Phinnemore and Samson Awards
The industry's top two safety awards were presented at CSAO's annual meeting in April.
Former CSAO general manager Len Sylvester won the Roy A. Phinnemore Award while the Gil Samson Award was presented to the Sarnia Regional Labour-Management Committee.
Phinnemore Award
Considered the industry's most prestigious health and safety distinction, the Phinnemore Award recognizes an individual whose contributions to accident prevention have been significant. The award honours a past executive director whose dedication to construction health and safety inspired others during CSAO's formative years.
Len Sylvester more than meets the requirement, having made significant contributions to accident prevention over 32 years before retiring in 1995.
Bob Phinnemore and Margaret Phinnemore Wilby present the award
named in their father's memory to Len Sylvester (centre).
Sylvester took health and safety beyond Ontario with a keen involvement on the National Safety Council in the U.S., chairing several sections and committees and winning two NSC awards. All the while, he was promoting CSAO products and helping the association gain an international reputation that continues to grow today. Closer to home, he has won recognition from St. John Ambulance for his tireless volunteer commitment.
Sylvester steered CSAO through one of the most important changes in its 70-year history establishment of a bipartite board of directors with equal representation from management and labour. With that change, a labour and a management representative annually alternate as CSAO president.
Samson Award
First presented in 1988, the Gil Samson Award honours a former CSAO General Manager who helped to create the labour-management health and safety committee network. A substantial donation from past president Don Gaffney makes this award possible.
Andy Samson (left) presents the Gil Samson Award to
co-chairs Bruce Knight (centre) and Domenic Colucci of the Sarnia Regional Committee.
The Gil Samson Award for 1998 was presented to the Sarnia Regional Labour-Management Health and Safety Committee. Its continuing efforts in developing and promoting health and safety programs in Lambton County have, during the last 29 years, resulted in the best construction safety record in Ontario. In fact, the record is three times better than the Ontario average, making Lambton County the safest place to work in North American construction.
The committee has developed and delivered mandatory health and safety orientation training for all construction workers entering the area's chemical plants. It is also responsible for organizing the largest annual health and safety awards program in the province.
The committee includes major Chemical Valley clients in all of its initiatives; promotes the Safe Communities Incentive Program; focuses awards on supervisors whose crews work injury-free; hosted a Behaviour-Based Training Conference; and has members active in many groups affecting construction health and safety in Ontario.
The Samson Award includes a charitable donation in the name of the winning committee. The Sarnia committee has directed its donation to the Salvation Army.
