Regina, SK – As part of ongoing efforts to reduce injuries and fatalities in the province, the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) is undertaking steps to strengthen ties between researchers and Saskatchewan’s primary injury prevention partners – WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety (LRWS), research institutions and industry safety associations. As WorkSafe works to build safety research capacity in Saskatchewan, Dr. Sean Tucker has joined WorkSafe as the Associate Director of Research.
“Dr. Tucker’s abundant experience in health and safety research will be a great asset in his new role,” said Phil Germain, Vice-President of Prevention at the WCB. “Sadly, workplace fatalities are higher this year than we’ve seen in the past few years. There is no single cause for this, which is why it’s so important for us to work together to find solutions.”
Tucker has four main roles with WorkSafe Saskatchewan:
- He will help injury prevention partners identify and define occupational health and safety (OHS) research priorities.
- He will increase awareness of OHS-related research priorities among researchers while increasing funding applications to funding agencies.
- He will review and, where necessary, support improving research contracts and research project reporting procedures for Saskatchewan WCB-funded OHS projects. This includes helping to improve collaboration among WCB and LRWS research programs.
- He will enhance the knowledge translation of WCB-funded research project findings.
“Based on the latest research and trends in the province, organizations should concentrate on safety-related leadership, employee training, and increasing awareness of OHS rights and responsibilities,” said Tucker. “By taking these steps and working together we can prevent serious injuries and deaths at work.”
WorkSafe Saskatchewan is an injury prevention and workplace safety partnership between the WCB and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. Through the partnership, both agencies offer programs and support that help employers and workers develop workplace safety and health programs. You can reach WorkSafe Saskatchewan at 1.800.667.7590. Follow us on Twitter: @worksafesask, YouTube: youtube.com/worksafesask or on Facebook: facebook.com/WorkSafeSK for real-time updates.
Mission: Zero is an initiative to eliminate all injuries in Saskatchewan. Launched in 2008, Mission: Zero drives home the effects of injuries and the importance of safety and injury prevention at home, work and play. The intent behind Mission: Zero is to bring about a significant reduction in the provincial injury rate.