Press Release

April 21, 2009

Mississauga, Ontario – April 21, 2009 - A number of awards were handed out today at Health & Safety Canada 2009, IAPA’s annual conference and trade show. Recipients include:

IAPA-Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) Leadership Award – Rob Ellis
This year’s recipient of the IAPA-CME Leadership Award is Rob Ellis of My Safe Work, an advocacy group for young worker health and safety. Rob’s story began 10 years ago when his son David was killed in a workplace incident. Since then, Rob has tirelessly worked to educate the public and create greater awareness about the importance of workplace health and safety. The IAPA-CME Leadership Award is given to individuals who demonstrate strong leadership and communication skills, the willingness to go above and beyond to champion change, and for having a positive impact on the community. Rob Ellis embodies all of these qualities, which is why he was recognized with this award.

JV Findlay Scholarship – Paige Elizabeth Claire Winkle and Jennifer McBrearty
Named after IAPA’s former Executive Vice President, the JV Findlay Scholarship encourages graduating high school students and full-time Ontario university and college students pursuing studies in occupational health and safety to enhance their learning of issues that affect the well-being of Ontario workers and workplaces. To qualify for the scholarship, candidates had to submit a health and safety poster that increased awareness for young workers while integrating the conference theme of “Imagine. Innovate. Inspire”. Candidates were also required to provide proof of their academic standing.

The 2009 winners of the JV Findlay Scholarship are Paige Elizabeth Claire Winkle of Bowmanville High School and Jennifer McBrearty of the University of Toronto. Paige’s poster was about workplace harassment with a focus on verbal abuse and how to identify warning signs. Jennifer integrated Health & Safety Canada 2009’s theme of “Imagine. Inspire. Innovate.” to create her poster about what a safe workplace looks like and what improvements can be made to ensure the well-being of workers.

President's Award – 3rd Year Recipients – Steelcase Canada Ltd, Lyndon Security Services, and Casco Inc.
Steelcase Canada Ltd., Lyndon Security Services Inc., and Casco Inc. received the President’s Award in 2007 and were recognized today for successfully maintaining their standing during the award’s three-year term. Each firm met the criteria outlined in the Declaration of Conformity, such as no critical injuries and fatalities, and they also submitted an Injury Frequency Worksheet. 

The President’s Award is IAPA’s highest honour. The prestigious award celebrates member firms that have achieved health and safety excellence and used their accomplishments to benefit their communities. To qualify for the President’s Award, firms must attain an IAPA Level III Health & Safety Achievement Award and undergo a vigorous audit of their health and safety management system.

IAPA (Industrial Accident Prevention Association) is a not-for-profit, member-driven organization operating in Ontario since 1917. Representing approximately 50,000 member firms and more than 1.5 million Ontario workers, IAPA is Canada’s leader in workplace health, safety, and employee well-being. IAPA is focused on providing industry-leading training, consulting, educational products, and informational services that meet our members’ needs and the needs of those in their communities. IAPA is also recognized as a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre in Occupational Health and an International Labour Organization – CIS Collaborating Centre. IAPA is ISO 9001 certified, has been awarded the National Quality Institute’s Progressive Excellence Program Level 4 for Quality Certificate and the Canada Awards for Excellence Gold Trophy Awards for Quality and Healthy Workplace.

ATTENTION MEDIA: IAPA is now accepting applications for the 2010 IAPA Russ Ramsay Media Awards for Excellence in Health and Safety Reporting. All Ontario trade and consumer media – print (newspapers or magazines), radio, and television – distributed and broadcast in Ontario are invited to submit pieces of work focusing on workplace health and safety. Universities and colleges are also invited to submit work in the Student Media print and radio categories. Only work published or aired between January 1 and December, 31, 2009 will be eligible. For award consideration, all materials must be submitted to IAPA by Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

For more information on IAPA’s programs, products, services, and awards programs, visit IAPA’s website at www.iapa.ca .

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For more information, contact:

Lena Wan
Communications and PR Specialist, IAPA                                 
Tel: 905-614-4272, ext. 2247 
E-mail: lwan@iapa.ca