Ontario Construction News staff writer
Applications for the WSIB’s Small Business Health and Safety Leadership Awards are open until July 9.
Small business leaders in Ontario with fewer than 50 employees are encouraged to apply and share their health and safety success story from last year and the steps they took to make their workplaces safer.
Brick & Co. Restorations Ltd., a 30-year-old company based in Kitchener, was one of the winners in 2020.
“Why do I think we should be recognized as a small business health and safety leader,” asked Don Zehr, contract administrator, in the promotional video?
“I don’t necessarily think we should be. I think we do what we have to do.”
Michaela Zehr, health and safety co-ordinator at Brick & Co., safety is about more than just preventing injuries on construction jobsites.
“It’s also about ensuring that (workers) are finding that wellness in their life as a person.”
Working safely takes focus and conscious effort each and every day, at each and every job and on each and every task. Our customers expect us to do the very best work, and that can only be achieved by working safely.
“More importantly, our families expect us to come home every day uninjured and that does not happen without working safely.”
The top three businesses will win a cash prize: $5,000 (gold), $3,000 (silver), and $2,000 (bronze), plus recognition at a ceremony in November. The first-place winner will feature in a promotional video that will be shared on WSIB’s website and across social media.
“Each year we recognize the health and safety achievements of independently owned and operated businesses with fewer than 50 employees,” WSIB organizers said on the website.
“This year we invite small businesses to tell us about their unique health and safety success story from 2020. We know it’s been an incredibly difficult year that’s affected small businesses in countless ways, and we want to recognize all of the efforts made – whether they’re big enhancements or small changes – to improve workplace safety and help your employees and customers feel confident and safe.”
The top three businesses will receive a monetary prize: $5,000 (gold), $3,000 (silver), $2,000 (bronze), and be recognized at a WSIB awards ceremony in November. The gold winner will also feature in a promotional video – like this one from last year, which will appear on our website and social media channels.
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