Press Release

May 20, 2009

Mississauga, Ontario – May 20, 2009 - IAPA presented Invitrogen Canada Inc. with a Level I Health & Safety Achievement Award this morning at its Burlington, Ontario location. Invitrogen Canada Inc. is a provider of platform independent, essential life science technologies for disease and drug research, bioproduction, and diagnostics.  

At Invitrogen Canada Inc., safety is not just limited to regulations but has become an integral part of the company’s culture. Under the guidance of its Environmental, Health, and Safety Team, the company has developed a health and safety management system to meet the needs of the staff and the facility. Daily safety walks, site audits, ergonomic assessments, and near miss reporting are all part of Invitrogen’s health and safety program. The Joint Health and Safety Committee also meet regularly to discuss site concerns and staff are proactive in identifying risks within its distribution and office environments.

"In receiving this award, Invitrogen Canada Inc. has shown its willingness to create a culture of health and safety at this facility," says Tom Howarth, Principal Consultant, IAPA. "The strength of your safety program lies in your commitment from every employee and support from management. You're striving to make health and safety a core value here and you have demonstrated that you are on the right path to achieving this."

“This tremendous accomplishment for site safety really comes down to the dedication and vigilance of our employees to make this workplace an injury-free environment,” says Debra Osborne, Senior Logistics Manager, Invitrogen Canada Inc. “The key to achieving this award is the use of our internal safety programs and our employees’ commitment to conducting their work activities in a way that minimizes risk. In addition, observing the behaviours of their colleagues and having the will and ability to stop, think, act, and review also helps.”

Invitrogen Canada Inc. received the Level I Achievement Award after IAPA conducted an on-site verification on March 5, 2009 to ensure that the firm’s health and safety management program met the award criteria. The company also completed the self-assessment report and met IAPA award requirements, which included prevention methods, legislative compliance, management practices, and lost-time injury frequencies.

IAPA’s three-level health and safety awards program was launched in 2002. The program is designed to celebrate an organization’s journey towards achieving workplace health and safety excellence. Since the inception of the program, 46 companies have received the Level I Health and Safety Achievement Award.

Life Technologies was created by the combination of Invitrogen Corporation and Applied Biosystems Inc. Together we are a global biotechnology tools company dedicated to improving the human condition. Our systems, consumables and services enable researchers to accelerate scientific exploration, driving to discoveries, and developments that make life even better. Life Technologies customers do their work across the biological spectrum, working to advance personalized medicine, regenerative science, molecular diagnostics, agricultural and environmental research, and 21st century forensics. The company has historical sales of approximately $3.1 billion, employs 9,500 people, has a presence in more than 100 countries, and possesses a rapidly growing intellectual property estate of over 3,600 patents and exclusive licenses. Life Technologies is dedicated to protecting the environment and promoting the health and safety of our employees, customers, and citizens in the communities in which we operate.

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
Email: lwan@iapa.ca