Top 10 Under 40: Meet Connor Heinrichs

Connor Heinrichs, 29, is a health and safety specialist at Best Buy Canada, in Burnaby, B.C.

OHS Canada’s annual Top 10 Under 40 program recognizes the achievements of the newest generation of Canadian OH&S workers.

Now in its second year, this program receives write-in applications over several months, and nominees are judged by the OHS Canada leadership team.

Our 2021 winners will be spotlighted on OHS Canada‘s website through August.

Connor Heinrichs: Health and safety specialist at Best Buy Canada in Burnaby, B.C., age 29

Connor Heinrichs is an integral part of Best Buy’s health and safety team in Burnaby, B.C.

He is responsible for supporting the program at the Western distribution centre, Canadian corporate headquarters, and the retail stores across the province.

The safety systems and processes in these three divisions keep more than 2,000 employees safe, in addition to customers.

During the pandemic, Heinrichs took upon the role of a Level 2 crisis specialist, engaged in positive exposure triages for his colleagues across the nation.

The COVID-19 pandemic turned his job role upside down as his team supported the company on a national scale, said Heinrichs.

“All my normal health and safety duties were instantly put on hold and my focus shifted to 100 per cent COVID-19 related. The normal 9-5 quickly turned into 24/7 due to the shifting nature of the pandemic and the unpredictability of the virus.”

Top 10 Under 40: Unveiling the next generation of safety heroes

Heinrichs is dedicated to his craft and has taken on the development of training modules, standard operating procedures and audit systems that have had a positive impact over the last two years.

“I’ve always had a passion for helping people and OH&S allows me to help people stay safe at work,” he said. “I believe that no one should have to worry about getting hurt at work and (by) being able to engage with workers and create programs, I am able to help them stay safe.”

Heinrichs holds an OH&S diploma from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby.