Saskatchewan just got safer

On June 10, 200 Saskatchewan business and community leaders declared their commitment to the health and safety of their employees and communities at an historic public signing event. Co-sponsored by WorkSafe Saskatchewan and Safe Saskatchewan, this event featured the official signing of Saskatchewan’s first Health & Safety Leadership Charter.

“By working together, Saskatchewan business leaders can be instrumental in improving the lives of Saskatchewan people, enhancing the economic environment for business and saving millions of dollars in health and social costs – one workplace, one community and one family at a time,” says Gord Moker, CEO of Safe Saskatchewan.  

Signatories of the Charter will reconvene to report on progress, success and outcomes at an annual Leadership Forum. By signing, the leaders have chosen to be involved in a provincial movement and reap the reward of seeing the improved health and safety of Saskatchewan residents.

“A lot of us don’t realize that an injury at home affects us at work, and an injury at work affects us at home. Any injury has a direct impact on the people around us - our family, our co-workers and our community,” explains Peter Federko, CEO of the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board. “That’s why WorkSafe Saskatchewan and Safe Saskatchewan have partnered to create this event, where informed leaders will publicly commit to injury prevention within their organizations and their communities. Our goal is that safety be adopted as a value – not just a priority.”

Fast Facts:

• Saskatchewan has the second worst workplace time-loss injury record in the country.
• Away from work, Saskatchewan’s injury hospitalization rate is twice the national average.
• Unintentional injury means an injury caused by an incident such as a fall, motor vehicle collision, drowning, poisoning, electrocution, etc.
• Saskatchewan’s death rate due to unintentional injury is 1.4 times higher than the national average.
• Unintentional injuries have a negative impact on the individual, their family, their workplace and Saskatchewan communities’ growth and viability.
• Every year, preventable injuries create a drain of $1 billion on the provincial economy.