Award Categories
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
The Minerva Award for Rising Star of the Year
This award recognizes leaders of the future with a demonstrated commitment to the integration of health and safety. Eligible nominees include full time post secondary students from Canadian universities or colleges in undergraduate, graduate, or coop programs as well as employees with 2 or less years of work experience since graduation.
Nominees must demonstrate a leadership ability to initiate and implement change in an academic or workplace environment related to health and/or safety, show dedication to the field through continuing education, special academic or work projects, career progression, generating student or worker safety awareness, mentoring and coaching and be able to demonstrate experience in the execution of safety initiatives while in school or work during the last 12 to 18 months.
Self-nominations are permitted.
The WSPS Award for CEO of the Year
This award recognizes the CEO who has driven successful safety strategies from the top by putting people first and championing innovative safety values.
When judging this category, the following criteria will be considered:
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Evidence of the CEO’s leadership skills which inspire, engage and excite the workforce about safety
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Demonstrated commitment to the safety function as a strategic business objective at the executive management level
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Actively drives safety initiatives (alongside their safety leader/ team) through open and continuous communication and support
Safety Leader of the Year
This award recognizes an individual who best exemplifies leadership and vision in the world of OHS in Canada.
Eligible nominees must be safety professionals with more than 10 years of experience in the industry.
COMPANY AND TEAM AWARDS
Canada’s Safest Chemistry Employer
This category is designed to recognize an employer within the chemistry industry that has an exemplary health and safety record.
Nominees must explain how they ensure the health and safety of anyone who has access to or works on or off their premises or facilities which includes manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers.
Canada’s Safest Oil & Gas Employer
This category is designed to recognize an employer within the oil and gas industry that has an exemplary health and safety record.
Nominees must explain how they ensure the health and safety of anyone who has access to or works on or off their premises or facilities.
Canada’s Best Health & Safety Culture
This award will go to the organization in any industry with the strongest health and safety culture in the country — a culture that not only permeates the workplace, but extends into the employer’s community, networks and areas of influence to make health and safety a priority for all.
Best Environment Management Program
This award recognizes excellence in environmental protection in concordance with health and safety management.
Nominees can be from any industry and must demonstrate a clear commitment to corporate social responsibility, sustainability and proven environmental initiatives while maintaining strong health and safety management.
The Kii Health Award for Best Wellness Program
This award recognizes organizations in any industry that excel in promoting and protecting employee overall wellness, including fitness, nutrition and health factors.
The Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Award for Canada’s Safest Employer for Young Workers
Young workers are hurt at a disproportionate rate and organizations need to put unique practices in place to engage, train and mentor young workers.
This award recognizes an organization in any industry that has innovated in ways to do this and has displayed exemplary health and safety practices specifically targeted to workers under the age of 25.
Canada’s Safest Employer in Services Sector
This category is designed to recognize a service-providing employer that has an exemplary health and safety record.
Nominees must explain how they ensure the health and safety of anyone who has access to or works on or off their premises or facilities which includes service-dominated businesses such as retail and hospitality.
Canada’s Safest Construction Employer – (Under 300 employees)
This category recognizes a construction industry employer with less than 300 employees that demonstrates an outstanding commitment to health and safety.
Nominees must explain how they ensure the health and safety of anyone who has access to or works on or off their premises or facilities.
Canada’s Safest Construction Employer – (Over 300 employees)
This category recognizes a construction industry employer with more than 300 employees that demonstrates an outstanding commitment to health and safety.
Nominees must explain how they ensure the health and safety of anyone who has access to or works on or off their premises or facilities.
Canada’s Safest Logistics and Supply Chain Employer
This category recognizes an employer within the logistics and supply chain industry — including warehousing, distribution, inventory management, fulfillment, and supply chain operations — that demonstrates an exemplary commitment to health and safety.
Nominees must explain how they ensure the health and safety of employees, contractors, and visitors within their facilities and controlled operational environments, such as warehouses, distribution centres, yards, and supply chain operations.
This category excludes on-road transportation and fleet driver safety, which are recognized separately under the Canada’s Safest Fleet award.
Submissions should demonstrate a strong safety culture, effective training programs, hazard identification and mitigation, and measurable safety outcomes within logistics and supply chain operations.
Canada’s Safest Manufacturing Employer – Industrial
This category is designed to recognize a manufacturer in the industrial industry (involved in mass production of non-consumer goods like machinery, vehicles, electronics, or chemicals for industrial use) that can demonstrate an exemplary health and safety record.
Nominees must explain how they have ensured the health and safety of anyone who has access to or works on or off their premises or facilities.
Canada’s Safest Manufacturing Employer – Food & Agricultural
This category is designed to recognize a manufacturer in the food and agricultural industry that can demonstrate an exemplary health and safety record.
Nominees must explain how they have ensured the health and safety of anyone who has access to or works on or off their premises or facilities.
Canada’s Safest Mining & Natural Resources Employer
Nominees must explain how they ensure the health and safety of anyone who has access to or works on or off their premises or facilities.
The Bruce Power Award for Canada’s Safest New Employer
This award recognizes a company — in any industry — that has been in operation for no more than 10 years and has already established an exemplary safety record in this short tenure.
Canada’s Safest Public Sector Employer
Nominees must explain how they ensure the health and safety of anyone who has access to or works on or off their premises or facilities.
Canada’s Safest Non-Profit Employer
Nominees must explain how they ensure the health and safety of anyone who has access to or works on or off their premises or facilities.
The DriverCheck Award for Canada’s Safest Public Transportation Employer
Nominees must explain how they ensure the health and safety of anyone who works on or off their premises or facilities which includes transportation services by land, air and sea provided by for-profit or publicly funded employers.
Canada’s Safest Utilities and Electrical Employer
Nominees must explain how they ensure the health and safety of anyone who has access to or works on or off their premises or facilities.
The Mark's Commercial Award for Most Innovative Use of Safety Technology
This award recognizes the organization that is using the latest safety-specific technology to greatest effect, making it a responsive and effective leader in health & safety practices.
When judging this category, the following criteria will be considered:
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Particular technology solutions introduced in the last 12 – 18 months, demonstrating positive outcomes, a clear narrative demonstrating the needs identification process for implementation of the technology
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Alignment of the use of the technology with the organization’s broader goals
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Innovation in the types of technology used
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Efficiencies and cost-savings gained from use of technology
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Evidence of return on investment and impact on staff, including improved injury statistics and LTI rate
Best Safety Industry Provider
This award recognizes any service provider in the safety industry that helps their clients achieve their goals. This includes but is not limited to; personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturers, safety training providers and HSE technology providers.
When judging this category, the following criteria will be considered:
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Unique value proposition
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Major strengths compared to competitors
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Client success through use of the vendors services
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Industry’s need for the service
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Overall and ongoing commitment to the safety industry
The Geotab Award for Canada’s Safest Fleet
This category recognizes a Canadian organization that operates a commercial vehicle fleet and demonstrates industry-leading performance in driver safety, fleet risk management, and on-road incident prevention.
Nominees may include trucking companies, transportation providers, delivery fleets, and organizations that operate commercial vehicles as part of their core operations.
Submissions should highlight driver safety programs, training and coaching, use of technology and data, incident reduction strategies, and measurable safety performance such as collision frequency, severity reduction, and driver behavior metrics.
