Awareness Campaign Encourages Safe Workplaces, So Workers Come Home Safely

A new campaign will remind workers and employers across the province about the most important reasons for making workplaces safe.

Labour and Advanced Education Minister Kelly Regan and Workers' Compensation Board CEO Stuart MacLean gave an advance look at a new commercial, today, Nov. 22, at Cape Cod Wood Siding, a leader in workplace safety.

"This campaign reminds us of the real reason we need to be safe at work," said Ms. Regan. "Because the most important reason for making your workplace safe is not at work at all -- it's at home. For real change to happen, we all need to think about safety all the time."

The workplace safety strategy for Nova Scotians calls for the province and the Workers' Compensation Board to raise awareness of safe workplaces through marketing.

The province is also hiring five more safety inspectors, working with industry to ensure officers are getting to more high-risk workplaces, and improving documentation and follow-up of compliance orders.

"Each one of us matters to someone else, whether it's a parent, sibling, child, neighbour, teammate or member of a community organization," said Mr. MacLean. "We work safely so we can enjoy everything that waits for us at home and in our communities."

Morgan Stobbe knows first-hand how devastating workplace injuries can be. In 2010, he suffered a workplace injury and lost an arm.

"Now my goal is to help others avoid a situation like mine, and in my new role as a safety officer at my place of work, I get to do that," said Mr. Stobbe. "My artificial arm sends a pretty strong message of the dangers in the workplace and people listen to what I have to say."

Safety is a shared responsibility; both workers and employers have responsibilities under the law. Many workplaces are already taking steps to encourage employees to value safety, including Cape Cod Wood Siding, which is participating in a pilot project with the province and Workers' Compensation Board to strengthen their knowledge of safety.

"We are constantly striving to maintain a safe work environment for everyone who comes through these doors," said Brad Dillon, Nova Scotia operations manager with Cape Cod Wood Siding. "Our families depend on us to work every day, but more importantly, they depend on us to come home safely. Our participation in this new initiative is certainly a positive step for our business."

The new commercial will air on prime-time television and radio around the province beginning Sunday.