the Town of Harbour-Main- Canadian Registered Safety getting hurt. That was on full display as
Chapel’s Cove-Lakeview Professional (CRSP), a Certified the corporation responded to the global
Human Resource Professional (CHRP) COVID-19 pandemic. Our essential
2018: Rae Ann Aldridge, executive director, safety and risk services, and currently volunteers on the workers emerged as heroes. They
University of British Columbia (formerly associate vice president of risk internal audit committee of the Board continued to support Canadian
at of Canadian Registered Safety communities and meet the postal
the University of Calgary) Professionals (BCRSP). needs of Canadians uninterrupted,
Tremblay has more than 10 years of even while the company scrambled to
2017: Doug Matthew, director, health, safety and environment, (formerly
progressive managerial experience over a introduce new processes and
director of health, safety, wellness and environment at Alectra)
career that has spanned almost two procedures to keep our employees safe.
2016: Adrian Khan, director, environmental, health, safety and security for decades. She started her career at L’Oréal Today, our safety protocols and
North America, Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee Canada, a world leader in cosmetics, skin measures are second to none, but that
care and sun protection. She held various doesn’t mean we don’t have work to do.
2015: Roxanne McKendry, president, Lexicon Health & Safety Solutions managerial roles in operations before Our company safety slogan is ‘Make it
(formerly manager of employee health and safety and infection care joining its Engineering and Facility safe, Make it home’ and that is
Management team. In that role, she led something we all have to work on 24/7
the company’s safety initiatives and to ensure it happens.”
College of Kinesiologists. She has been a protect our employee’s health and welfare. helped bring international recognition to
Canadian Registered Safety Professional The opportunity for distraction has never its Montreal plant. Steve Wrixon, General Manager of
since 2000 and is a part-time professor been higher and our partnerships with Tremblay left L’Oréal for Canada Health and Safety at Cementation
of Kinesiology at the University of other levels of management and union Post in 2014. Since joining its Health Canada, Inc.
Toronto. Oliver has been a member of members has never been more essential. and Safety team as national manager, “I am honoured to be named a finalist
the Prevention Council of Ontario since Our connectedness is what results in she has led the Crown corporation’s for Safety Leader of Year. I share this
2017. Her vision for workplace health success and is the force that will ensure national technical health and safety with the current and past leaders of
and safety in Ontario is to ensure that our survival. team, which supports engineering, Cementation. I wouldn’t be here
every worker goes home as safe and “We must continue to connect the maintenance, real estate and corporate without their guidance and
healthy as they started each day. day-to-day work of our entire projects. She manages national safety commitment to health and safety.
Most recently, Oliver has been organization to the positive safety programs and policies related to “To me, being a safety leader starts
awarded the 2020 Recognition Award by outcomes of that work. In the airline technical and environmental hazards in with exhibiting care and respect for your
the Board of Registered Safety fellow employees. The people in the
Professionals for her dedication to
nurturing and mentoring health and “COVID-19 has changed the OHS mining industry are passionate and hard
working, which motivates me to do my
safety practitioners. best as a safety professional, so they
profession; it has propelled it to make it home healthy and safe every day.
Robert Palmer, Director of Flight Inspiring others within our organization
Operations Safety at Air Canada the forefront. Globally, households to strengthen their commitment to make
“I am truly humbled and profoundly our workplaces safe is the most
honoured to be a finalist in this year’s now understand the importance of rewarding part of my job because I know
Canada’s Safety Leader of the Year award that with a concentrated effort we can
process. Being a leader in the world of personal education and normalized make a difference.
“In order to be a safety leader,
safety, regardless of the industry or
organization, is unquestionably one of the
most difficult leadership roles in business
risk assessments and mitigation of risk significant time must be spent in the field,
interacting with the workforce, gathering
today. A safety leader is required to be
more than just a safety champion. They
through controls such as PPE.” ideas, feedback and continually exhibiting
visible felt leadership. I enjoy travelling
must inspire everyone in the organization, across the country to our projects and I
build solid relationships based on trust,
Angela Keenan, Nova Scotia Health Authority am constantly impressed by the work
transparency and honesty and develop being performed by our people in
our teams to be successful while creating industry, we need look no further than more than 6,000 facilities, including 21 challenging conditions.
the next generation of great safety leaders. passengers being greeted by their loved mail processing plants across Canada. “The most important thing I do is
“COVID-19 has been an incredible ones after a journey. This emotional The Canada Post segment employs strive to reduce risk to our employees.
challenge for us all. Our lives have been moment is created by the entire airline about 53,000 people and operates The best way I can help achieve this is
disrupted and, in some cases, changed organization coming together in support Canada’s largest retail network. through collaboration. I enjoy bringing
forever. Our careers have become of the operation. Every single airline As one of the Crown corporation’s together experts within our company
unstable, our assumptions have been employee has a role in creating that leading safety advocates, Tremblay is a and industry to work toward reducing
eliminated and the very foundation of moment of embrace, smiles, laughter, steadfast believer in collaboration, risk for the betterment of the industry.
how we do what we do has been shaken. tears and joy. “ education and continuous Anything we can do to prevent an
As a safety leader during these times our improvement. Named director of injury or illness makes an
skills become critical. We must develop Virginie Tremblay, Director of health and safety management immeasurable impact to preserve the
protocols that appeal to the entire Health & Safety Management systems in June, in the middle of a quality of life of our people and their
organization, that serve our clients and systems at Canada Post/Postes worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, families, which is what safety is all
ensure their health is protected and Canada Tremblay offers her own succinct about.”

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 FE AT URE
COVID-19 AND TECH:
NEW HORIZONS
Over the last few years, there have been more and more tech developments
happening in the OHS space. With the current pandemic, new solutions have
been cropping up every day to help workers. Could tech be the future of OHS?
THE SPEAKERS:
Sean Baldry [SB] is a
product marketing manager
supporting Cority’s Health
and Safety solutions. He has
worked for nearly 20 years in
occupational health and safety with
leading global corporations servicing
the construction, mining, automotive
and manufacturing sectors. During his
career, he has worked at operational
and executive levels, assisting teams to
build effective systems and safety
cultures that drive organizational
excellence. Before joining Cority, Sean
was the director of Health and Safety
with LafargeHolcim’s Eastern Canada
division. Baldry is a Canadian
Registered Safety Professional (CRSP).
Adrian Bartha [AB] is the
founder of eCompliance and
president of the North
American arm of Alcumus.
Previously, Bartha was an investment
professional for a $5-billion private
equity firm investing in energy and
infrastructure projects across North
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“COVID-19 has been an accelerator for
digital transformation as companies
needed to adopt digital tools quickly to
maintain operations and enable remote
work. This has spurred new innovations
and developments.” Victoria DeBoon, SAP Concur
America and a management consultant
with McKinsey & Company in the
United States serving Fortune 500
companies and government leaders.
Victoria DeBoon [VD] is
the director of sales at SAP
Concur Canada and helps
organizations gain more
control over their travel expense and
accounts payable spend. She is an
experienced SAS leader with proven
results in accelerating business
growth. DeBoon has more than 10
years of experience in the industry.
She holds a Bachelor of General
Studies (BGS) degree focused in
Business from Simon Fraser
University. DeBoon was previously
director of technology services at
Robert Half Technology.
Rahil Hasan [RH] is
product marketing leader
for Honeywell’s personal
protective equipment
business. He has more than 15 years of
experience with multi-national
manufacturing for Fortune 500
corporations. Hasan is responsible for
marketing in the following: P&L
ownership, sales strategy, strategic
planning, marketing, value pricing,
new product launches, marketing
campaigns and demand generation.
THE ROUNDTABLE:
[COS] How has COVID-19 impacted
tech developments in the OHS
sector?
[RH] “It's a significant impact; now,
PPE has become a household topic.
Before COVID, PPE was maybe not as
widely known or appreciated. The
visibility of PPE has become
significantly different. And it's a concern
not only for traditional workers,
construction sites and manufacturing
facilities but it's a major concern for
workers who are returning to public
spaces.
“The typical user of PPE has
significantly increased to all of us in
one way, shape or form, whereas
before it was a very limited to people
in a mine or in a construction site or
in a very industrial solution.
Honeywell has had to rapidly adapt
and pivot. I don't think we've seen a
market change as rapidly as we have
with the onset of COVID. We've
launched several new products and,
quite frankly, in record timing! For
example, we have options that meet
health-care needs and health care has
very different standards and
certifications than what we would
typically consider industrial PPE.
With COVID, we have had to think a
little bit more about respiratory
protection and hand protection.”
[AB] “It's impacted how tech is being
developed and applied but also adopted
in OHS in general. I think, on one hand,
tech as a whole has seen huge
investments in the last few years, and
through the pandemic, I think it's only
accelerated that. Because most people
are adopting technology even faster
than they were before and that's fuelling
a lot of investment and, consequently,
some great innovations in tech and
OHS is probably no exception to that.”
[VD] “COVID-19 has been an
accelerator for digital transformation as
companies needed to adopt digital tools
quickly to maintain operations and
enable remote work. This has spurred
new innovations and developments.
We’re seeing many companies evaluate
their processes and adapt to support
employees. Corporate travel in
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 FE AT URE

[SB] “COVID-19 has triggered a [RH] “I think we are seeing more

COMPUTER TECH AND THE WORKPLACE fundamental and, I believe, irreversible adoption of new technology, such as
reordering of the workplace. Whenever smarter ways of communicating. We
the pandemic comes under control, I have an offering of smart hearing
don’t think we’ll see businesses revert to products where you can filter out noise
Two-thirds of working Canadians say
the ‘old way’ of doing things. COVID-19 and communicate more effectively.
that computer tech has changed the way has, in many ways, revealed weaknesses These types of solutions are going to
they do their jobs, mostly in a positive way. in business continuity planning in many become even more prevalent. The other
organizations and has thrust the idea of thing is, as we're getting back to work or
organizational resilience to the forefront. getting back to school or getting back to
Most Canadians report that computer To that end, businesses are and will public spaces, having the right solutions
tech has made jobs easier and even more remain open to how technology could is going to allow us to be productive
enjoyable. help them create more resilient processes again as an economy, as a workforce and
that will be able to flex under the strain as a society.
of another large-scale crisis, without “We do see more and more key
resulting in significant damage from technology — what we would call
Three in 10 Canadians say that which they won’t be able to recover.” smart technology: remote monitoring
technology has made them better paid or the ability to fit test. I think that's
and more secure. [AB] “There’s always going to be going to appeal a lot more to safety
innovations in technology. managers than it ever has before in the
Historically, larger organizations had new normal. I do see technology being
Men are more likely than women to more of the financial wherewithal and adopted and used more intelligently;
report higher income and job security as management to experiment and try it's really around managing risk and
out technology and roll it out. That operational effectiveness in the new
a result of new technology.
could be hardware technology, for normal.”
example. Smaller companies would
historically have a more difficult time. [VD] “Canadians increasingly want to
Source: Environics Institute, 2020 Survey on Employment and Skills
They couldn't take the risk because be able to work from anywhere, which
they didn't have the financial requires companies to adopt better
wherewithal for it or they just didn't technology to enable a digital workforce.
particular is an example of that. There is [AB] “I think the other side of it is the have the people and the time and Health and safety are at the forefront of
an increased desire from employees for adoption rates of tech are improving attention to try something new. everyone’s minds, and companies face
a touchless travel experience to ease because most organizations need to find “Whereas now, I think a lot of more pressure than ever to ensure the
their health and safety concerns. From consistent ways of rolling out processes smaller and medium-sized safety of their employees.
bookings to luggage drop-offs, and systems and initiatives in their organizations are able to adopt and “When it comes to travel, tech
employees want to minimize contact. company in a way that they couldn't experiment with emerging tech in a innovations can make it easier for
This can easily be achieved with before. A lot of folks in many industries way that was very different than before. leaders and HR teams to keep
technology already in our hands — have to be on the same page, and they And I think that it's probably because travelling employees safe. Duty of care
mobile phones.” don't have the advantage of being there's more tech that's more accessible is one of the most important drivers of
travel policy changes. It’s imperative
[SB] “COVID-19 has certainly shifted that businesses implement and enforce
perspectives on workplace health and “COVID-19 has triggered a fundamental policies that ensure traveller safety,
safety in ways, and at rates we hadn’t health and security. Digital tools
anticipated even a few short months and, I believe, irreversible reordering of enable companies to quickly locate and
ago. Interestingly, many organizations communicate with employees in the
are seeing, perhaps for the first time, a
real tangible connection between their
the workplace. Whenever the pandemic event of an emergency no matter
where they are or how they booked
ability to manage risk and their
long-term viability.
comes under control, I don’t think we’ll their travel — even when travel plans
change.”
“And we’ve noticed that this new
perspective has certainly shifted
see businesses revert to the ‘old way’ of [SB] “With many businesses having
organizational behaviour with respect to
technology investment. We’ve seen
doing things.” Sean Baldry, Cority Analytics shifted successfully to remote working
arrangement and ‘virtual’ workplaces,
growing interest and investment from technology will play a greater role in
organizations, across industry sectors, physically together all the time. It's to most organizations of different sizes maintaining connections between
in technology to support pandemic forcing the organization to drive than there was before. It's not just for remote workers to sustain morale and
management and business continuity. consistency in what they're doing. And the big companies. It’s democratizing overcome feelings of social isolation.
Specifically, interest in technology to that usually means higher adoption or the technology a little bit more; it's And there will continue to be growing
support returning furloughed high adoption rates of technologies. giving some of the small and medium- interest in the years ahead for
employees to work has really driven the And, sometimes, there's just new sized companies a little bit of an edge if technology options to drive employee
environmental, health, safety and problems to solve. In today's they do want to adopt it, if they do turn engagement. The shift toward more
quality (EHSQ) management software environment, with the pandemic, we're it into to a competitive advantage. So, I virtual workplaces will also shift the
market over the past few months and working in those new problems.” think that's a very, very good trend for common risk profiles of many
likely disrupted prior product most businesses out there, especially in businesses in the coming years.
development plans of many EHSQ [COS] How could the OHS sector hazardous industries or high-risk “The pandemic has certainly raised
software vendors.” benefit from better tech solutions? industries.” our social consciousness on mental

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 health and wellness issues, with
reported rises in anxiety, depression,
stress and substance use in many
areas. So whether businesses are
planning a full-scale return to work
following COVID-19 or shifting toward
virtual environments, they need to be
aware that mental health needs will
not be going away and additional
resources will be required to support
employees and limit health-related
absenteeism, health-care spending and
impacts of productivity.”
[COS] What tech trends will we be
seeing for 2021?
[VD] “As remote work continues to be
prevalent, we’ll see more tech innovations
that allow for greater communication,
safety and connectivity. Technology will be
deployed in creative ways to facilitate
corporate meetings and conferences
safely. From health screenings to digital
check-ins, there will be a touchless
experience brought forward.
“Workplace technology and
automation adoption will increase as
companies are starting to see the
benefits of digitizing traditional
processes. For many years, we have
advocated for digital tools to drive
efficiencies and enable employees to
focus on more strategic work. Many
organizations that have adapted over
“As we're getting back to work … having
the right solutions is going to allow us to
be productive again as an economy, as a
workforce and as a society.”
Rahil Hasan, Honeywell
the last six months are realizing this
and seeing the benefit it can bring,
along with those who adopted digital
solutions early on. We’ll continue to
see greater adoption of automated
technology and cloud services.”
[RH] “There's several trends that I
think we're going to continue to see.
More and more industries are going to
look at Honeywell and PPE
manufacturers like us for solutions,
guidance and best practices in this
environment. Whether it's health care
or warehousing, we are seeing even
more focus on safety gear that's going to
be easy to use, ergonomic and
comfortable. If it's not comfortable to
wear, then users don't want to wear it.
“We'll also see technologies that
reduce or prevent the presence of
bacterial contaminants. Now, it's going
to be about what types of material,
what types of coatings, what types of
technologies really prevent bacteria
and contaminants from sticking
around on a surface.
“I do think overall health and
wellness is going to be a key trend, too,
because things that keep the worker on
the job site and productive are going to
be key to economic growth.”
[SB] “With the increased focus on
health and wellness triggered by the
pandemic, it’s likely that interest in
wearables and internet of things (IoT)
devices will only continue to grow.
Wearables are also being explored to
support contact tracing, where a user
would receive an alert when in
proximity to someone who has tested
positive for COVID-19. Moreover,
technology firms are currently exploring
linking personal health data captured
via wearables with clinical
symptomology that could create early
warning signs of potential infection,
driving other workflows.”
[AB] “With all the innovations and all
the tech, there is the risk of tech

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 FE AT URE
overload and confusion. And a lot of
organizations, on one hand, they want
to try new things that work and make
their organizations more effective and
lower risk. On the other hand, there's
the struggling with ‘how do I keep this
simple for our team?’ So, rather than
just trying to adopt everything, most
organizations are more willing to
abandon new tech if it doesn’t work
for them. I think this forces more
companies to talk with each other
about what is working for them and
share their experiences a little bit
more openly. I think increasingly they
realize that the competitive edge with
tech is more than how you execute
with it rather than just whether you
have it or not.
“It might be in 2022, but the
introduction of 5G networks will unleash
a lot of potential of what can be done
because suddenly, for the most part.
There will be no bandwidth limitations
at all in most areas. And I think you'll see
not just an increased adoption of existing
tech but you'll probably see some new
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things out there that can exist in a world
where you don't have any limitations on
bandwidth for the internet.”
[SB] “Organizations are collecting
more EHSQ and non-EHSQ data now
than at any point in recorded history.
And that volume and velocity of data is
virtually impossible to assimilate,
aggregate and analyze with manual
human analysis fast enough to create
the insights businesses need to respond
to today’s threats. As a result, businesses
will need to rely even further on
advanced business intelligence and
analytics tools, including machine
learning and AI, to help them efficiently
transform their data into insights to
drive reliable risk management.
“Augmented reality (AR) has shown
promise in helping to support cross-
training programs. As systems are
becoming increasingly complex, social
distancing practices [are] reducing
peer-to-peer cross training and older
employees exiting the workplace, AR will
provide further opportunity for workers to
Breaking news, features, white papers, podcasts, special reports and more
learn how to conduct work safely through
augmented imagery, video and real-time OHS TECH TRENDS IN 2021
connections to remote experts. AR tools
also offer enhanced flexibility for hazard
identification, with the ability to use
physical markers and real-time proximity
 Workplace health
and wellness as a
strong focus for tech
warnings to help identify hazards when
companies
moving through an area, so the user can
take the appropriate action.”
[RH] “I think that this has been the
 Tech that helps with
social distancing such
as wearables, touchless
most rapidly changing market space
and IoT devices
we've seen in a generation, if not several.
We’ll probably see more regulations also
come into play over time. Of course, we  The introduction of 5G
networks, expanding
aren't excited by the pandemic but
excited that we can work on trying to
bandwidth limitations
address a major public health concern.”
[AB] “I also think that as this tech gets
 Automated tech and
cloud services as
more rolled out and adopted, the good
employees continue to
tech companies will take that feedback work from home
and continue to innovate their products. I
think a lot of these products are still, quite
truthfully, in their infancy; they still have
 Augmented reality
(AR) as a tool for safely
a lot of time to be refined. But that means distanced training
that the best is probably yet to come.”
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 PEOPLE

MY SAFET Y MOMENT

THE VIEW FROM

30,000 FEET
Jeet Tulshi is service director at Liberty
Mutual Canada and is also an instructor in
project management and occupational safety
at Humber College. His experience spans
both government and industry, giving him a
unique profile

Q How did you get into health and safety?

I worked as a project manager in safety standards development after I left
A manufacturing. I worked with safety experts across Canada and around
the world to develop these safety standards. I was really inspired by their
passion and dedication to protect people. I worked on safety regulations at the
Ontario Ministry of Labour and now as an OHS consultant in the insurance
industry. Working for an NGO, the Ontario government and now industry gives
me a 30,000-foot view as well as a grassroots perspective of safety, which I
think is really unique.

What do you like most about being a health and safety

Q professional?
The best part of being a health and safety professional is being able to
A protect people first, but businesses as well. Being able to help protect
people is a very noble cause. I don’t think there are too many professions that
are able to make that claim. The work that I do helps to reduce injuries and
in a very measurable way. In my world, I see that when I help an organization
with a safety program or consulting on a specific safety initiative, that can
result in reduced injuries over time and means that the business may end up
paying less insurance premiums. It’s unfortunate, however, that many
businesses still don’t see that connection between protecting their people and
the wellness of the business.

Q How do you promote safety outside of work?

A In many ways, but definitely with my family. I often talk about safe driving
behaviours with my 13- and 15-year-old during road trips. Teaching is
another way I promote safety. What I like to do is use real-life examples from
my experience, to bring the teaching material to life for my students so they can
appreciate how important safety is and the consequences of unsafe behaviours.

Q What motivates you to do your best at work every day?

A Professionally, I believe that there is a very small window to impress my

stakeholders. So, I try my best to put out my best work. With the COVID
pandemic, I think businesses are going to be looking for efficiencies and a
competitive edge wherever they can find it. Personally, I am motivated by the
memory of my cousin who died in a steam boiler explosion in the ’80s in
Guyana, where I was born. A safety gauge malfunctioned due to lack of Completing a risk
maintenance, steam built up to unsafe levels and boom! With severe burns all assessment with a
over his body, his death was slow and painful. I never want someone else to go On a charitable run with client in Michigan
through that! His survivors included two very young daughters. I feel like I his family in 2019
honour his memory whenever I promote safety.

www.thesafetymag.com/ca 31

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