WorkSafeNB relies on the support and leadership of New Brunswick individuals and organizations to ensure healthy and safe workplaces in our province. That’s why each year we recognize outstanding efforts of health and safety leaders through our Safety Star Awards.
Our 2023 Safety Star Award Recipients:
“It’s incredibly important we take a moment to truly celebrate and thank these safety leaders,” said WorkSafeNB president and CEO Tim Petersen. “These are people going above and beyond to influence culture and change behaviour – working diligently to ensure their colleagues go home safely to their families at the end of the day.”
Shelley Poirier
Sparking an awareness and passion for safety is no small feat. Shelley Poirier routinely goes the extra mile to ensure safety is top of mind for those in the construction industry.
“Shelley’s career in health and safety has inspired thousands of people in the construction industry to stay safe on the job and return home safely every night,” Tim Petersen said.
“I’m passionate about health and safety because I used to work in vocational rehabilitation,” Shelley Poirier said. “That experience, working with people with severe workplace injuries, inspired me to work on the preventive side.”
“Shelley is an inspiring safety leader because she leaves a meaningful impression on you,” Chalena Biggar, senior regional health and safety manager for Cooke Aquaculture, said. “For Shelley, safety isn’t just a nine to five job. She volunteers in the community and serves on safety committees and boards. She’s collaborative and knowledgeable.”
Clow Canada
“Clow Canada received the Safety Star award because of their approach to empower their employees with safety,” Tim Petersen said.
“Clow was founded in 1834 - the oldest company in Saint John -and we’re very proud of that,” said Rick Benoit, vice president and general manager - McWane Canada.
“We’ve moved from a compliance-based safety approach to an ownership-based focus with employee engagement.”
“I’m proud of the commitment this team shows to health and safety, said Craig Silliphant, environmental health and safety co-ordinator for Clow Canada. “Winning the Safety Star award means we are moving in the right direction. It’s a recognition of all the teamwork and effort we’ve put into our health and safety program.”
Fredericton Playhouse
“You might think about industrial or manufacturing environments, but safety is important in all workplaces. And it’s impressive to see an arts organization apply creativity to the world of safety,” Tim Petersen said.
“As a live performance venue, we were forced to shut down,” said Tim Yerxa, executive director of the Fredericton Playhouse. “It gave us an opportunity to pause, look inward and question what we could do differently. Empowering employees to approach safety differently was key for us.”
“Something that made a big difference was developing new policies and procedures that involved the whole team,” said Sally Goodwin, director of operations. “If another organization wanted to up their safety game, I’d recommend they include their whole team. We involved our volunteers, employees and management. Having everyone’s voice at the table makes a big difference.”
Congratulations to all the Safety Star Award recipients!
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