NAOSH Week

May 2017

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naoshPoster2017.indd 2 2017-01-05 3:41 PM 02 "The whole idea of NAOSH Week is for everybody from the business community to recognize the importance of occupational health and safety," says Laura La Palme, Manitoba co-chair of NAOSH Week. "It's not just about wearing personal protective equipment. It's what we can all do as individuals and what employers can do to ensure safety is at the forefront in everybody's mind in the workplace." NAOSH Week was first organized in June 1997 as part of an agreement between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) is the primary organization behind the event. This year's NAOSH Week activities will take place May 7-13 on several fronts here in Manitoba including Winnipeg, Brandon, Steinbach, Winkler, Morden and The Pas. The theme of this year's campaign is "Make Safety a Habit." "It's like pulling up at a stoplight and knowing you have to stop. You don't have to think about it. It's just a habit. That's how we want people to act when it comes to workplace safety and health," says La Palme, who is also the director of marketing and public relations for Payne Transportation, about this year's campaign theme. NAOSH Week will get underway May 7 with the Steps of Life fundraiser at Kildonan Park for Threads of Life, a charity that supports families that have been affected by a workplace accident or injury. The official kickoff for NAOSH Week in Winnipeg activities will take place May 8 beginning at 8 a.m. at Investors Group Field. The event will feature several guest speakers including a representative from Threads of Life and someone who lost a family member because of a workplace accident. The keynote speaker will be Winnipeg Blue Bombers president and CEO Wade Miller who will discuss how team employees deal with unruly fans and how players protect themselves on the field. La Palme says Manitoba organizers hold the launch at a different venue each year and try to focus some of the discussion on that site and what it does to provide a safe workplace for employees. Last year's event was held at the recently renovated Metropolitan Entertainment Centre while the Canadian Museum for Human Rights hosted the launch the year before. In addition, numerous businesses across the province will host their own activities throughout the week to promote workplace safety and health. Past events have included barbecues, personal protection equipment fashion shows, home movies and even a safety selfie contest demonstrating safe practices in the workplace. "Unexpected injuries can happen to anyone," says Shahin Khidir, Manitoba co-chair for NAOSH Week and a safety and health leader for Bison Transport. "NAOSH Week is about safety awareness, involvement and a good reminder of the importance of making health and safety a part of every job and an everyday habit. Throughout NAOSH Week many companies in Manitoba participate in activities that are safety-related at work and at home, activities that are engaging and fun. It helps to engage employees in safety activities and at the same time have fun." Companies can enter their NAOSH Week events and programs for a chance to win an award in one of four categories: most innovative, best new entry, best representation of the theme and best overall. Provincial winners will be announced at a gala dinner to be held Sept. 27 during the SAFE Work Manitoba conference and will qualify for a national contest. "Over the past four years we've seen a lot of creative entries," La Palme says. "There is a real prestige that comes along with the awards now. I think it shows customers and future employees that you are a real safety-conscious organization." Although the number of businesses participating in NAOSH Week activities has continued to grow, Khidir says Manitoba organizers hope to convince even more companies to be part of it. "We want companies to know NAOSH Week really does not take away from your production," she says. "The truth is NAOSH brings a lot of motivation to the workplace…. Now people have these fun-filled activities that they can participate in and look at safety from a different angle and say 'Hey, safe work really does make sense.'" FOCUS ON SAFETY BY JIM TIMLICK This year marks the 20th anniversary of North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. While it serves as a reminder of the importance of workplace safety, Manitoba organizers say the week-long event is about more than just hardhats and steel-toed footwear. The whole idea of NAOSH Week is for everybody from the business community to recognize the importance of occupational health and safety." " LAURA LAPALME (LEFT) AND SHAHIN KHIDIR ARE THE MANITOBA CO-CHAIRS OF NAOSH WEEK. PHOTO BY DARCY FINLEY

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