Regina, SK – Key elements of a violence prevention program, creating mentally healthy workplaces and understanding asbestos are three prominent issues facing workplaces today. To help address these issues, those topics are featured on the second and final day of the 21st annual Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board’s (WCB) Compensation Institute.
“To ensure workers and employers can adapt to the latest workplace health and safety challenges, we are bringing in world class speakers to provide relevant and timely information on pressing issues,” said WCB CEO Peter Federko. “Workplace violence, mental health and asbestos are just three topics that need to be addressed. That’s why we host Compensation Institute – to open up a dialogue with workers and employers on how to keep workplaces safe from all forms of injury.”
“We want to continue to improve our services,” said Phil Germain, Vice-President of Prevention and Employer Services at the WCB. “We also want workers and employers to achieve Mission: Zero. Right now, 88 per cent of Saskatchewan employers have achieved Mission: Zero. There will always be new difficulties facing Saskatchewan workplaces and we want workers and employers to be well-equipped on how to safely handle those issues. Compensation Institute is one way to help workers and employers by providing information and resources.”
Today’s featured presentations include:
- The key elements of a violence prevention program
- Creating mentally healthy workplaces
- Effectively communicating with culturally different people
- Spot the hazard – Practice safe sleep
- Understand what asbestos is and how you can prevent exposure
- Changing our culture from overwhelmed to resilient
- 10 influencing factors for risk acceptance
Compensation Institute is open to the media.
Founded in 1997, the purpose of Compensation Institute, a free, interactive learning conference, is to provide a dialogue of learning and education between workers, employers, safety associations and the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). It delivers hands-on information while supporting injury prevention and return to work. The Saskatchewan WCB is the only WCB in Canada that holds a free event like this.
The Workers’ Compensation Board is a provincial statutory agency governed by a Board of Directors and funded by employers. Saskatchewan’s workers’ compensation system was adopted in 1930. At that time, the Workmen’s Compensation Act made into law what is known as the historic compromise: employers became collectively liable for workers’ compensation costs and, in return, workers waived their right to sue for work injury.
Mission: Zero is an initiative to eliminate workplace injuries in Saskatchewan. Launched at the WCB’s 2008 Annual General Meeting, the Mission: Zero campaign and programs drive home the impacts of work injuries and the importance of workplace safety and injury prevention. The intent behind Mission: Zero is to bring about faster and deeper reductions to the provincial workplace injury rate.