Safety and Health Week taking place through first week of May

Safety and Health Week runs May 2 to 8 this year and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is taking celebrations virtual.

Now more than ever occupational health and safety is in the spotlight, and top of mind.

To help workplaces celebrate this important week, CCOHS is offering a free program of live virtual events on workplace wellness, mental health support, pandemic planning, and risk assessments.

The sessions are open to anyone who wants to attend and run throughout Safety and Health Week.

May 3: Safety and Health Week Kick-Off Event
11:30 p.m. – 12:15 p.m. EDT

CCOHS will kick off Safety and Health Week with special guest, Minister of Labour Filomena Tassi. Shirley Hickman, Executive Director of Threads of Life will share her first hand experience on the impact of workplace tragedies, and Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) President Deirdre O’Reilly will bring greetings. The winners of the national Focus on Safety Youth Video Contest will also be announced.

May 4: Better Your Business Through Workplace Wellness Programs
1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. EDT

Raf Bartkow and Peter Neufeld of Maple Leaf Foods will share their journey to creating effective employer wellness programs. This 45-minute session will outline how wellness programs are a vital part of the business model and will provide tips on achieving employer support.

May 5: Midweek Meditation
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT

This midweek 20-minute guided meditation session aims to help participants pause, relax, and reflect.

May 6: Lead the Way to a Culture of Workplace Health and Safety
1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. EDT

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded workplace leaders that health and safety must be a top priority. McMaster University leaders, Dane DeMan (Team Lead, Environmental and Occupational Health Support Services) and Roger Couldrey (Vice-President, Administration) will share tips and insights on how to keep safety culture and hazard and risk assessments top of mind for organizations in a post-pandemic landscape.

Information on the program and how to register is available on the CCOHS Safety and Health Week 2021 event page. 

Quick Facts

• Information and tips to host your own virtual event can be found on the Safety and Health Week website: www.safetyandhealthweek.ca.
• Workplaces can promote important health and safety messages during Safety and Health Week with free posters and shareable social media cards.
• Safety and Health Week was previously known as NAOSH (North American Occupational Health and Safety) Week.
• Sessions will be recorded and available on the CCOHS YouTube channel by the end of May 2021.