At Make It Safe Vancouver on Oct 9-10 at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster, the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC hosted almost 300 attendees to network and share innovations and ideas on topics critical for health and safety in BC.

What an amazing time at Make It Safe Vancouver 2024! With nearly 300 passionate attendees joining throughout the two days, the energy was through the roof from start to finish. From the moment guests arrived, the buzz was contagious and the venue was filled with lively conversations, interactive displays, and a true sense of community. The breakout sessions were packed with valuable insights, and the speaker lineup did not disappoint.

Musqueam First Nations’ Councillor Gordon Grant’s opening remarks challenged us to find our own way in moving forward towards building reconciliation and building a future for us all.

“It’s about making partnerships to move forward. For me it’s about the three ‘ships.’ Everyone wants a partnership, that needs to establish a relationship, that is based off of friendship. It’s the foundation of how you create something that will stand the test of time. Partnership doesn’t come without learning about each other, and that mutual respect is very important.”

In the opening keynote, CEO and founder, Nicole Stefenelli had us hanging on every word as she shared her personal story and how she and her team have built safety into the fabric of Urban Impact Recycling. Nicole recounted that one of the most important things in her mind is to build safety into the company values. Putting safety at the forefront challenges leaders and employees to consider safety first in every business decision.

As the first day continued on with packed breakout sessions, guests connected over coffee, lunch, and with exhibitors, making new connections and strengthening relationships. 

In the theatre, students teams from UBC and BCIT competed in the first ever Make It Safe NGen Youth Challenge. Fred Lee guided a program hosted by Youth Culture CEO Kim Cooper that included a showcase presentation by Imelda Rivera from CKF Inc., and panels on youth perspectives on health and safety and student the future direction of the profession. Students presented their Challenge entries to the judges and audience, and by the end of the day, more than $5,000 in cash prizes had been awarded to recognize their innovative ideas. Congratulations to all the student participants!

Day one ended with an industry keynote panel with Kerry Canada Plant Manager and Soaring Eagle Leadership Award Finalist Jaime Pacreu, Hansen Industries President Amit Chhabra, Airfoam Industries Director of Human Resources Chantal Ross, and Alliance CEO Wayne Arondus. This panel referenced the UN’s Sustainability Goals in a changing world and sector. To bring in and keep good people, businesses need to be more innovative and creative. Successful businesses recognize that there is more to life than work. Respectful workplaces that value connection and workers’ ability to live and build enjoyable and meaningful lives are the hallmark of sustainable business.

The second day of hands-on workshops and expert roundtables with experts from Work Wellness Institute, BDC, Thrive Recruitment provided guests practical opportunities to dive deeper into topics from human organizational performance, return-to-work programs, regulatory compliance, and emergency planning, to engaging discussions about strategies strengthen organizational safety culture.

We’re still buzzing from the energy and enthusiasm that every single attendee brought to the event. And we look forward to continuing the conversation and learning virtually at Make It Safe Online!

A tremendous thank you to the sponsors, speakers, volunteers, and of course, the valued attendees for making this event so worthwhile.