This Halloween, I dressed up as a Safety Superhero. Maybe not a big stretch for me, but I had some fun with it! It got me thinking—what would a Safety Superhero look like? For inspiration, I used the word “Safety.”
Safety isn’t just about us internally—it also impacts our customers. When we create a safe workplace, we ensure that everything from our processes to our products meets high standards. This helps us build trust with our customers, showing them that safety is a priority in every aspect of what we do.
S = Supervisors or System. Supervisors are critical to a health and safety (H&S) program. They lead by example, provide PPE, listen to concerns, enforce rules, and have the biggest impact on job satisfaction. A good Supervisor encourages a Safety-First culture. However, a Safety Management System (SMS) is also vital—these are your H&S standards, policies, and procedures. But without a good Supervisor to implement them, they are just words on a page.
A = Accident or Action. When there is a lack of safety, accidents often result. Accidents are why we have Safety Professionals who work to prevent injuries. However, I prefer Action. As a Safety Professional, I observe hazards daily and hear about them from the Joint H&S Committee, management, and employees. We need to take action and address these hazards before accidents happen. A Safety Superhero would definitely focus on prevention.
F = Fall or Family. One of the most serious (and most preventable) types of accidents are falls from heights. Unfortunately, we aren’t all superheroes who can fly, so we fall and get hurt when we don’t use proper guarding or wear fall protection. At Atlantic, one of our core values is “Our People are our Family.” Whether you think of your Work Family or personal Family, taking shortcuts can have huge consequences. It’s always essential to keep ourselves safe from falls and other hazards—our Families and customers appreciate it!
E = Ergonomics, Equipment, or Emergency? This was a tough choice. As a Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist, I know the importance of good ergonomics in preventing musculoskeletal discomfort, the most common injury in Ontario. However, many severe accidents I’ve seen involved equipment—either insufficient guarding or non-compliance with lockout procedures. So, equipment safety is very important. And of course, Emergency response and planning are crucial parts of any good safety management system. Maybe I can choose all three… superheroes can do everything!
T = Team. Keeping people safe takes teamwork. Even superheroes can’t be everywhere! Employees identify hazards, Supervisors take action, Maintenance repairs hazards, Engineering designs safe workplaces and equipment, and HR addresses concerns like mental health and harassment. It takes a Team to keep everyone safe, which ultimately helps us deliver safer experiences to customers.
Y = You. You wear your PPE, comply with safety procedures, and look out for each other. You work to keep yourself and your colleagues physically and mentally healthy. When each of us is vigilant, we help keep everyone—employees and customers—safe. I think we can all be Safety Superheroes every day, no need to wait for next Halloween!
– Dana Greenly
Director of Health and Safety, Human Resources
