Acadian Seaplants Limited has won the Safety Award of Excellence, Nova Scotia's highest workplace safety honour. On hand to present the award at the Acadian Seaplants location in Cornwallis were Minister Marilyn More, Labour and Advanced Education and Stuart MacLean, CEO of the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia.
“Workplace safety is a priority, and businesses like Acadian Seaplants are setting an excellent example of how a collaborative approach and commitment to safety can enhance their business, and the overall workplace safety culture in Nova Scotia,” said Labour and Advanced Education Minister, Marilyn More. “The people being recognized today are the ones working on the front lines to change attitudes about workplace safety in this province, and I congratulate them for their impressive work and dedication.”
“Together, we can make Nova Scotia a leader in workplace safety.”
The Safety Award of Excellence was one of nine awards delivered to organizations and individuals over the last month as part of the fourth annual Mainstay Awards, a program sponsored by the WCB and the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education. The Mainstays honour companies and individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment and significant contribution to building a culture of workplace safety in Nova Scotia.
“This year’s winners have achieved some remarkable safety results that are truly inspiring,” said Stuart MacLean, CEO of the WCB. “By demonstrating leadership, focus and discipline within their own workplaces, they are helping create a safer province for all Nova Scotian workers.”
Workplace safety is the top priority for everyone at Acadian Seaplants. By making the company’s safety programs and records accessible, management has ensured that employees are an essential part of building a safety culture at each worksite. The company also works with outside safety auditors to identify gaps and implement safety improvements.
“It’s important for us, as a management team, to lead by example and to effectively demonstrate to our employees, day-in and day-out, that their safety is paramount,” says Jean-Paul Deveau, President of Acadian Seaplants. “By focusing on our auditing process and integrating our safety matrix program, we have drastically reduced our number of lost-time incidents and more importantly, we’ve engaged our employees in putting safety first to make sure their colleagues, contractors, visitors, as well as themselves, all get home safe to their families each night.”
Other recipients of 2012 Mainstay Awards were:
Olands Brewery, Safety Transformation
Dave’s Commercial Cleaning, Employer Safety Champion
Clearwater Seafood Limited, Employer Safety Champion
Capital District Health Authority – Injury Prevention, Employer Return to Work
Keith Robinson (MARCO Group), Individual Safety Champion
Mike O’Leary (Municipality of the County of Antigonish), Individual Safety Champion
Cecil Haughn (Hillside Pines, HSC), Individual Safety Champion
Jane Power (Northwood, Ivany Place), Individual Safety Champion
To learn more about the Mainstay Awards, visit mainstayawards.ca
