Sudbury safety conference sees record numbers: turn out 200 per cent increase over the past five years.

• Author: Stewart, Nick
• Position: HEALTH & SAFETY - Conference notes

The rising concern over health and safety is apparently not lost on Northern Ontario businesses, with attendance of the Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA)'s 2008 Safety Solutions conference reaching record heights.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

This year's event, held in Sudbury on Oct. 1, drew more than 150 people from companies throughout the region, representing a 200 per cent jump over the last five years. Comparatively, the 2007 conference saw 130 attendees.

"People are becoming more aware of the need for leadership on health and wellness issues," says Angele Poitras, coordinator for safety programs with the IAPA.

"It's a testament to the growing readiness of industry in Northern Ontario."

According to Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), lost-time injuries and illnesses have gradually decreased in the province throughout the last decade. While the number hit 294,703 in 2000, it has since dropped to 252,985 in 2007. However, the total number of deaths from traumatic injuries and other immediate causes has remained relatively flat, going from 111 in 2000 to 100 in 2007.

This has meant that raising awareness of the problem through events such as the Safety Solutions conference has had a positive impact, but that the situation is still needs to improve, says Poitras.

With a theme of "Ready for the Future," the event balanced traditional concerns of workplace safety such as occupational noise and emergency preparedness with up-and-coming issues such as ergonomics and the prevention of violence in the workplace. In all, 16 health and wellness topics were touched upon across the day's scheduled sessions.

This theme also brought such speakers as Sudbury lawyer Claude Lacroix, of Lacroix Forest LLP. Lacroix saw a packed crowd for his presentation on the potential implication of American cases on employer liability for staff use of cell phones for business purposes when driving in a company vehicle. While there are yet to be any Canadian cases on the issue, Lacroix suggested that Northern Ontario companies may want to institute policies to prevent corporate liability.

Other speakers with Northern connections came in the form of the day's keynote speakers...