WorkSafe Saskatchewan celebrates workplace safety leaders during 2024 Safe Worker and Safe Employer Awards

Regina, Sask., May 15, 2024 – Today WorkSafe Saskatchewan recognized safety leaders from around the province at its 2024 Safe Worker and Safe Employer Awards. WorkSafe Saskatchewan, a partnership between the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, presented these awards in Regina as part of the WCB’s Compensation Institute.

“The winners of the 2024 WorkSafe Saskatchewan Safe Worker and Safe Employer Awards have dedicated themselves to fostering and advancing safety within their workplaces,” says Kevin Mooney, the WCB’s vice-president of prevention and employer services. “These awards acknowledge the exemplary individuals and organizations that prioritize safety, encourage mutual support and share effective safety strategies. They serve as beacons for all workers and employers across the province as we strive to make Saskatchewan the safest place in Canada to work.”

This year’s Safe Worker Award winner is Nathan Duncan, an application specialist at Finning Cat in Regina, Sask. Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to safety, Duncan extends his safety ethos beyond the confines of his immediate workplace. His role, which predominantly involves working off-site on customer premises, includes orienting heavy equipment operators and the sales team on the safe usage of newly purchased heavy equipment and conducting safety-oriented equipment demonstrations.

Duncan often says that safety is part of culture and one way to start the positive culture change is to always demonstrate safe practices. After a fatality on a customer’s worksite a few years ago could have been prevented with a seat belt, Duncan saw a need to speak up.

“I’ve got the opportunity to reach out to the entire industry when I’m delivering equipment,” he says. “I feel like I’ve got the opportunity to make a change in the industry by promoting all these important safety benefits that are often overlooked in the construction industry.”

Duncan takes safety beyond the walls of Finning to promote, train and demonstrate safe practices for equipment operators all over the province.

“We’ve got to change. This industry needs to change,” he says. “We need to make operators more safe. And I’ve … been out there promoting it as part of my daily routine.”

The recipient of this year’s Safe Employer Award is the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority Inc. (SIGA). Since graduating from the WorkSafe Saskatchewan priority employer program in 2017, SIGA has adopted a proactive approach to workplace health, safety, and well-being. Employers who exceed certain injury benchmarks are eligible to receive assistance under the priority employer program. This support focuses on assessing safety systems, providing training, and improving safety performance. Leveraging these resources, SIGA has launched many initiatives to solidify its commitment to a healthy and safe workplace.

In the past, SIGA used the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association audit tool to identify hazards and safe work practices. More recently, the First Nations-owned organization has started developing their own casino audit tool that they hope to share across the casino industry.

“Initially, there was some reluctance with the amount of mandatory training,” Michael Galay, manager of health and safety at SIGA says. “We had our staff go through the training process and recognize the reality of how important that training is.”

Internal safety training at the Saskatoon-headquartered company includes safety management, naloxone, drug and alcohol, along with power mobile equipment training. Additionally, SIGA’s health and well-being action plan offers extensive mental health, cultural and spiritual support to its employees, including significant training in crisis intervention and support.

Each year, WorkSafe Saskatchewan recognizes candidates for the Safe Worker and Safe Employer Awards who are nominated by their workplace peers and colleagues. The winners are chosen by two committees consisting of representatives from WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, the Saskatchewan Safety Council and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineers. These awards are a testament to the ongoing efforts to cultivate a safer work environment across Saskatchewan.

For further information about the WorkSafe Saskatchewan Safe Worker and Safe Employer Awards and the nomination process for the 2025 awards, please visit worksafesask.ca/resources/awards.

Photos are available upon request.

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Media contact:

Lisa Goudy
Communications and Marketing Manager
Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board
lgoudy@wcbsask.com