Contributed Photo TOP SAFETY AWARD - Maureen Shaw, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA), IAPA Vice-President of Operations Michael Abromeit, and IAPA Board Chairman David Johnston are shown presenting the President's Award to Plastiflex Safety Committee Chair Jeanie McClintock and Product Engineer Nadeem Ahmed. Plastiflex Canada Inc. in Orangeville was one of the six winners at the inaugural presentation this week of the President's Award - the highest honour of the Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA) - as business champions of workplace health and safety.

"I believe there comes a time to celebrate achievement, not just for the excellence inherent in it, but for the excellence it can inspire in others," said Maureen Shaw, IAPA president and CEO, at the launch of the President's Award at IAPA's annual health and safety conference and trade show, Health & Safety Canada 2007.

The other five winners were Canadian Blue Bird Coach Ltd. in Brantford, Casco Inc. in London, Lyndon Security Services Inc. in Sarnia, Steelcase Canada Ltd. in Markham, and Sulco Chemicals Ltd. in Elmira. Before an audience of more than 1,000 people, the six firms were recognized for exceptional health and safety performances, as well as a commitment to health, safety, and wellness through mentoring and community outreach opportunities.

"The recipients of the 2007 President's Award each represent a different kind of business operation, everything from a bus manufacturer to a producer and supplier of corn-refined products to a supplier of security services. Yet there's one common element, workplace health and safety is a priority," Ms. Shaw said.

"Excellence in health, safety, and wellness is not exclusive to one workplace over another. Rather, it's attainable to those individuals who say injuries, accidents, and illnesses in the workplace are not to be tolerated and then put the practices in place that see to their reduction and elimination."

The President's Award is only available to members of IAPA. In order to be eligible for consideration, the firms had to meet an extensive list of criteria that measures a company's health and safety performance, as well as commitment to workplace health and safety:

+ Record zero critical injuries or fatalities, as well as zero charges or convictions under the Occupational Health and Safety Act or Workplace Safety and Insurance Act for the two years prior to the date the award is issued.

+ Record a lost-time injury/illness frequency rate less than 25% of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) rate group average attributed to businesses with similar operations for the two years prior to the application deadline (March 9, 2007).

+ Record a total injury/illness frequency rate (losttime and no lost-time) less than the equivalent WSIB rate group average for the two years prior to the application deadline (March 9, 2007).

+ Demonstrate successful application of health and safety management system requirements, such as prevention methods, legislative compliance, and management practices.

+ Complete an extensive self-assessment report and pass an on-site verification conducted by IAPA.

+ Demonstrate significant efforts to use their health and safety excellence in ways that benefit the community, such as leadership contributions, donation of technical/ professional resources for the development of standards/ guidelines/best practices, outreach into the community on the subject of health and safety, or sponsorship of health and safetyrelated initiatives.

Operating in Canada since 1984, Plastiflex Canada Inc. primarily serves the central vacuum floor care market. Plastiflex Canada Inc. is part of Belgium-based parent company Plastiflex, a global leader in the hose making process.

IAPA celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2007. Operating in Ontario since 1917, IAPA is a not-for-profit, member driven organization. Representing more than 50,000 member firms and in excess of 1.5 million Ontario workers, it is one of Canada's leading workplace health and safety organizations.

The association is focused on providing industry-leading training, consulting, educational products, and informational services that meet members' needs and the needs of those in their communities. IAPA is also recognized as a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre in Occupational Health and an International Labour Organization - CIS Collaborating Centre. IAPA is certified to ISO 9001:2000 for the design and delivery of training, has been awarded the National Quality Institute's Progressive Excellence Program Level III for Quality Certificate, and was a recipient of a Bronze Level Quality Award at the 2006 Canada Awards for Excellence.