Charter CEOs Well Represented At Manufacturing Safety Conference

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The BC Safety Charter was well represented at the November 4, 5 Make it Safe Manufacturing Safety Conference held in Burnaby, BC. One of the highlights of the conference was the CEO panel organized for the first day of the conference.

The panel included Ben Hume, President of Sheppards Building Materials and Chair of the BC Safety Charter Steering Committee; Rick Gibbs, President of Neutron Factory Works and a Charter signatory, as well as Julie Kaisla, Manager of Workplace Initiatives at the Canadian Mental Health Association.

The panel was hosted and led by Maureen Shaw, former President and CEO of the Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA) and a leading advocate for health, safety and mental well-being in the workplace.

Gibbs spoke passionately about the fact that, in his own personal journey towards better health and safety in BC workplaces, he was surprised to find out how little he knew about the issues facing his employees and those in all workplaces in BC.

“It’s almost as though mental health issues have been invisible,” said Gibbs, stressing that all employers must understand the importance of the mental, as well as the physical, well-being of their employees.

Ben Hume spoke of the tremendous commitment on the part of the employers of the BC Safety Charter to the cause of increasing health and safety by reducing injury rates.

He also spoke of their commitment to doing all they can to go above and beyond the requirements of the BC government’s Bullying and Harassment legislation by adopting a best-practices approach to the issue of mental well-being in the workplace.

Julie Kaisla spoke about some of the details of the legislation and the responsibilities of employers in meeting the terms of the legislation and advised employers and health and safety professionals to become familiar with the special section of WorkSafeBC’s website devoted to the legislation.

The Charter has taken a leadership role in helping CEOs and business leaders understand and exceed their responsibilities under the new legislation.

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ePACT Network – Supporting Your Culture Of Safety

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‘Safety first’ is a motto which gets tossed around a lot. But how do we ensure it is really the case for our company and our employees? We’d like to introduce you to ePACT, an online network that supports you and your team through all of life’s emergencies.

Today, most companies store the personal and emergency contact information for their employees in HR systems, spreadsheets or paper forms. One of the problems with this approach is that during an emergency at the office, plant or in the field, this critical information cannot be immediately accessed or used when it is needed most.

ePACT brings these static records to life with anytime-anywhere access to information and communications on your mobile device.

ePACT is a single solution to manage all of your safety and emergency preparedness needs in the following ways:

  • The system goes beyond mass notifications, so you can instantly communicate with your employees, their families and the public via text, email, voice and app
  • In a natural disaster, ePACT provides a way for your employees to communicate with their loved ones, even if phone lines are down
  • In addition, ePACT ensures the most effective response to a crisis, as authorized team members can access up-to-date and accurate emergency information for your staff

ePACT ensures your company’s commitment to safety is followed from senior management to the front lines.

Take a look at ePACT’s guides and resources to further support your company’s safety initiatives at epactnetwork.com/us/at-work. Contact Graham at graham@epactnetwork.com or 604-816-9106 to set-up a free demo of ePACT.

Charter Membership Soars

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Membership in the BC Safety Charter shot up during 2013 and 2014 so that before 2015 has even begun, we are within reach of our target of having 150 members by the end of 2015.

As of November 24, 2014, membership in the Charter sits at 134 and is expected to rise in advance of the annual BC Safety Charter roundtable event scheduled for April 30th, 2015.

“The response we have received from BC business leaders over the last two years has been nothing short of phenomenal,” says Charter Steering Committee Chair Ben Hume.

“We started in 2011 with a core group of 23 very committed companies and individuals,” says Hume.

“By January of 2013 that number had almost doubled but, watching the membership grow from November of 2012 through to the end of 2014 has been heart-warming and encouraging,” he added.

Hume says he believes the core values which the Charter represents and the deep commitment of its membership have been key factors in its growth.

In addition, the fact that the organization regularly provides top-notch events, workshops, speakers and opportunities for Charter members to learn from experts and from one another has kept the Charter relevant and helped it to become an important initiative for BC business.

“Not everybody is aware of the tools, resources and support provided to Charter members, be it through the support provided by FIOSA-MIOSA and the Occupational Safety Standard of Excellence (OSSE) or the ongoing opportunities for CEOs and signatories to simply get together and learn from one another,” he says.

Hume emphasizes that, because of the objectives set out every year by the Steering Committee, and due to the commitment of the membership, the Charter is taking on current and evolving challenges faced by BC manufacturers including the measurement of health and safety through tools like the KPI Index, mental well-being in the workplace, combustible dust, the impending skills shortage, the cost of health and safety and other issues BC manufacturers face in today’s fragile economy.

“The fact that we have shown so much growth in a soft economy, I believe, speaks volumes to our value to our members,” he says.

 

For a complete list of Charter members simply click here.

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Trevor Linden To Speak At The Make It Safe Conference Nov 4, 5

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Canucks President will share passion for health and safety

President of the Vancouver Canucks Trevor Linden will be speaking at the Make it Safe BC Manufacturing Safety Conference in Burnaby on November 4 from 11:45 am to 12:15 pm. Linden will then have a meet-and-greet from 12:15 pm – 1:15 pm.

Linden, a signatory and supporter of the BC Safety Charter, became a business owner when he retired from his playing career, starting the successful chain Club 16 Trevor Linden Fitness outlets.

“I learned to care for my employees’ health and safety in the same manner in which I cared for my teammates and fought for players’ safety in the NHL,” says Linden.

Linden was President of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) for eight year from 1998 to 2006.
Linden has referred to the teamwork it requires to build a successful business and the leadership role that is required of business owners, executives and managers in ensuring that staff, employees, contractors and all those who contribute to the growth and success of the business are at the forefront of the leader’s mind.
“Leadership requires commitment and your people need to know you are on their side.”
Linden was named President of the Vancouver Canucks April 9, 2014

Return On Investment of People, Processes & Economics

Make It Safe is the newest and fastest growing safety conference in Western Canada. With hundreds of attendees from

all over Western Canada, the conference provides an opportunity for health and safety professionals to meet and catch up on the latest trends and issues in Occupational Health and Safety.

Speakers for the two day event will deal with topics such as the People, Processes and Economics of health and safety and breakout sessions will be devoted to some of the most pressing and challenging issues in health and safety management.

The Business Case for Safety and a breakdown of the specific Returns On Investment (ROIs) from an effective health and safety management system will be discussed in a special session. This is particularly relevant in today’s uncertain economy.
Other topics will include Machine Guarding, Mental Health in the Workplace, the new Anti-Bullying and Harassment legislation in BC and the new WHMIS requirements will also be reviewed.