2017 Steering Committee Update

Your Steering Committee held its second meeting of 2017 on February 22, 2017 at the Leeds St. campus of the Nova Scotia Community College.

Significant Progress was made towards the objectives for 2017.

1. Member Survey – 49 Signatories responded to the survey – thanks to all who responded!  A summary of the survey which you Steering Committee will be using to shape its plans for 2017 can be found by clicking here. It is not too late for those of who did not have the opportunity to respond. The survey can be located at the link below and Tracy at Pro Conference Advantage will add any new results to the Survey Report. https://goo.gl/forms/E0xvEamzNm28Poj12

2. Lunch and Learns – the Committee felt strongly that it wanted to move forward with this initiative but has broadened the concept. Essentially these will be video conferences with sites at appropriate campuses at the NSCC. This was developed as it would give an opportunity for senior leaders (and health and safety leaders) to meet together for a lunch at locations throughout the province. Charter Signatories will be asked to “bring a friend” so that we can also expand our number of signatories. The rough format developed was:

(a) Youth Education and Onboarding – this would focus on the role which the public school system and the post-secondary institutions to prepare students for working in a health and safety manner. The group assigned to develop this further was:

• Don Bureaux
• Joel Carroll
• Karen Hutt

This has been tentatively set for May 25;

(b) Mental Health in the Workplace – this would be a follow up from the Fall Conference and would provide specific guidance as to what can be done by senior leaders to set the proper tone and provide leadership. The members volunteered here are:

• Janet Knox
• Cecelia MacLellan

This is tentatively set for September 28; and

(c) WCB Engagement - This is not developed yet but the concept would be that WCB would participate to indicate to senior leaders what they can do to enhance particularly safety in the workplace. Steering Committee meetings volunteered here are:

• Ian Anderson
• Cecelia MacLellan

This is tentatively set for February 22, 2018.

3. Mentorship Program – This is of strong interest to the Steering Committee as identified in the Survey results. More details with respect to this initiative will be developed at the March meeting of the Steering Committee. Details will be communicated.

4. Website Login – we have not yet posted any material which would be exclusively for Charter Signatories. It is expected that we will soon have information to post from the Mental Health Commission of Canada and more will then follow. However, it is necessary for Signatories to do a “one time” login which will then be reviewed by Tracy at Pro Conference Advantage and representatives of Charter Signatories will be given access. Please visit our site www.nshealthandsafetycharter.ca and under Member Sign In in the top bar menu – click on “Member Sign in” - under the “login” button, click on “join us”, click join us again and you will be taken to a page where you can fill in a form to sign up. This is a one-time only delay. All Charter Signatories are encouraged to go through that process so that the website, as it develops, will be of more use and of easy access to you.

5. New Signatories – Efforts are continuing to expand the number of Charter Signatories. Each of you can do your part through your organizations relationship with others who have not yet signed this initiative. Our goal is to have well over 100 signatories by the time of the Fall Conference employing over 100,000 Nova Scotia employees. Any prospective new signatory can be directed to our website: www.nshealthandsafetycharter.ca – all information to become a signatory is located on the website.

6. Fall Conference – this again would be the key program of the Nova Scotia Health and Safety Leadership Charter. Once again it will be in the Fall and will be at Pier 21. More information and the date will be communicated shortly

Your Steering Committee

Ian Anderson – Ianderson@ckfinc.com
Don Bureaux – don.bureaux@nscc.ca
Joel Carroll – jc@ca.falcksafety.com
Karen Hut – karen.hutt@nspower.ca
Janet Knox – janet.knox@nshealth.ca
Ken MacLean – kmaclean@municipalgroup.ca
Cecelia McLellan – Cecelia.maclellan@staples.com