Ontario is one of the most progressive jurisdictions when it comes to the health and safety for our workers. No owner can plead ignorance of the requirements to protect their employees and no employee can claim ignorance of the need to work safe.
For years, the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA), Ministry of Labour and Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), along with numerous associations, have worked to deliver the message of safe worksites. Programs and promotional efforts have been extensive. We have seen safety groups and increased training and now we see Certificate of Recognition (COR) certification in Ontario. Yet workers are still being hurt and that means we cannot stop working to educate and promote a "safety culture" in our province.
At the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA), we have two sayings: from our chair Jason Ball, "safety is not proprietary," and from Craig Lesurf, chair of our Safety Committee, "leaders need to lead."
It’s why we supported bringing COR to Ontario and it is why we have agreed to assist MySafeWork in developing and promoting a safety initiative aimed directly at changing the culture of safety in Ontario. The League of Champions has been developed to support the efforts of MySafeWork and its founder Rob Ellis, and to promote a safety message in schools, training centres, jobsites and into corporate board rooms.
OGCA stepped up to provide administrative and marketing help to MySafeWork to launch the program in the construction sector. It is meant for every stakeholder who is involved in construction in Ontario, and the funds go directly to MySafeWork. Membership contributions are made directly to "Our Youth at Work Association" to ensure maximum impact.
With enthusiastic support from WSIB, IHSA, MOL and the minister of labour himself, we hope this program will become a vehicle for change in the province. That way, we can all see the big picture and work together to support a program that will reach our kids, our employees and senior management as well as owners.
It is through the collaboration of every stakeholder that we can achieve change and make an impact on the safety culture in Ontario. We must work together and not in silos if we are to succeed.
OGCA members have now brought the North American Safety Week to Canada, being held the first week of May. OGCA members across the province and in other provinces are promoting, educating and celebrating an enhanced safety culture as the following quote emphasizes:
"The mission of Safety Week is to collectively raise the awareness of the construction industry’s continuing commitment to eliminating worker injury, and to clearly communicate its dedication to a shared culture of care and concern and the belief that every week must be Safety Week."
I look forward to attending a number of these events been held by our members across Ontario.
A few years ago, a number of associations came together to form the WSIB Task Force which became the Construction Employers Coalition for Workplace Safety and WSIB reform (CEC).
Since its inception and wide support, no other organization has been as effective in achieving change at the WSIB and that group continues to work together, sharing their programs and expertise to bring positive change to the industry.
COR will continue to evolve and the strong support by owners will make it the single most relevant accreditation in the province. A new industry task force is being struck with IHSA to work on improvements to the system and make it far more user-friendly, including discussion that will lead to a program similar to the SECOR program in other provinces.
These are just a few examples where stakeholders, working together, have made a difference.
The league is another extension of these efforts of the industry to continue to raise the bar, and focus on the key goal of cultural change.
As an industry, we must believe in leading, in never accepting the status quo, but to reach out, to help, and partner to make the industry a better place and ensure that safety knowledge and policies are not proprietary but available to everyone. As safety is everyone’s responsibility from the boardroom to the site, we are all responsible.
By joining together, we all become part of the solution. Sharing information, ideas and programs will increase our ability to successfully achieve a safety cultural change in the province.
"All accidents can be prevented" are not just words: they are a belief that we must support and continue to do everything in our power to ensure every worker goes home safe at the end of the day.
Clive Thurston is president of the OGCA and a member of the CEC and CDAO.
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