Tofino-based Creative Salmon raises organic, indigenous Chinook salmon in the waters of Clayoquot Sound. Their team first heard of the value of COR certification through an industry association meeting. To keep up with other fisheries in the region who were pursuing certification, Creative Salmon started looking into what they would need to do to certify their own programs.

Mapping the Way Forward

Struggling with where to begin, Creative Salmon health and safety manager Ken Roberts described the feeling as being lost in a city without a map. He describes the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC in a tongue-in-cheek way as “the gas station attendant” that helped them find their way.

Initially overwhelmed by the gap analysis and audit tools, the support of the Alliance team helped them map their path to certification against the Occupational Safety Standard of Excellence.

As they progressed, they began to see the value of the new OHS tools they were implementing—and to track the positive changes in their business, both before and after ultimately earning the certification in 2023.

“As one of the smaller companies in the salmon farming sector, we thought it would be harder,” Roberts notes. “But after talking to larger companies, we realized it actually was easier for us to implement many of the programs and practices.”

Reaping the Benefits

Through the process, Creative Salmon recognized that safety is more than a job that someone in maintenance, operations, or HR can do off the side of their desk. Along the way, the company hired a full-time health and safety manager to provide ongoing support for injury prevention and build a more secure and committed workforce.

For this company, one of the most significant benefits of achieving the OSSE certification has been in integrating safety procedures and practices into their everyday work culture—making it an essential part of the way they work. Creative Salmon took the opportunity to restructure existing safety programs and build new ones to shore up the gaps. The process has changed their culture for the better, helping ensure that workers at all levels are motivated to keep each other safe.

“In addition to the financial benefits, we saw a downward trend in injuries and upward trend in employee retention… But the biggest benefit is that our employees saw the company caring about them, which is exactly what it should be.”

Ken Roberts, Health and Safety Manager, Creative Salmon