Make it Safe Virtual OHS Conference + Trade Show
October 29 – 30, 2020 | Online and On Demand | STRONGER TOGETHER
In a crisis without borders, we are stronger together
Together, we can build safer workplaces in the new normal and emerge stronger in the recovery.
Meet health and safety experts, industry leaders, and youth from around the world in this interactive online conference. Learn from more than 50 Canadian and international speakers in 24 interactive sessions.
Conference Tracks
PEOPLE
Taking care of our people through crisis and beyond
SAFETY
Workplace health and safety best practice in the new normal
EXECUTIVE
Leadership and sustainable business in the pandemic and recovery
YOUTH
Youth perspectives on COVID-19 challenges and the future of school and work
Speakers
Learn from industry leaders and health and safety experts from BC, Canada, and around the world.
Program
Connect with industry leaders, HR management, and health and safety professionals from around the world. Share best practices and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn from the hands-on experience of more than 50 expert presenters and industry panelists.
Four-hour seminar, Part 1 of 2.
120min
Breakout SeminarWhat is the role of the JHSC or Worker Representative in a crisis situation like the COVID-19 pandemic?
In this session, hear from the safety committee chairs of four manufacturing organizations about the role their committees have played in their response to the pandemic, and opportunities to leverage the safety committee effectively in any crisis.
60min
PanelSupervising a workplace that is healthy and safe can be challenging yet rewarding for everyone involved. But how do you integrate psychosocial and psychological elements into existing health and safety programs to support comprehensive prevention efforts?
During this session, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), will provide you with actionable steps and credible resources to help you work towards a healthy workplace that is both manageable and measurable. Through a practical playbook, along with facilitated discussions, the group will be led through what applications are available to help your organization. Additionally, business continuity, risk assessment, and work priorities and how they pair with safety practices will also be reviewed.
90min
Breakout SeminarHow is the pandemic is changing the value employees, consumers, and distributors place on health and safety? How can savvy leaders can leverage a strong health and safety program to attract and retain staff and win new business?
In this session, hear from the CEOs and health and safety professionals at two companies about:
- Where safety fits in a business sustainability strategy
- How the pandemic is changing the value employees, consumers, and distributors place on health and safety
- And how savvy leaders can leverage a strong health and safety record to attract and retain staff and win new business
60min
PanelIn this international keynote panel, four manufacturing executives share the pandemic experiences and challenges they have faced in their companies around the world. Learn from their experiences and insights.
Hear their perspectives and ask questions directly about:
- Critical decisions and changes in their businesses;
- Supporting teams and company culture through the crisis;
- How the pandemic has changed their approach to leadership; and
- Essential leadership qualities and critical actions to emerge stronger in the recovery
90min
Panel
Speakers
View Full Description
Dan Reader
Franco Dutto
Gretta Stephens
Lisa McGuire
Michelle Garner-Janna
Four-hour seminar, Part 1 of 2. Musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) are among the leading causes of lost time and productivity for businesses—and persistent and sometimes debilitating pain for workers. Prevention starts with thoughtful design (or redesign) of workspaces and processes.
Participatory
ergonomics actively involves workers and other stakeholders in this process to improve productivity
and reduce risks to safety and health. Effectively implemented Participatory Ergonomics programs
are not only associated with positive health outcomes, but also result in measurable reductions in MSI-related symptoms and injuries, workers’ compensation claims, and lost
days.
This interactive workshop introduces practical strategies for involving workers in identifying issues and designing solutions. In this "hands-on" virtual workshop:
- Understand what a participatory ergonomics program entails and how effective it can be to control MSIs.
- Recognize the value in an evidence-based approach for implementing such program.
- Learn the key considerations in building a PE program
This workshop is appropriate for managers,
supervisors, safety committee members, senior leaders, strategists, and worker representatives.
120min
Breakout Seminar1:30 PM
What has the industry learned from COVID-19 that may require changes or enhancements to your exposure control plan?
In this session, industrial hygienist and AIHA board member Bernard Fontaine, Jr. shares key lessons learned from companies in a variety of industries and actionable steps to develop or improve your exposure control plan.
60min
Round tableWhat is our role in crisis response, change management and supporting mental health in the workplace? In this session, discuss essential strategies for addressing fear, fostering coping skills, and taking care of your team in times of crisis and change.
60min
Round table
Speaker
Mary Ann Baynton
3:00 PM
What is the impact of an outbreak on a production facility or other business—and on the employees who contract the virus? In this roundtable session, our expert presenter shares the story of his own recovery from COVID-19 and the critical lessons he shares with employers across Mexico. This is your opportunity to ask questions, share experiences, and discuss new strategies you can apply in your own facility.
60min
Case StudyWhat has been the impact of the pandemic on our organizations to date? In this executive roundtable session, join our expert facilitators in a conversation around the economic and mental health impacts on the industry, our businesses, and our people—and the key factors driving sustainable business performance and continuity in the recovery.
60min
Round tableAs we adjust to a less settled "new normal," complacency and crisis fatigue become a new risk for our businesses. In this session, we look at strategies to battle complacency and keep ourselves and our teams vigilant.
60min
Case StudyA respectful workplace is critical to keep your people engaged and safe. In this interactive session, learn how to recognize workplace bullying or harassment. Gain new techniques for dealing with these issues in your team, and clearer understanding of your related responsibilities as a manager or employer.
60min
Breakout SeminarPart 2 of a four-hour seminar.
120min
Breakout SeminarManufacturers are solving a growing range of problems through robotics and automation—increasing productivity and automating risk-laden tasks. But any change in the production process can introduce a new set of risks.
In this session, we look at some of those new risks and the implications for machine guarding:
- Discover how modern technologies make machinery safe
- Learn the various means to achieve safe industrial robot applications
- Find out how digital data technology and AI may affect the safety of machinery
- ... and rethink safety as an embedded feature that increases productivity.
60min
Breakout SeminarA recent Gallup study of 62,965 teams found that employee engagement has a stronger impact on performance during economic crisis, and that organizations are most resilient when employee engagement is strong. In this session, learn what drives employee engagement, and how you can leverage engagement to support and build emotional resilience in your people. Learn steps you can take to build the resilient workplace culture you need to survive and thrive in crisis and change.
60min
Breakout SeminarHow has the pandemic and recovery changed our perspectives and priorities in managing our greatest asset: our people? In this session, our expert panel shares the changes they have made in policy and approach—and critical lessons learned in communicating effectively, engaging employees at all levels, and building confidence in their organizations' health, safety, and management practices. How are our priorities shifting in the New Normal, and what have we learned that we can apply to better support the health and success of our people and businesses?
60min
PanelWhat can we learn about how we think about and teach safety from an
analysis of 31,000 front-line worker safety reports?
By gathering more safety data (incidents, near misses, safety
observations, operational failures) and processing it by using artificial
intelligence, many organisations believe they can predict and ultimately prevent
the next big accident. Is this realistic?
In an ethnographic study of 31,000 safety reports from front-line
workers (part of a project funded by the Oil and Gas Technology Centre of the
UK), we set out to:
- Identify common issues that impede learning across safety critical industries
- Develop a practical framework for business leaders to create a learning environment
- Understand how to align workers’ experience and knowledge with business goals and strategies
As we redefine health and safety in the uncertainty
of a post-COVID world, what do we need to adjust in our reporting and learning
environments to connect operational experience with business goals, strategies,
and performance?
60min
Breakout SeminarIn this keynote session, we have invited a panel of international experts to share insights, helping make sense of the changing and sometimes controversial sea of information about COVID-19.
- Find out what we are still learning about the virus, and emerging recommendations around transmission and effective controls.
- Understand the anxiety and mental health impacts and how our understanding of workplace wellness is changing through the pandemic.
- Get clarity into what we are learning about the virus, immunity, and vaccines.
- Learn key considerations to protect our businesses and our most vulnerable workers.
- And discover important lessons we're learning about crisis communications within our organizations and with our clients.
90min
PanelIn Canada and around the world, the wide range of standard certifications and qualifications for occupational health and safety professionals in various industries create inconsistency and gaps in the evolving health and safety needs of our businesses. In a multi-year research and consultation project, the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC and provincial and industry partners have been working to identify the core OHS competencies and capabilities needed to meet the health and safety needs of manufacturing companies. In this session, hear from experts in education and industry on this work and discuss the impact on future OHS training and assessment programs, professional skills and certifications, and adoption by the manufacturing industry.
60min
Panel1:30 PM
As many companies have some staff
working from home in response to the pandemic, how are we managing the risks
and supporting supervisors to manage the performance of
work-from-home staff? What does the future look like for work-from-home as
an approach for some of your staff in the new normal?
In this session:
- Learn strategies to manage the performance and wellness of work-from-home staff
- Consider new risks for the organization and the individual
- Look at the implications and opportunities for productivity–—what does this look like in the future?
- How are we managing performance? Accountability is critical!
- Are we considering the flight risks?
- What does the future look like for work‐from‐home with respect to benefits and risks as an approach for some of your staff in the new normal?
60min
Breakout Seminar2:00 PM
What does it take to earn the trust and respect of your team? To build an organizational culture where your people feel confident in your company leadership? What steps can you take for maximum impact? In this immersive session, learn new strategies from a leading international expert on work and workplace wellness—and practical applications from one of Canada's Best-Managed Employers.
60min
Breakout SeminarFour-hour seminar, Part 2 of 2.
Musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) are among the leading causes of lost time and productivity for businesses—and persistent and sometimes debilitating pain for workers. Prevention starts with thoughtful design (or redesign) of workspaces and processes.
Participatory ergonomics actively involves workers and other stakeholders in this process to improve productivity and reduce risks to safety and health. Effectively implemented Participatory Ergonomics programs are not only associated with positive health outcomes, but also result in measurable reductions in MSI-related symptoms and injuries, workers’ compensation claims, and lost days.
This interactive workshop introduces practical strategies for involving workers in identifying issues and designing solutions. In this "hands-on" virtual workshop:
- Understand what a participatory ergonomics program entails and how effective it can be to control MSIs.
- Recognize the value in an evidence-based approach for implementing such program.
- Learn the key considerations in building a PE program
This workshop is appropriate for managers, supervisors, safety committee members, senior leaders, strategists, and worker representatives.
120min
Breakout SeminarHow can we lead workplaces and teams that are inclusive and respectful? In manufacturing and food processing, we see tremendous ethnic diversity, a mix of younger and older workers, temporary or migrant workers, and often differences in language, race, and sexual orientation. In the pandemic, we have seen new prejudices cause friction in many plants. In this session, we consider the role of organization values in building and supporting an inclusive workplace. Discover and discuss new strategies in defining values that support inclusivity, and integrating them into your management approach and decision-making.
60min
Round table3:30 PM
What are the key considerations in managing the return to work of an employee who has tested positive for COVID-19? In this informative session, gain new perspectives beyond quarantine timelines and public health guidelines from an Ontario health and safety expert whose personal experience recovering from COVID-19 and returning to work outlines some of the unique potential challenges and considerations.
60min
Breakout SeminarSafety Pinnacle Awards
Join us for the October 28 Broadcast premiere of the live-to-digital Safety Pinnacle Awards. Celebrate your health and safety achievements with your team, your families and customers. RSVP