Conversations with Past Safety Award Winners

Each year, the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association recognizes and celebrates member companies and individuals throughout Saskatchewan for their efforts in promoting the SCSA’s mission and vision.

Mission: Promote safety within the construction environment and lead the development of a safety culture through education, consultancy and building awareness towards safer communities.

Vision: The SCSA is an important voice driving a business culture of physical and mental safety for all and the centre of excellence for construction safety training programs.

In late 2023, the past three award winners shared their perspectives on leadership, what the win meant for their teams and why their commitment to safety was such a priority.

Ram Steel – Corporate Leadership in Safety (2023)

Chris Paposi and Garrett Prosofsky accepted the award on behalf of the company.

Paposi, health and safety manager, looks after Ram Steel’s company health and safety program. Safety is close to his heart after the loss of a close friend in an accident. He joined Ram Steel in 2022 and got to work on safety right away. “I have developed a few programs that we've started to push forward through the company based on observations out in the field for supervisors and getting buy-in from employees,” said Paposi.

He recognized the effort of Ram Steel’s staff in keeping their work sites safe every day. He pointed to the staff’s care and attention to housekeeping on sites as an indicator of their commitment to safety. “I thought it would just be a great acknowledgement for our team to be able to win this and show that we have a positive safety culture out in the industry – and show our supporting workforce that we do care about them.”

Garrett Prosofsky, president of Ram Steel, saw first-hand the progress Paposi made in safety and said it played a big part in why Ram Steel won their award. “Since he started, safety is growing and new procedures and policies are required. He’s doing a good job of overseeing all the sites,” said Prosofsky.

“There’s always new risks out there and to win like that sets us apart,” he said. Proud of Ram Steel’s commitment to safety, Prosofsky added that the award win shows their employees that they care and the company wants to complete projects safely. He appreciated the positive recognition and made sure to pass it along to their team.

Paposi was humbled by the award and credited the team at Ram Steel for the win. “It's a great achievement for myself and the company. It's more than just a team. They treat everybody as a family,” he said. “At the end of the day, we all have families and we want to go to work, do our job the best we can and go home safely. This award will help convey that message.”

Dustin Brears, Credence Construction – Safety Leader (2023)

Born and raised in Yorkton, Brears has been working in safety for 20 years. He joined an industrial company out of high school and earned his construction safety officer certification, then became a certified health and safety consultant before achieving his Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (CRSP) designation.

Brears is one of the owners of Credence Construction, an industrial contractor he co-founded in 2019. “We have a really good leadership group. Our ownership group is 13 people and everybody buys into safety. From the day we started the company, they realized how important it is not only to our people and our staff and us as a company but also our clients,” said Brears.

Credence wasted no time in building its safety program and becoming COR? certified. Brears said that their commitment to safety came from the top naturally and they built the culture from day one.

Responsible for safety at the corporate level, he developed and manages the safety program for the company, but said that the entire leadership team is safety focused. “They take it to heart. It's not an option at our company so everyone buys into it.”

From annual fundraising events for charity to employee lunches that highlight safety, Credence shows leadership in the community. Brears shared, “Word spreads through our clients that you can trust these guys and they’re going to do the job right and safe.”

“Being part of an organization that’s involved in the community and spreads a positive message around safety – is a safety leader – and contributes to the community in many different ways, this award just supplements that and helps our job in making sure everyone goes home safe at the end of the day,” he said. “It’s a feather in your cap, for sure. It’s definitely a vote of confidence.”

Over his 20-year career, Brears has been a part of many safety groups and attended many regional meetings. He has seen the change in attitudes toward safety. When he first started, he saw ball caps and running shoes on worksites and now PPE. “I have seen the transition where companies have really bought into it. It’s a career highlight seeing it improve so much in the local area and being a part of that.”

In addition to his work with Credence, Brears is also a Yorkton city councillor and deeply involved with the local and provincial search and rescue organizations. His health and safety experience has been essential in working with volunteer teams that go out to look for loved ones in all conditions, anywhere in the province.

Kevin Lavoie, Supreme Steel - Safety Practitioner (2023)

Kevin Lavoie has worked as a safety supervisor for Supreme Steel for the last 18 years and worked in safety since 2000. His journey into safety started early in his career, after working in a few industries and seeing companies ask workers to do things that put them at risk.

“I'd seen a lot of people get hurt from work activities when I was younger and we’ve all seen people unable to return back to the workforce,” he said. “I wanted to make a difference and see everyone get home every day. I didn't want to hear any more stories that people have injured themselves or died at work.”

Lavoie’s commitment to continuous learning was evident. He earned several certifications and designations over the years and never stopped learning. “I try to get as much information as I can because if you stop learning then you really don't have anything to provide to other people,” said Lavoie. “You have to keep up with the learning or you'll fall behind.”

In creating a safe workplace, he said, “We all have to work together. A safety program isn't just a company. It's with the workers too. If the workers buy in then the whole program will be successful.”

He credited the SCSA with much of his education in safety – from initial training to new offerings and online courses to keep current when things change. “I started off with someone from the association bringing me in and telling me about safety. I was mentored and coached and took all the courses. They've given me the tools that I needed to become a good safety person. Without the association, I probably wouldn't have been where I am right now.”

“I'm extremely honoured. I have had a successful career and people have noticed it. On the journey I got to work with a lot of great people and a lot of great companies,” he said. “Every day I'm learning something from everyone.”

Nominations for the 2024 SCSA Awards are open July through September 6.

Visit scsaonline.ca for awards criteria and to submit an online nomination.