Celebrating four injury-free years on UN's Day of Safety at Work

THUNDER BAY -- Workplace injuries can happen in a flash.

Often, when they do, they can also be life-changing events.

On Thursday, to celebrate the United Nations World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the city’s Coca Cola Canada warehouse marked an important workplace safety milestone, celebrating more than four years without a lost-time injury on the job.

Mike Clark, the company’s vice-president of customer operations for Canada said for both Coca Cola and its employees, safety comes first.

“Every time we hear from employees and we ask the question what does safety mean to you, It’s all about family. It’s about loved ones and ‘I want to go home safe. I have to go home to my daughter, to my wife, to my husband,” Clark said during a visit to the city.

“When you hear that it just tells you how important it is to keep people safe.”

At 1,490 days the Thunder Bay plant, which distributes Coke products throughout the region, owns the company’s longest active injury-free streak in the country.

According to the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, in 2014 there were 239,643 lost-time claims across the country, with health and social services, manufacturing and construction topping the injury chart.

Transportation and storage were also high, with more than 16,000 cases.

Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Bill Mauro said he had a couple of close calls working construction in his younger days, once nearly losing a finger than had to be practically sewn back on by doctors.

“This is a remarkable run,” he told the local plant’s 22 employees. “It’s a very big deal and I’m sure it’s required the collaboration of the management, staff and all of you on the floor as well.”

At-large Coun. Larry Hebert said he’s been involved with recognizing workplace deaths for nearly two decades and can’t remember a year during that time that at least one person hasn’t died on the job in Northwestern Ontario.

“Somebody might say you can’t get hurt here,” he said addressing the staff. “Well sure you can. Shelving can fall over, you can (fall) off the back of your truck. And the cab of a truck is a workplace … and most accidents that cause death in the workplace in Northwestern Ontario are in the transportation industry.”

Across the country, the company’s long-term injury rate has improved by 47 per cent.