Safety First in Cape Breton Awards
The Safety First in Cape Breton Network works to make Unama'ki - Cape Breton the safest place to work and invest!
The Safety First in Cape Breton Awards annually recognize individuals, businesses and committees who support building a strong culture of occupational health and safety in workplaces across Unama’ki – Cape Breton, and who go above and beyond the call of duty to innovate, continuously improve, and make a difference.
Presented annually at the Safety First in Cape Breton Symposium, the Awards are proudly chosen by the Safety First in Cape Breton Network’s Planning Committee, honouring those individuals and businesses who are committed to the advancement of workplace health and safety and promoting the total wellbeing (including physical, psychosocial, and mental health) of our region’s workplaces and workforce.
Make a Nomination Today!
Stay tuned as further details on the 2025 Safety First in Cape Breton Awards are announced, to be presented on May 14, 2025, at the Safety First in Cape Breton Symposium.
In the meantime, to be notified when nominations have opened, or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities for the 2025 Safety First in Cape Breton Symposium, simply choose an option below!
Award Categories
There are six categories of awards, each possessing qualities that recognize a range of occupational health and safety elements including employee training, leadership, innovative training initiatives, and individual engagement. Click on a category below to expand that category’s description!
- Nominees are between the ages of 18 – 35;
- High level of maturity and sound judgement to implement and demonstrates safe work practices;
- Dedicated to helping others in their workplace and leads by example; and
- Contributes towards a positive occupational health and safe culture.
- Small business owner with fewer than 20 employees;
- Makes workplace health and safety a clear priority;
- Sets a standard for proper safe work practices for all employees and their job responsibilities; and
- The health and safety culture created by the nominee sets the standard of care for all employees and stands out against competition.
- Nominees are long standing safety champions who inspire others to engage in health and safety procedures;
- Created a culture where people feel valued, respected and participate in building a reputable safety culture;
- Preventing workplace incidents and helping workers return to work are at the heart of their business; and
- Have an outstanding safety record but more importantly engage in conversations with employees regarding risks and hazards that lead to changes for the safety of all.
- Proactive workplace health and safety committee or representative(s) who foster a committed health and safety culture in their workplace;
- Going beyond the requirements of the employee(s) role and continuously working towards improvement by promoting respectful, healthy and safe collaborations;
- Recognizes concerns and implements recommendations, performs safety audits and undertakes activities / actions that provide a safe and healthy work environment; and
- Exhibits leadership .
- Nominees can be a business or an individual who uses or creates innovative methods to education and train employees about safe work practices;
- Adapts their techniques to make safety more practical and accessible; and
- Understands due diligence and have embraced innovation to solve and implement a plan to identify possible workplace hazards.
Past Awards Recipients
We are proud to have recognized over 20 recipients with Safety First in Cape Breton Awards since 2017! Select a year below to see photos of our dedicated Safety First Award Recipients!
About Safety First in Cape Breton
The Safety First in Cape Breton Network was formed by a passionate group of health and safety leaders in 2012 from the Cape Breton Partnership, the Nova Scotia Department of Labour & Advanced Education (now the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration), and the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia.
Created to help address business needs and improve workplace health and safety culture, the Safety First in Cape Breton Network is an Island-wide initiative that promotes the importance of a strong health and safety culture in workplaces, provides opportunities to network and engage with other safety practitioners, and learning opportunities to help enhance HSE programs across Unama’ki – Cape Breton.
Want to learn more about the Safety First in Cape Breton Network?
Contact Carly Appleton, Communications Coordinator, at carly@capebretonpartnership.com.