A Weyburn business has won first place as a small business in the Mission: Zero awards, presented recently by Safe Saskatchewan. The Mission: Zero Awards were created to recognize those workplaces that demonstrate a sustained improvement in their injury rate over time and that influence a transformation in their organizational culture so that injury prevention is a core value.
Three categories of Mission: Zero Awards exist: small, medium and large employers. A winner is chosen in each of the categories. Those winners are announced during the annual Health and Safety Leadership Charter event.
The owner of R.P. Automotive in Weyburn, Rod Pickering, has his staff give a courtesy honk or two before they back a vehicle out of a service bay. Pickering said it’s a safety practice they’ve adopted to give employees or customers a warning — in case there’s a piece of equipment that needs to be moved, or to give heads up to a staff member.
Pickering said others in the community have picked up on this unique custom at work and at home. “We like to stay healthy and we don’t want to see anybody get hurt,” Pickering said.
“We’re looking out for all sorts of safety risks. But it’s not only for our employees, it’s for our customers too. We’re looking out for them when they visit the shop. We want to make sure everyone goes home safely to their families.”
With 32 years in the automotive business, Pickering admits safety hasn’t always been a priority.
“About four years ago, I started going to safety meetings,” he said. “I was overwhelmed at first by all of the safety protocol and procedures that needed to be in place. If Occupational Health and Safety walked through my doors, I would be screwed.”
So, he felt it was time to develop a safety program. As anticipated, the plan was initially greeted by some resistance. Over time, though, Pickering and his employees worked in unison to implement new safety procedures and protocols.
Now there are weekly safety meetings with strong communication, as well as opportunities for education and training and to review safety practices. Hoists see daily inspections, as do tools and other equipment.
“If someone is walking through the shop and notices someone working without their eye protection, they’ll give them a tap on the shoulder and remind them,” Pickering said. “And right away they know they forgot and they correct themselves.”
“With the inception of this health and safety program, I find myself asking, ‘What could happen here?’ And it’s a mental thing that automatically comes up now. I’ve always paid attention to the task at hand, but now I have that voice in my head reminding me to look out for other possible risks. It makes you a little more attentive.”
Pickering said he has shared what he has learned with colleagues throughout the community. Customers, too, have noticed the dedication to safety at the shop. Eye protection and hearing protection are given to customers when they visit.
And when employees explain why? “They’re a little surprised we have to do that, but I think they’re glad we have gone to that level and that we’re following safety protocol.”
The Mission: Zero Awards will no doubt be a source of pride for the workplaces earning them. But all the finalists in each category are to be commended. They are contributing to the growth of a culture of health and safety in Saskatchewan.
Safe Saskatchewan is a registered not-for-profit organization and is led by a consortium of public, private, cooperative and not-for-profit sector strategic partners. Safe Saskatchewan aims to raise awareness of the unintentional injury epidemic in Saskatchewan, coordinate provincial injury prevention initiatives, and support all organizations and programs undertaking injury prevention in the province.
