SafeStart is the 2024 winner of the Best Safety Industry Provider award category of Canada’s Safest Employers Awards. The other nominees in the category—4S Consulting Services Inc., EKT 90 Inc., HSE Elements, Journey to Zero Safety Solutions Inc., National Safety Services and Safety First Consulting Professional Corporation—were stiff competition as they all do such vital work.
At the Canadian Occupational Safety Gala in Toronto, SafeStart’s CCO Don Wilson gave an acceptance speech that really drives home the company’s mission of 24/7 safety. SafeStart tracks its success by the number of lives saved as a result of its training, but Wilson noted that having the hardware to back up its work feels pretty great.
After the awards were handed out, SafeStart’s CEO Barb Tait told Canadian Occupational Safety “Winning this is a tremendous honor, especially alongside peers who are equally passionate about protecting people. Our clients return because we go above and beyond, and we’ve maintained this standard for over 25 years.”
SafeStart also sponsored an award at the event. The SafeStart Award for Canada’s Safest Employer for Young Workers recognizes an organization in any industry that has innovated ways to put unique practices in place to engage, train and mentor young workers while also displaying exemplary health and safety practices specifically targeted to workers under the age of 25. Over a third of nonfatal workplace injuries happen to workers who have been with their employer for less than 12 months.
“SafeStart is proud to sponsor Canada’s Safest Employer for Young Workers Award,” said Tait. “Protecting young workers is one of the most important—and challenging—tasks for safety professionals. We’re thrilled to recognize and celebrate organizations that go above and beyond to safeguard this vulnerable group of employees.”
The City of Barrie won the SafeStart sponsored award, standing out in a category filled with many other remarkable finalists who demonstrated excellence in protecting young workers. This includes the City of Surrey, Flomax Compression, Green Infrastructure Partners, Kawartha Dairy Ltd., Modern Niagara, Pronghorn Controls, Rabcon Contractors Ltd. and SAT Consulting & Construction.
Canadian Occupational Safety notes that the combination of SafeStart’s sponsorship and award win “emphasizes a broader commitment to safety across various sectors. With leaders like SafeStart and exemplary recipients such as the City of Barrie, Canada’s workplace safety standards are not just being met—they’re being redefined for future generations.”
The mention of future generations is apt, with the incoming cohort of workers facing steep safety challenges as they enter the workforce. Fortunately, a new guide on young worker safety offers crucial tactics to bring people up to speed on safety before they get hurt on the job. Developed by SafeStart as part of the company’s commitment to protecting young workers as much as their more experienced colleagues, the guide is called Fitting in Fast: Making a Safe Workplace for New Hires and is free to download and share within your facility.