North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, May 6-12

Halifax will host the Canada-wide kickoff of this year's North American Occupational Safety and Health Week.

The goal of the week is to focus on the importance of occupational health and safety practices for preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home and in the community.

The kick-off event will start at 8 a.m. on Monday, May 7, at Pier 21 in Halifax. This year's theme Safety and Health: A Commitment for Life -- Start Today, focuses on the need for continual effort to work safely, and the urgency to start today to prevent as many injuries as possible.

Keynote speaker Duncan Hawthorne founded the CEO Health and Safety Charter. It is designed to achieve a breakthrough in health and safety performance across Canada by forging an alliance of business and government leaders. To date, more than 150 business leaders have signed the charter. Heads of workers compensation boards from all four Atlantic provinces will sign the charter as part of the event.

North American Occupational Safety and Health Week activities have been held in Canada, Mexico and the United States since 1997. In each country, organizations and their members host events and design programs to highlight occupational health and safety in ways that involve community members and safety professionals.

In addition to the Canada-wide kickoff, Nova Scotia events include regional flag-raising ceremonies in partnership with Nova Scotia Community College's Occupational Health and Safety offices, training sessions about fall protection, identification of hazardous materials, colouring contests and a tower rescue demonstration.

Another highlight is a symposium and awards ceremony taking place at Nova Scotia Community College's Akerley campus in Dartmouth on Thursday, May 10. The program runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes speakers, exhibits, and lunch.

For more information about all the Nova Scotia events, call 902-426-0860. For more information on North American Occupational Safety and Health Week events across the country, award-winning safety work, or how to work safely, see the website www.NAOSH.org .