"Road to Zero" Initiatives to be Presented at Partners in Prevention 2010:
Ontario Health & Safety Conference & Trade Show

MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 30 /CNW/ - Hosted by the Ontario workplace health and safety system, Partners in Prevention 2010: Ontario Health & Safety Conference & Trade Show, running May 4 - 5 at the International Centre, 6900 Airport Road in Mississauga, is offering several sessions that will provide insight into the initiatives in progress around the shared vision of the Road to Zero. One injury, one illness, one fatality is one too many.

    
    Road to Zero Sessions
    ---------------------
    -   Opening Ceremonies - Tony Dean, Chair of the Ontario Workplace Safety
        System Review, will speak about the Expert Advisory Panel, which has
        been appointed to conduct a review of the province's occupational
        health and safety system. Tuesday, May 4, 8:00 a.m., Tony Dean,
        Chair, Ontario Workplace Safety System Review
    -   The Road to Zero - Join Tom Beegan as he provides a two year update
        on the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)'s strategic plan
        to realize the Road to Zero vision. Key initiatives in progress will
        be discussed, including the new Prevention Strategy and the
        restructuring of the Health and Safety Associations to enable
        enhanced frontline service. Tuesday, May 4, 10:00 a.m., led by Tom
        Beegan, Chief Prevention Officer, WSIB
    -   Ministry of Labour Priorities - The Ministry's role in workplace
        safety, the Safe at Work Ontario compliance strategy, enforcement
        blitzes and sector strategies, ministry priorities for 2010/11, and
        recent amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act will be
        discussed. Tuesday, May 4, 11:30 a.m., led by Sophie Dennis,
        Assistant Deputy Minister of Operations Division, Ontario Ministry of
        Labour
    -   Ontario's Workplace Safety System Review - Delegates will learn about
        the scope of the review and gain insight into the issues that will be
        examined, including the continuum of safety practices in the
        workplace, the impact of the underground economy, and how current
        legislation serves worker safety. Delegates will discover how they
        and their companies can contribute to the review. Following this
        presentation, there will be a question and answer session. Tuesday,
        May 4, 2:00 p.m., led by John Vander Doelen, Director, Review Project
        Secretariat

    Partners in Prevention 2010 builds on a tradition of networking and
knowledge exchange established by past Health & Safety Canada IAPA Conferences
and Trade Shows. Delegates will have the opportunity to tap into the expertise
of leading health and safety consultants, advocates, legal advisors, policy
makers, and researchers at this annual occupational health and safety event.

    Trade Show
    ----------
    Four trade shows will be taking place under one roof:
    -   Partners in Prevention 2010
    -   MASC 2010 (Machine Automation Safety Congress), featuring hands-on
        machine automation safety and safeguarding demonstrations
    -   CANECT 2010 (Canadian Environmental Conference & Trade Show), for
        environmental managers, plant personnel, policy makers, lawyers, and
        consultants responsible for environmental affairs
    -   Your Workplace Conference, a forum and marketplace to exchange ideas
        and strategies for attaining healthier workplaces, which contribute
        to well-being, enhanced performance, and increased productivity

    Features within the trade show include:
    -   a Healthy Living Stage, with interactive demonstrations of practical
        wellness applications, such as blood pressure, cholesterol and stress
        testing, nutrition and fitness, gait scanning, and more. On the
        stage, there will be free sessions, including:
        -  Developing a Corporate Wellness Program: From Theory to Practice
        -  Stress Resilience
        -  Healthy Aging Through Healthy Living
        -  Healthy Eating Habits for Work
        -  Ergonomic Products - What Works and When?
    -   an Ontario Health and Safety System booth, where attendees can learn
        more about the newly amalgamated health and safety organizations,
        speak with health and safety experts, and find health and safety
        solutions and resources.
    -   a Bookstore, with health and safety references and tools, business
        publications, training resources, multimedia, and more. In addition,
        various Conference speakers will be in the bookstore at select times
        to sign copies of their books, including Graham Lowe (Creating
        Healthy Organizations: How Vibrant Workplaces Inspire Employees to
        Achieve Sustainable Success) and Bruce Lourie (Slow Death by Rubber
        Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects our Health).

    Small Business Forum and Leadership Summit - CANCELLED
    ------------------------------------------------------

    Due to low registration numbers, the Small Business Forum and the
Leadership Summit have been cancelled. They were scheduled to take place on
Monday, May 3 at the International Centre, as part of the Partners in
Prevention 2010 pre-conference program.

    About the Ontario Workplace Health and Safety System
    ----------------------------------------------------
    

Ontario's workplace health and safety system recently restructured its programs and services to better assist Ontario businesses in reducing the number of injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in their workplaces. As a result of these changes, 12 of the province's health and safety associations have amalgamated to form four new organizations, effective January 1, 2010. Combined, these four organizations serve more than 236,000 Ontario businesses. The four new organizations are: Health and Safety Association for Government Services (HSAGS), Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA), Safe Workplace Promotion Services Ontario (SWPSO), and Workplace Safety North (WSN).

For more information on Partners in Prevention 2010: Ontario Health & Safety Conference & Trade Show, visit the website at: www.PartnersinPreventionOntario.com.

To access the media accreditation form, go to the media centre at the Partners in Prevention 2010 website: http://www.partnersinpreventionontario.com/contact_media.aspNo.media

For further information: For further media information, contact: Holly-Ann Campbell, Manager, Corporate Communications, [phone], ext. 2437, [email protected]