WorkSafe Saskatchewan (WorkSafe), a shared initiative of the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board and the Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment, and Labour (AEEL), was initially formed in 2002 when injury rates in Saskatchewan had reached an all-time high of 4.95%. In 2008, the terms and goals of this partnership were solidified through a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU commits the partnership to develop one integrated prevention strategy focused on the elimination of workplace injuries.

The MOU allows for harmonization of activities while still respecting the independence of the partners to administer their respective programming, legislation and regulations. The WorkSafe partnership facilitates the sharing of data and resources for education, training, and inspection activities to promote injury prevention and safety. WorkSafe continues to partner with other groups such as Safe Saskatchewan, safety associations, employers, workers, organized labour, and employer associations aligned with the WorkSafe objectives.

Mission: Zero
In May 2008, at the WCB Annual General Meeting, the Board Members launched the Mission: Zero initiative with a strong logo and an even stronger call to action: Zero injuries. Zero fatalities. Zero suffering. The core message of Mission: Zero is that all workplace injuries are predictable and preventable, and it challenges workers and employers to strive for zero workplace injuries.

A new series of advertising was launched around this campaign. Research conducted in December 2008 shows:

• 95.7% of respondents support WCB investing in safety promotion. This is an all-time high.
• Over 30% of those surveyed had changed how they do something at work because of WorkSafe messaging.

Youth
WorkSafe took a strong youth focus in 2008. Curtis Weber continued his role as the spokesperson for WorkSafe. He visited 29 schools throughout Saskatchewan sharing his story with nearly 4,000 students.

A Youth Coordinator was hired in Prevention to focus primarily on working with youth ages 15 to 24 years. His role is to enhance existing programs in the prevention messaging to youth. In the Spring, WorkSafe held an online quiz contest called Eye on Youth for students ages 15 to 24 years to raise awareness about workplace safety.

WorkSafe continued to reach high school students, teachers and employers through the Ready for Work program using dedicated website and print resources.

WorkSafe also participated in the development of the Occupational Safety and Health Practitioner Program administered through SIAST. This program delivers credit OSH career training to students throughout the province.

In an effort to pass the injury prevention message to younger children, WorkSafe obtained the rights to use Stella the Skunk, a popular injury prevention mascot developed in Prince Edward Island. Stella is a helper for WorkSafe Bob, and has been visiting schools and events with WorkSafe Bob and on her own to share the message that "Getting hurt really stinks!"

WorkSafe Bob took the WorkSafe message to communities around the province. He made regular appearances at Saskatchewan Roughrider home games, and he attended community spirit and sports days, powwows, and school and community events.

Priority Employers
In 2004, WorkSafe began identifying 20 employers who reported high frequencies of injury over a three year period. Through the Employer and HealthCare program, WorkSafe provides employers with assistance in injury prevention and training. As an employer's injury rate improves, the employer graduates from the priority list, and another employer moves into that spot, making the list of priority employers fluid.

The PE program has had success every year since it was founded. The 2008 WorkSafe Employer and HealthCare employers collectively reduced their Time Loss claims by 151, bringing Saskatchewan closer to achieving Mission: Zero.

For 2008 priority employers:

• 8 out of 10 experienced rate reductions
• 5 out of 10 experienced rate reductions greater than 10%

For HealthCare Top 10 employers:

• 5 out of 10 experienced rate reductions
• 3 out of 10 experienced rate reductions greater than 10%

2008 Safe Worker/Safe Employer Award Winners
As part of the Saskatchewan Safety Council's Industrial Safety Seminar, WorkSafe presented its annual Safe Worker and Safe Employer Awards. These awards are designed to recognize individuals and employers who go beyond the norm to cultivate a safe work environment and foster a safety-first culture. Cindy Cooper, the Worker Co-Chair of the Occupational Health Committee at St. Joseph's Integrated Care Centre in Lestock received the 2008 Safe Worker Award. Cherick Ventures Ltd. of Hudson Bay received the 2008 Safe Employer Award.

Partnerships
WorkSafe remains committed to creating and sustaining meaningful partnerships to further its injury prevention efforts.

• Safe Saskatchewan
  Safe Saskatchewan extends the injury prevention efforts of WorkSafe beyond the workplace and into the lives of people in Saskatchewan away from work. It is a unique non-profit consortium of public, private and cooperative sector founding partners that aims to raise awareness of the impact of unintentional injuries in Saskatchewan, coordinate provincial injury prevention initiatives, and support all organizations and programs undertaking injury prevention in the province.
  
  In 2008, efforts focused on advancing a broad social marketing awareness strategy, delivering a provincial seniors' falls injury prevention strategy, and supporting the development of a provincial agricultural injury prevention strategy.



• Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL )
  WorkSafe provides funding to SFL for its Ready for Work program. Ready for Work is a province-wide program to educate new and young workers about their safety and health rights in the workplace. Its key messages are that young workers have the right to know, the right to participate, and the right to refuse unsafe work.



• Joint Industry Committee (JIC)
  WorkSafe is continuing its work in an advisory capacity to the JIC, providing one representative from WCB and one from AEEL. JIC was formed to support positive change in the establishment of safety and health programs.
  
  In 2008, the JIC established two new documents to ensure that the framework of standards for safety program development, evaluation and certification in any industry remains up to date. These documents provide a mechanism so that JIC or any stakeholder has the opportunity to trigger a review of standards. JIC has been working to create a standard for industry certification in a number of industries and a quality assurance standard for certification programs. These standards will enable industries and associations to monitor the certification process. The standards will also serve to generate credibility for the certification programs.



• Research with WorkSafe B.C.
  WorkSafe is continuing to invest in injury prevention research through its partnership with WorkSafe B.C. In 2008, WorkSafe co-invested in three studies:
  1. Identifying Risk Factors for Falls among B.C.'s healthcare workers.
  2. Longitudinal Analysis of Lung Function Data in Saskatchewan potash miners.
  3. Economic Evaluation Workbook for Workplace Policies in the healthcare sector.

Looking ahead
WorkSafe's focus for 2009 is to continue to build awareness of Mission: Zero. The WorkSafe partners also hope to develop new alliances to expand the WorkSafe initiative. It remains a WorkSafe priority to continue to meet its goal of lowering total Time Loss injuries and attaining the ambitious goal of zero workplace injuries.

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