Canada appears to have made little progress on workplace safety in recent years. For example: no less than 12 work-related fatalities have occurred since 2014 at Suncor’s oil sands facilities, a total that surpasses all of its competitors. This poor record is one of the reasons for the resignation of CEO Mark Little last month. Interim chief executive Kris Sims acknowledged last month that the company knows it needs to improve its safety record.
The time to do this has come, he said. He gave no specifics. However, Sims said Suncor plans to announce those intentions at an investor presentation this fall. “Suncor, a large company, constantly seeks to improve quality control and its methods, but there are still reports of tragedies there, underlines Shirley Hickman, general manager of a support organization for the families of the victims. What’s happening in the smaller companies that don’t have the same resources as Suncor? We are raising more and more awareness about workplace safety, so what is the missing piece of the puzzle?”
In 2008, 1,035 people died on the job, according to data from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada. Since then, the annual average of deaths related to an accident at work or an occupational disease is 945. The exact annual number fluctuates slightly. The toll has not declined significantly, even though Canadian laws are among the strictest in the developed world, experts say. “I often hear people say that because of new technologies, this data should be decreasing, but it is not the case, notes Alyssa Grocutt, doctoral student at Queen’s University.
When we look at them, we find that the balance sheet is stable or increasing.” His father died in a 2008 work accident at Suncor Energy facilities in northern Alberta. She studies the consequences of fatal work accidents on relatives and colleagues. Ms Hickman also lost a loved one to a work accident. His son Tim was killed by an explosion in an amphitheater. According to her, many companies have difficulty incorporating safety into the work culture.
While many have written protocols, employees often prefer to take shortcuts. A worker who sees something that could affect their safety should feel free to notify their supervisor, but many hesitate for fear of being taken for a complainer, she laments. “If we don’t listen to them, they should have enough self-confidence not to do this task, or even to walk away even if it’s difficult to do,” adds Ms. Hickman. Calgary’s Wynny Silito wants people to be more aware of the impact of a workplace accident.
This injured worker still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, more than 11 years after being exposed to a chemical that burned her upper body. “You don’t need to lose a limb to see your life change forever,” she says.