From the editor: Reimagining workplace health and safety
February 2, 2022
By
Marcel Vander Wier
As the future of work is ushered in, leaders need to ensure the opportunity for lasting change doesn’t slip by
Change is hard. It can often be scary. But in many instances, it can also serve as an opportunity to make things right.
The last two years have resulted in major changes in all facets of our lives — with upheaval coming at a speed and scale the vast majority of us have never before endured.
Whether the dust has yet settled is up for debate — the lingering pandemic continues to confound leaders and frustrate citizens the world over.
But in conversations around employment, it is clear that lasting change is afoot. The future of work is being adopted in various formats within organizations across the world.
After many years of crystal ball predictions, the future is unfolding as hybrid, flexible, and personalized to employees.
Talent Canada (a sister publication of OHS Canada) has been facilitating conversations on the makeup of the future workplace since 2019.
As the calendar turns to 2022, the conversation has turned to the reimagination of work itself.
All elements of work are up for a reimagination — benefits, culture, compensation, office usage, recruitment, retention… even workplace health and safety?
As columnist Lisa McGuire so eloquently puts it in her first commentary of the new year, yes, even the world of occupational health and safety requires a time of reflection and potential reboot.
As a leader, she writes, it is essential to look to the future and decide how to integrate health and safety into the DNA of your business.
Focusing on emergency response planning, visible leadership, and mental health are all on the agenda for OHS leaders in the coming year.
Taking the time to reflect and reimagine is an important process in terms of “getting it right.” As the future of work is ushered in, leaders need to ensure the opportunity for lasting change doesn’t slip by.
And to those seeking answers to what lies ahead, you’ve found the right place.
As the road begins winding into 2022, our team has every intention to continue bringing you up-to-date industry news, information on the latest and greatest products, and thought leadership on all of the changes occurring in the world of occupational health and safety.
We are thrilled to welcome our new brand sales manager Silvana Maiolo to the team. Her energy and friendly nature is sure to be a breath of fresh air.
Not immune to the reimagination discussion, the OHS Canada team continues to fine-tune our digital coverage with more webinars, podcasts and virtual events planned for this year, alongside a shift towards a seasonal magazine distribution schedule.
The past two years have ensured workplace health and safety is top of mind — an achievement many in the industry have been striving towards for years.
Ensuring a healthy and safe workforce is a noble cause. Now is the time to ensure that messaging sticks for good.
Marcel Vander Wier is the editor of OHS Canada.
