Safety in the Workplace

Many factors go into the reduction of accidents in the workplace, but training and workplace culture are among the leading reasons

By Phil Polsom, CLAC Training Saskatchewan Director

In 1984, I was fresh out of high school and entering the workforce. In that year in construction, there was a total of 1,307 workplace incidences in Saskatchewan, including 629 lost-time accidents and 678 no-lost-time accidents.

In 2020, those numbers improved significantly with a total of 494 incidences in the workplace. Of those, 156 were lost-time accidents and 338 were no-lost-time accidents. While this shows a significant reduction in the number of injuries, one worker getting hurt is one too many. We must continue to work toward ensuring that all workers go home safely at the end of the day.

Many factors go into the reduction of accidents in the workplace, but training and workplace culture are among the leading reasons. The changing attitudes toward proper training and safe work has never been more of a focus than at this time. Employers and workers alike are building new workplace cultures that focus values, beliefs, and attitudes around the importance of working safely.

I can remember when I started a new job back in 1993, my entire orientation consisted of the foreman reminding me that if I got hurt, I was fired. Today, that same job has a full week of orientation incorporating certain basic training requirements that also speak extensively to the  safety culture built between workers and management.

Employers that want truly successful and meaningful change in their safety culture will always include their workers in the development of new safety programs.

At CLAC Training in Saskatchewan, we work hard to bring members safety training provided by industry-leading safety training experts. Ensuring the quality of the training is important, but we also verify that those who deliver the training continue to meet the leading industry standards.

Access to training for members has never been easier. From the online calendar to the amazing CLAC Training team, we are here to serve you. From setting up training courses to answering your questions, we are here to assist you.

For more information on our services, please go to clac.ca/training and go to the Saskatchewan tab under training opportunities. You can also get information on upcoming training by calling our training team at the Saskatoon Member Center at 1-877-649-2522.