Iqaluit teams up with WSCC to promote workplace safety

On May 6, Safety Day, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., you’ll be able to see a variety of safety demonstrations in the parking lot outside of city hall. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)

The City of Iqaluit wants to promote safety in the workplace.

That’s why the city has teamed up with the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission to put on Iqaluit’s first North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, May 5 to May 11.

Starting May 6, the week will bring safety activities to Iqaluit in which everyone can participate, said WSCC spokesperson Glenda Zucker, who recently spoke at a city council meeting about the upcoming safety week.

The safety week’s goal, according to its website: “to focus employers, employees, partners and the public on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home and in the community.”

On May 6, Safety Day, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., you’ll be able to see a variety of safety demonstrations in the parking lot outside of city hall.

There will be different stations: one for demonstrating bicycle helmet safety for kids, another to show respiratory protection measures for carvers and painters, and others on ladder safety, seatbelt use and proper installation of children’s car seats.

“We’ll be giving out freebies as well,” Zucker said. “We’re really excited that the city has shown so much interest in it.”

It’s important for youth to learn about safety she said, because, “they learn early, and hopefully they will take that with them into their adult life.”

The theme of the Safety Week, which runs until May 11, is “are you as safe as you think?”

And committees, comprised primarily of volunteers, are coordinating events and activities along this theme across Canada.

Other activities slated for Iqaluit include:

• a preschool story time with stories about safety at the Iqaluit Centennial Library during the morning of May 7;

• a BBQ May 8 at noon, followed by a “safety game show” at 1 p.m. at the Association des Francophones du Nunavut, which will bring four teams together to test their safety knowledge in hopes of winning a Spot location device —“basically like Family Feud,” Zucker said.

Agnico-Eagle Mines Corp. plans to organize events during Safety Week at its Meliadine gold project near Rankin Inlet: a project to promote safety at Meliadine, which will see workers submitting a slogan, song or drawing along the theme “are you as safe as you think you are?,” followed by a special celebration dinner.