It’s been a major change to the M.O. of Canadian business over the past 20 years. The shift from unregulated and largely independent business sectors has given way to a situation wherein policies and procedures lay the framework for any business to follow. Is this a good thing? Of course! Working safe is a fundamental human right, and there’s no doubt that a worker who feels safe will perform better. There’s been a growth of diverse industries that Canada has been on the cutting edge of, from technological and robotics to medicine and cannabis. All of these are still bound by the rules to provide a safe environment for clients and the consuming public as well.
Canadian tech and cellular companies are ever expanding, and are mandated to do so at a sustainable and responsible rate. The advent of cell phones has been life changing for everyone, and the safety industry is charged with staying a step ahead of possible dangers. The risk of low level radiation, chemical traces in materials and the unsureness of new technology ensures that safety consultants be aware of the dangers at all angles, and how to protect the workplace and employees from harm.
There are very few markets that Canada has not taken an early lead in, and the medicinal and recreational marijuana industry is no exception. As the world’s leading nation in production and experimentation, there is an equally tremendous amount of work that needs to go into ensuring that the product is created safely, legally and with the utmost consideration given to those performing the work. This is another fascinating example of the challenging and changing role that health and safety consultants have before them. The auto industry has existed for nearly a century and as such practices are very established and the supporting research largely collected. But in a young industry such as this one, there is a crucial need for every facet and danger to be understood and handled. Machinery used, protective equipment worn and a multitude of other factors need to be examined and evaluated now to make absolutely sure that everyone is working safe and with as little personal risk as possible. With cannabis and cannabis-infused products the strength of THC is still only governed by mildly agreed-upon standards for potency. This seemingly small oversight of laboratories potentially allows them to get sloppy, and can create a risk for the public or staff if not under stringent regulations. This is again why consultants need to ensure that proper work procedures are observed, proper preventative steps are taken and that both the workers and managers are aware of any potential risks.
No industry is except from the need to perform safely, and in Canada that’s a need that’s taken very seriously. No one should feel unsafe at their job, and no person should ever be the victim of harm befalling them in the workplace. That is, after all, the job of a health and safety consultant!
