ENTop Achievers in Workplace Safety Honoured

Outstanding achievers in workplace safety were honoured today, May 10, with Occupational Health and Safety Workplace Achievement Awards.

The awards were presented to 20 Nova Scotia companies by Environment and Labour Minister David Morse at a luncheon in Dartmouth. The award ceremony was part of North American Occupational Safety and Health Week activities.

"These companies deserve to be recognized for their achievement in successfully preventing injuries in their workplace," said Mr. Morse. "It is important to take the time to recognize those companies, organizations and individuals who are obviously getting the message that when it comes to injuries and illness in the workplace, prevention is the cure."

The minister also noted he is encouraged to see repeat winners in addition to new winners. He said all Nova Scotia companies should strive towards meeting the example set by these companies.

The Occupational Health and Safety Workplace Achievement Award is presented by the province in partnership with the Workers' Compensation Board and Human Resources Development Canada.

Each recognized company or division received the top workers' compensation experience rating in their counties. An experience rating is determined by comparing the company's accident experience and workers'-compensation claim cost against the standard for the company's industry group.

According to Workers' Compensation Board statistics, more than 34,000 accident claims were filed last year. Of these, 9,200 workers were injured badly enough they could not return to work the next day. In 2001, 27 people died because of an accident or illness in the workplace.

This year's winners are:
Annapolis County -- Annapolis County Adult Residential Centre Antigonish County -- G & G Transport Repair Limited Cape Breton Regional Municipality -- Brimac Masonry Limited Colchester County -- Hutt Bros. Forestry Ltd. Cumberland County -- Darrin Carter Logging Limited Digby County -- Hankinsons' Logging Limited Guysborough County -- Milford Haven Home for Special Care Halifax Regional Municipality (3-way tie) -- Halifax Employers Association; CERESCORP Company and Twin City Painting Limited
Hants County -- Scotian Group of Companies Inverness County -- Ocean Paving Ltd. Kings County -- Industrial Electrics Limited Lunenburg County -- A Bek Drywall Limited Pictou County -- N. R. Kenney Logging Limited Queens County -- Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited Richmond County -- John Neil MacLellan Shelburne County -- Sea Star Seafoods Limited Victoria County -- Keltic Lodge Yarmouth County -- Nakile Home For Special Care

For information on workplace health and safety contact the Occupational Health and Safety Division of the Department of Environment and Labour at 1-800-9LABOUR (1-800-952-2687), or visit the Web site at www.gov.ns.ca/enla/ohs/.