The Health and Safety Leadership Charter – Saskatchewan Leaders Commit to Mission: Zero
The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) believes that an organization’s leadership determines its safety culture. When the leader is committed to safety, the rest of the organization commits to safety. Since 2010, the WCB, through WorkSafe Saskatchewan, has invited business leaders to declare their commitment to health and safety by signing the Health and Safety Leadership Charter on behalf of their organizations.
The Health and Safety Leadership Charter is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. Private and public sector leaders take up Mission: Zero’s call to action – to eliminate all injuries. Signatories pledge to accept and encourage Mission: Zero one task at a time. They are striving to make zero injuries a reality.
Since 2010, the Charter members’ time loss injury rate has dropped 38 per cent while non-Charter employers’ time loss injury rate has dropped 30 per cent. During that same period, the Charter members’ total injury rate dropped 29 per cent while non-Charter employers’ total injury rate dropped 27 per cent. In 2015, the Leadership Charter members’ time loss injury rate continued to be above the provincial rate but the signatory businesses are improving faster than the rest of the province.
These results have led to an improvement in Saskatchewan’s national ranking for time loss injuries. For years Saskatchewan ranked as the second-worst in Canada for time loss injuries. According to the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada most recent ranking (based on 2015 data), Saskatchewan now ranks third highest. While Saskatchewan still has a long way to go toward achieving Mission: Zero, support from business leaders has made a significant difference.
The Health and Safety Leadership Charter provides guiding principles in health and safety. It provides the foundation for a cultural shift in the way Saskatchewan leaders view injuries and injury prevention. By signing the Leadership Charter, CEOs and business leaders agree to support seven principles:
- Health and safety is a priority.
- Integrate health and safety into business strategies.
- Effectively manage risks.
- Strive for continuous improvement.
- Enable employee participation.
- Extend health and safety beyond the workplace.
- Participate in the leaders’ learning community.
Charter members are investing in safety not only at work but also in the community by donating safety equipment, speaking about safety at schools, hosting breakfast meetings for other leaders and encouraging employees to take safety home. Members are also supporting local charities that are Mission: Zero partners, like the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association, STARS, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and Shooting Stars.
An annual Leadership Forum, co-hosted with Safe Saskatchewan, a non-profit organization committed to the prevention of unintentional injuries, provides an opportunity for business-to-business communication. Charter signatories meet to report on progress, success and outcomes. The Leadership Forum is also the annual opportunity for Saskatchewan businesses to become signatories and publicly affirm their commitment to Mission: Zero.
Changing a culture takes time but change is happening in Saskatchewan through its safety leaders. Since 2010, over 600 Saskatchewan businesses have signed the Health and Safety Leadership Charter. The number of Charter members increases every year. As time loss and total injury rates decrease, business leaders who commit to achieving Mission: Zero are changing the safety culture in Saskatchewan.
To learn more about the Saskatchewan Health and Safety Leadership Charter or attend the next annual event on June 8, 2017 in Saskatoon, please call Safe Saskatchewan at 306.352.3810 or visit the Safe Saskatchewan website at www.safesask.com.
