Electro-technology company Nilsen has gained an icare Aware Award for excellence in injury prevention for its safety initiatives, bringing to life its Think Safe Act Safe mantra.
With over 100 years of continuous service in the electrical industry, Nilsen considers communication as the key to its safety strategy. It has implemented “Speak out for Safety,” a company-wide campaign that encourages employees to speak up when something does not look safe.
The company’s safety initiatives have resulted in a 75% decrease in claims per 1,000 workers over the past year, as well as lower claims costs and a marked increase in incident reporting.
“Nilsen’s story is a great example of the importance of communication and leadership when it comes to building a strong safety culture,” said Jennifer Cameron, an injury prevention manager at icare.
The campaign’s key elements include plain English policies and procedures, risk profiles specific to each site or contract, and regular toolbox talks on safety topics.
“As our business grows and technology changes, the risks and risk controls can change quickly. It was, therefore, crucial for us to ensure that safety is top of mind for our workers as they go about their day-to-day roles,” said Nilsen’s health, safety, and environment (HSE) manager Greg Lowe.
“We’re encouraging all our workers to speak up about safety and commit to escalating their feedback if they feel it is not being acted upon or taken seriously. As the HSE manager, I see my role as providing our technicians with the right tools and information to empower them to lead safety, not for me to ‘do’ safety for them.”
