Plenary talk by Graham Lowe at the 14th Annual Conference, Health & Safety Conference Society of Alberta. Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, Alberta. October 30, 2015.
TALK DESCRIPTION: Employers in Canada and many other countries face mounting pressures to find better ways to reduce employee health and safety risks – and costs. These challenges are best addressed by viewing healthy and safe employees as a strategic advantage. This positive approach to risk reduction is guided by a workplace vision that sets mental and physical wellbeing as corporate goals. Evidence-based best practices point to four actions that OHS professionals can take to move their organization in this direction. First, expand occupational health and safety management systems to promote psychological safety. Second, collaborate with wellness and HR professionals to develop integrated approaches to employee wellbeing. Third, make full use of OHS and HR metrics to demonstrate connections between health, safety and performance. And fourth, never lose sight of fact that your organization’s culture – the value it places on people – is the foundation for healthy, safe and high-performing workplace.