INDUSTRY DRIVEN, INDUSTRY FOCUSED PAGE | 4
THE PROCESS
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development's risk assessment and root-cause
analysis methodology provides a transparent and collaborative approach to tackle occupational health
and safety issues. This proven approach, which has been harnessed by many sectors, focuses on leading
indicators, rather than lagging indicators, and leverages the knowledge and insights of front-line workers
and managers.
It involves two workshops: the first focuses on a risk assessment to identify high-risk events. The second
focuses on isolating the root causes of a selected high-risk event. An equal number of worker and
management representatives from the industry are chosen to participate in the workshops.
For the risk assessment workshop, participants share the top hazards they encounter, based on their
experience. Then, the group ranks them to determine the top ten risks.
For the root-cause analysis workshop, industry participants determine the risk they want to focus on and
drill down to gain a better understanding of its causal factors. Each participant contributes their thoughts
on what is leading to the identified risk. The identified causes are then ranked in order of significance.
"By using an open, transparent, and collaborative process, we ensure that different perspectives and
viewpoints are heard," says Rishma Brenner, a Health and Safety Consultant with WSPS and one of the
workshop facilitators. "We are getting information from the people who know the industry best because
they live and breathe it every single day."
Once the causal factors are identified and voted on day one of the root cause analysis workshop, day two
is dedicated to collectively brainstorming solutions to address the root causes. Industry stakeholders work
collaboratively with WSPS to identify potential controls to mitigate risk to workers in the sector. The result
of the brainstorming session helps WSPS and prevention system partners to shape system-wide intervention
strategies.
"A major part of this process that cannot be overlooked, is the unique opportunity to explore potential
solutions with the firsthand perspectives from our industry experts. That's why we spent an entire day
discussing what controls can be realistically and practically applied in their workplaces," says Julia Lok, a
Health and Safety Consultant with WSPS and one of the workshop facilitators. "This is what shapes our final
recommendations and prevention strategies moving forward."
"
"
"The workshops helped me to think big
picture—not just focusing on my company,
but also thinking about smaller businesses
and other job tasks related to the warehouse."
—Matthew Brown, Team Lead, Worker Representative,
Sobeys
