Safety MattersOur blog discussing workplace safety opportunities in Nova Scotia and around the world.https://www.worksafeforlife.ca/safetymattersblogFall Federal Forum time to innovate, collaborate and sharehttps://www.worksafeforlife.ca/safetymattersblog/PostId/218/fall-federal-forum-time-to-innovate-collaborate-and-shareGeneralWed, 22 Jun 2016 12:44:05 GMT<p>Everyone is responsible for safety at work, but real change starts at the top. &nbsp;That was the central theme of the second&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.6;">Fall Federal Forum in Halifax. &nbsp;The event was organized by WCB Nova Scotia in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada for leaders to come together. &nbsp;The daylong forum in late November was a time to innovate and collaborate on how to minimize the cost of workplace injury.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 1.6;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/worksafeforlife/001A9440.JPG" /><br /> </span></p> <p>The event brought in 42 attendees from 13 federal government organizations and provincial workers&rsquo; compensation boards. &nbsp;The forum was also available as a webcast, where 20 people tuned in from across the country.</p> <p>Leaders from the federal and provincial levels presented their own workplace success stories and strategies for moving forward. &nbsp;Attendees also took the time to discuss injury prevention and management and to develop their own action plans.</p> <p>One such success was presented by Gena McDermid from the Nova Scotia Department of Justice and Corrections. &nbsp;The department developed a workplace consulting framework with the aim of reducing costs by preventing injury.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/worksafeforlife/001A0311.JPG" /></p> <p>McDermid acknowledged that change starts at the top, and leaders need to be open to accepting help to change. &nbsp;In this case, the department developed a partnership with the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union to help implement a safety plan.</p> <p>A particular triumph came when the employee engagement survey elicited a 100 per cent response, compared to 92 per cent in other departments.</p> <p>&ldquo;Safety wasn&rsquo;t just important to us, it was important to the employees as well,&rdquo; said McDermid.</p> <p>McDermid said that managers must lead by example &ndash; if employees get the impressions that managers do not care, then neither will they.</p> <p>The presentations from the entire day are now viewable online. Find them <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/NSWorkSafeForLife/videos" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /> <br /> </p>2185 Steps for Safety Leadership in Your Workplacehttps://www.worksafeforlife.ca/safetymattersblog/PostId/97/5-steps-for-safety-leadership-in-your-workplaceGeneralFri, 02 May 2014 17:19:02 GMTNova Scotia is becoming a safer place to work. That&rsquo;s something to celebrate during NAOSH Week. But it&rsquo;s also a call to action to do more.<br /> <br /> We are seeing steady reductions in the number of workplace injuries. The total number of injury claims with the WCB decreased by 5.2 per cent from 2012 to 2013. While that&rsquo;s good news, it still means that 25,000 Nova Scotians were hurt on the job, many of them seriously. Still others paid the ultimate price and never returned home when the workday was done.<br /> <br /> We must keep improving. There is no acceptable number of workplace injuries. One is too many.<br /> <br /> To keep improving, we need to create a true safety culture in Nova Scotia. That safety culture will exist when everyone in an organization will only do something if they can do it safely.<br /> <br /> It starts with leadership.<br /> <br /> Leadership is one of the top priorities in <a href="http://www.workplacesafetystrategy.ca/Home.aspx">Nova Scotia&rsquo;s Workplace Safety Strategy.</a> We need leaders in every organization, from the corner office to the shop floor, to make safety a fundamental part of how work is done.<br /> <br /> <p>Many workplaces across Nova Scotia have committed to improving their safety performance in recent years. We see the impact of their efforts in our improving results. They are leaders in the safety culture movement. To follow the path set by these workplaces and demonstrate that safety leadership in your own, your workplace should:</p> <ol> <li>Encourage and expect safe work practices from the top down.</li> <li>Help employees recognize their role in protecting their own safety and that of others.</li> <li>Ensure managers and supervisors understand they are responsible and accountable for the health and safety of their employees.</li> <li>Empower managers and supervisors to ensure equipment, materials and the work environment do not pose undue hazards.</li> <li>Identify an individual safety leader to coordinate health and safety responsibilities. This safety leader must have direct access to, and the support of, senior management. </li> </ol> <br /> These steps can help your workplace become safer. And remember, a Joint Occupational Health and Safety (JOHS) Committee is required by law if you employ 20 or more people. A JOHS Committee brings together managers and employers to collaboratively put the right policies and practices in place. Make that team a key part of your safety culture.<br /> <br /> As you think about safety during NAOSH Week, remember that it is equally important throughout the rest of the year. Your leadership will make the difference.<br />97