In this issue, we are thrilled to celebrate safety excellence with the 19 nominees for the 2021 Safety Excellence Awards—and this year’s five award winners. Congratulations, again, to all the nominees.

Meet the 2021 winners:

PFG Glass Industries | Winner Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) Excellence

The 2021 JHSC award went to Langley Township’s PFG Glass Industries. Their JHSC is a high-functioning team with several roles at the company. PFG trains committee members to identify and use a wide range of insights to seek solutions to health and safety challenges. With the support of company leadership, the committee is responsible for developing and implementing policies that ensure an effective health and safety management system.

PFG established its Joint Health and Safety Committee in 2017 when the company was selected to participate in the Program and Committee Evaluation (PACE) pilot. PACE focuses on employers with 20 or more workers who are considered moderate to high risk. The company completed the program in 2018.

The JHSC regularly conducts hazard identifications and collaborates to develop and implement safe work procedures and practices. The committee developed a formal health and safety program which includes:

• Management and leadership commitment
• Hazard ID and Control
• Industry-specific programs (contractor safety management, mobile equipment safety, confined space entry, etc.)
• Accident investigation
• Training
• Emergency preparedness

PFG has seen many positive effects in their company since completing PACE and establishing their JHSC. One of the most notable has been a reduction from 150 lost-time days due to injury in 2017 to only 22 days in 2018.

Safety is at the heart of the business at PFG Glass Industries, and safe work has become a way of life for their employees. They believe that all injuries and incidents are preventable and do everything to ensure that workers arrive and leave work without injury.

Molson Coors | Winner Safety Innovator

The Chilliwack-based Molson Coors team’s innovative approach to identifying and managing risks in their workplace garnered them this year’s Manufacturing Safety Innovator Award. This award recognizes innovation in safety in OHS management systems, health and safety training, wellness programs, and culture.

Every day, during the department shift production meeting, the team discusses environmental health and safety (EHS) triggers. An EHS trigger includes any unusual, non-routine, contractor, or high-risk activities taking place that day. The team then discusses what control measures to take to mitigate those risks. Employees complete a Quick Risk Prediction (QRP) after identifying a risk. This form helps the team to complete a pre-hazard analysis before work begins.

Molson Coors company values—putting people first, being bold and decisive, taking action, learning every day, and celebrating together—have allowed them to shift from traditional training methods to encouraging an overarching culture of learning. In their workplace, peers train peers, supervisors are both learners and trainers, and new skills are taught when needed.

Their commitment to continuous learning helps employees build skills and provides coaching and support for the team. A flexible approach to training ensures employees have access to various training opportunities – including online, on-the-job, and face-to-face learning.

Monte Creek Winery | Winner Small Business People First

The Small Business People First award recognizes a member or OSSE-certified company with fewer than 20 full-time equivalent employees that has excelled in health and safety.

Monte Creek Winery is a family-owned winery and tasting room in Kamloops, B.C. Their small but mighty team’s extraordinary commitment to safety allowed them to achieve OSSE-certification in 2021, in the midst of pandemic challenges and restrictions.

Monte Creek regularly meets with their Alliance safety advisor to discuss their diverse health and safety needs, health and safety trends, and ideas specific to their industry and company. They have taken active steps to integrate health and safety into their culture and get the whole team on board—encouraging healthy living both at work and at home.

CKF | Winner Fantastic Four Risk Control Leader

The Fantastic Four Risk Control Leader award recognizes a company for implementing leading solutions in three key manufacturing risk areas. The winning entry also demonstrates leadership. Langley packaging producer CKF won this year’s award based on their comprehensive commitment to health and safety.

At CKF, management has been working together with the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) to identify and minimize ergonomics hazards in the workplace and prevent MSIs. After analyzing physical demands and job hazards for a variety of jobs at their plants, CKF implemented several new programs, including:

• Anti-fatigue mats at workstations
• Job rotation in jobs involving repetitive motion
• Lifting devices
• Pallet scissor lifts
• A stretch and flex program
• A dark room for employees working night shift to take power naps during breaks

CKF has also worked extensively with the Alliance to safeguard machines and equipment. As a best practice, management consults with machine operators, the JOHSC, and maintenance personnel to design and install safeguards.

Based on the belief that “good safety leadership is important,” CKF integrates health and safety into daily business activities and culture. Management and safety professionals encourage employees to take personal responsibility for safety by consulting the JOHSC and reporting unsafe conditions immediately. CKF’s proactive approach to safety includes investigations of potential incidents to help prevent accidents from happening in the first place.

Jason Longden | Inaugural recipient Apex Award

The Alliance introduced a brand-new award at this year’s Pinnacle Gala: the Apex Award, recognizing an individual from among our membership for exceptional commitment, passion, dedication, and action in support of health and safety.

Inaugural recipient Jason Longden, CEO of Fine Choice Foods, served on the Alliance Board of Directors for two 3-year terms before excepting the role of interim board chair at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. We were honoured to present him with this new award for his exceptional commitment and dedication to service and advocacy in support of health and safety for the manufacturing and food processing sector.

Does your company demonstrate safety excellence?

The 2022 Safety Excellence Awards nominations are now open!

Learn more about the awards and nominate your organization today.