July 2005 ISSUE
A Work Safe Alberta Offers Mentorship
Alberta Human Resources and Employment launched Work Safe Alberta in March 2003 when Albertans were challenged to reduce workplace injuries by 40 per cent within a year. Over 100 Albertans die annually due to workplace injuries or disease. Related costs are $916 million in Workers’ Compensation Board claims per year.
One way to help buck this trend is the Work Safe Alberta Mentorship Program. The idea for this program began in the Alberta Workplace Safety Forum of 2002. In March 2003 it became one of the 32 recommended actions.
The mentorship program is based on industry leaders and associations demonstrating best practices and acting as peer guides to owners and senior managers.
Peer mentors are generally senior executives from companies or organizations that are industry leaders with superior safety results. In addition, mentoring companies must be participating in other activities related to promoting safe work practices. Volunteers mentor peers to raise their standards of workplace health and safety.
A peer mentor can help find solutions to improve a company’s safety management systems. Setting goals and an evaluation schedule are important parts of the plan.
Work Safe Alberta’s six key objectives are
1. Increase awareness of workplace health and safety and the need to reduce injuries
2. Expand and strengthen partnerships among workers, employers and government in health and safety programs and injury reduction
3. Strengthen workplace health and safety legislation and regulations, and improve safety standards
4. Improve workplace health and safety compliance through new incentives and enforcement initiatives
5. Expand health and safety training and education in the workplace
6. Improve workplace health and safety research and performance reports. N