He Huang | WorkSafe Saskatchewan

Yorkton Plumbing and Heating – Committed to safety at work and at home

Yorkton Plumbing and Heating is a WorkSafe Saskatchewan 2016 Safe Employer finalist. Chris Wyatt has been in charge of safety at Yorkton Plumbing and Heating for the last four years. Owner Justin Yawney brought Chris on to the team to build the growing company’s safety program. With Justin’s support, Chris attained his National Construction Safety Officer designation through the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA). Over the last decade, Yorkton Plumbing and Heating has grown and expanded its services. With a larger and younger workforce, keeping employees safe and preventing injuries has become a priority for the company. “We have a young workforce, a lot of young journeymen,” explains Wyatt. “Our number one priority has always been to take care of our workers. We want them to go home at the end of the day and be able to hug their children, to take them fishing on the weekends, or to [...]

He Huang2017-05-08T14:29:23-06:00October 21st, 2016|news|

WorkSafe Saskatchewan launches 2017 Youth Video Contest

High school students encouraged to #FocusonSafety Regina, SK – WorkSafe Saskatchewan announces the 2017 Youth Video Contest, inviting Saskatchewan students in Grades 9 to 12 to create a 2-minute video focusing on workplace safety. When focusing on safety, students can help Saskatchewan achieve Mission: Zero – zero injuries, zero fatalities, zero suffering. Workers under 25 are at the highest risk for being injured on the job. In Saskatchewan, approximately 6,000 young workers are injured each year. When students make a video focusing on safety, they are more knowledgeable before entering the workforce. They are aware that they have rights and responsibilities in the workplace. The contest awards student and school prizes for the top three videos: 1st place 2nd place 3rd place Student/Team $1,000 $750 $500 School $1,500 $1,000 $750 Students have until March 31, 2017 to submit their videos. WorkSafe Saskatchewan encourages students to promote the contest and [...]

He Huang2017-05-08T14:29:23-06:00October 17th, 2016|news|

Heidi McCaskill – The Ultimate Workplace Safety Mom

Heidi McCaskill, a receptionist with Cervus Equipment, was a WorkSafe Saskatchewan 2016 Safe Worker finalist. Cervus Equipment encourages and promotes safety in the workplace. The safety culture has progressed and evolved over the years. Cervus signed the Saskatchewan Health and Safety Leadership Charter in 2014, acknowledging their commitment to Mission: Zero. Since becoming a Charter member, Cervus has implemented safety goals, focusing on what they can do to reach Mission: Zero. “It’s like a performance review for the company – how can you make Cervus safer – not just how can you be a better employee, but how can you make our workplace safer. And it holds management accountable” “It helps having management’s support and leadership,” says Heidi. “They’re often busy with other things. It’s good when employees can come to me with their concerns. They sometimes feel that it’s not important enough to involve management and their time. I’ll [...]

He Huang2017-05-08T14:29:23-06:00October 6th, 2016|news|

Rack Petroleum – Committed to Health and Safety

A commitment to health and safety is an integral part of Rack Petroleum’s success. Everyone at the Rack, as the employees and customers affectionately call it, works together to prevent injury to themselves and others. Their proactive stance on safety has a lot to do with Safety Officer Kevin McNicholls. Safety is commonplace at the Rack. To acknowledge their commitment to safety and to Mission: Zero, Rack Petroleum signed the Saskatchewan Health and Safety Leadership Charter in 2015. “As safety leaders in our community, our intention is to promote safety and get others in the community involved in Mission: Zero,” say Kevin. “Yes, we’re promoting the company, but more importantly, we’re promoting safety.” In Kevin’s eight years at the Rack, he has brought safety to the forefront of every employee’s activities. When Kevin first began at the Rack, he worked at the fertilizer plant for two years until he suffered [...]

He Huang2017-05-08T14:29:23-06:00October 6th, 2016|news|

Matrix Solutions – Mission: Zero is not impossible

Matrix Solutions is WorkSafe Saskatchewan’s Safe Employer winner for 2016 for its Saskatchewan operations in Regina, Oxbow, Weyburn, Swift Current, Kindersley, Saskatoon, Lloydminster and surrounding areas. Safety is part of everything Matrix employees do. Matrix Solutions, an environment and engineering consulting company, encourages employee involvement to develop the safety culture and to promote safety and injury prevention. As the health and safety advisor, Davin Sander is no different. He’s been inspiring employees to be as passionate about safety as he is. Everyone at Matrix Solutions openly discusses health and safety, focusing on continuous improvement. “We involve everyone when we develop safety policies and procedures,” explains Davin. “We train our staff in safe work practices, focusing on what they need to know to do their jobs safely.” Matrix Solutions trains all employees in the safe work practices and procedures required for them to do their jobs safely. If someone is unfamiliar [...]

He Huang2017-05-08T14:29:23-06:00September 8th, 2016|Uncategorized|

Lanny’s Story: A journey to safety

Do you know a safe worker? Nominate them for the 2017 Safe Worker Award. Deadline for entries is October 31, 2016. The mining industry presents many hazards. Many of the hazards, by the nature of the mining industry, are different from hazards in other industrial sectors. For example, digging and complex mining processes may lead to ground instability. “When you’re dealing with industrial hazards, there is a lot you have to manage to keep the work environment safe,” says Lanny. “You have different gases, height hazards, heat hazards, confined spaces and congested work areas.” Lanny Storey, a journeyperson scaffolder with AREVA Resources Canada Inc., won the WorkSafe Saskatchewan 2016 Safe Worker award. Lanny’s story begins at AREVA’s uranium mines in northern Saskatchewan. AREVA also has a uranium mill in McClean Lake. The mill is where workers extract uranium from the mined rock. The process uses water and hazardous chemicals to [...]

He Huang2017-05-08T14:29:23-06:00August 25th, 2016|news|

2015 OHS INSPECTIONS AT CONSTRUCTION SITES RAISE SAFETY CONCERNS

48% compliance with wearing protective headgear on sites 50% of workers trained in fall protection plan 41% use fall protection REGINA, SK: In September 2013, Kurt Ferguson was only 22 years old the day his construction career ended. He was crossing the floor of the house he and his crew were building in Moose Jaw when he stepped into an unguarded hole cut for stairs and plummeted into the unfinished basement. A piece of rebar pierced him under the right arm, shattering two vertebrae, and injuring his spine before exiting beside his left ear. “I tried shouting but I couldn’t talk or move,” Kurt remembers. “No sound came out and I was trapped.” He lay impaled by the 15 mm piece of steel rebar from his right armpit to behind his left ear, waiting to be discovered. Incidents like Kurt’s are deadly and the risk is frequent. In Occupational Health [...]

He Huang2017-05-08T14:29:23-06:00August 17th, 2016|news|

DRIVE TO LIVE

WorkSafe Saskatchewan and Roughrider Lineman and race car driver Brendon LaBatte #58 have teamed up this summer to bring Mission: Zero into Mosaic Stadium. LaBatte shared his race car safe driving tips with WorkSafe and Rider fans – tips he wants Rider Nation to take back to the highway and their homes: Never drink and drive. Stay alert. If you’re tired, don’t drive. Keep your phone off and put away. Whatever you ride, always wear the gear. WorkSafe chose to focus on road safety because highway crashes are one of our highest causes of injury and death. One-third of Saskatchewan’s workplace fatalities are motor-vehicle related[1] and Saskatchewan has the second-highest motor vehicle fatality rate in Canada[2] We need to drive better. Drive safe, Rider Nation! Go Green! Wear the gear Turn off your phone Drive Sober [1] Based on 5 year average of fatalities recorded by the Saskatchewan WCB. [...]

He Huang2017-05-08T14:29:23-06:00August 16th, 2016|news|

Amendments to Classifying and Labelling Chemicals Will Better Protect Workers

Saskatchewan’s labelling system for hazardous materials will soon align with a new world-wide standard. Over the last few years, there has been a global move to harmonize the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, commonly known as WHMIS. The change will promote safety by ensuring consistency across jurisdictions and around the world. It will also remove a barrier to interprovincial and international trade. “Workers will have consistent and appropriate information about the chemicals they are handling,” Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said. “We want everyone to return home safely each night.” Changes to Saskatchewan’s WHMIS regulations include: A new name for controlled products. They will now be called hazardous products. New rules related to the classification of workplace chemicals. New labelling requirements using pictograms instead of symbols. A new format for Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) now referred to as Safety Data Sheets (SDS). The key responsibilities of [...]

He Huang2016-07-28T14:58:59-06:00July 28th, 2016|news|

Mission: Zero Awards Winners Announced

Safe Saskatchewan has announced its first Mission: Zero Award winners for workplaces that demonstrate a sustained improvement in their injury rates over time and that make injury prevention a core value. Check out the full list of winners on the Safe Saskatchewan site here: http://safesask.com/mission-zero-awards/

He Huang2016-06-13T16:46:42-06:00June 13th, 2016|news|

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