Ottawa – May 8, 2017 – Over 100 participants, including North
American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) program partners, federal,
provincial, and municipal government dignitaries and agencies, as well as health
and safety professionals from across Canada, gathered at the Canadian Museum of
Nature on May 8, 2017 to officiate the Canadian launch of NAOSH Week 2017.
Left to right: Perry Ruehlen, executive director,
CSSE; Kathy Tull, president, CSSE; George
Gritziotis, chief prevention officer and associate
deputy minister, Ontario Ministry of Labour; Sean
Scott, senior district HSE manager, PCL Toronto;
Gareth Jones, acting president & CEO, CCOHS;
James Smith, vice president, ASSE; Scott McKay,
director, partnerships & fundraising, Threads for
Life.

“NAOSH Week serves as a valuable ‘Call to
Action’ for all employers and workers throughout our country to focus on
occupational safety and health, with the ultimate goal of all workers going
home safe at the end of every work day,” says Kathy Tull, president of the Canadian
Society of Safety Engineering. “NAOSH Week is one week that truly can last
through the whole year and beyond – paving the way towards greater safety awareness
and injury prevention.”
As a motivational
champion, PCL Constructors Canada Inc. was honoured to conclude the official
launch by proclaiming NAOSH Week as officially underway, and challenged
workplaces to lead by example by taking part in the awareness campaign.
“PCL is proud to support
NAOSH Week and its partners to influence making safety a habit at work, at
home, and at play,” said Sean Scott, senior district HSE manager at PCL Toronto,
and member of the NAOSH national launch planning committee. “By maintaining
attention on high-risk activities, promoting safe behaviours, and by working as
partners, and not just individual companies, we fully believe that we will
achieve our vision of ensuring that everyone returns home safely, every day.”
To celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, and to
commemorate the 20th anniversary of NAOSH week, the 2017 national
launch, a Reflection on the Past,
Present, and a Look to the Future, paid tribute to over 150 years of
Occupational Health and Safety in Canada; from the establishment of provincial
occupational health and safety acts, to the Westray Mine disaster, to the
recognition of mental health as a workplace hazard.
NAOSH Week was established in 1997 by Canada, the United States,
and Mexico as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement, to shine a light
on the needed partnership between government, industry, and labour to raise
awareness and understanding of the importance of occupational safety and health
in the workplace, at home, and in the community.
During NAOSH Week, CSSE is encouraging investment in workplace
health and safety through events across the country. For more information about
NAOSH Week and how to get involved, visit www.naosh.ca.
- Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE)
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety (CCOHS)
- Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
- Threads of Life
- American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE)
About the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering
The Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) is the largest
health, safety and environmental organization for professionals in Canada. We
work with industry, governmental agencies, and other safety organizations to
promote a greater awareness of health, safety, and environmental issues. www.csse.org
About
PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (Toronto)
PCL
is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across
Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and in Australia. These diverse
operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets
are supported by a strategic presence in 31 major centres. Backed by PCL’s
111-year legacy, and with more than four decades of experience in Southwestern
Ontario’s dynamic construction market, the Toronto office is PCL’s largest
district with more than 550 of the construction industry’s most-talented
professionals and an annual construction volume of more than $1.0 billion. For
more information, visit PCL.com/Toronto.
For
media inquiries, please contact:
Perry
Ruehlen
Canadian Society of Safety Engineering
1-250-537-7851
pruehlen@csse.org
Liisa
Morley
PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (Toronto)
647-406-4851
lmorley@pcl.com