For a student only beginning to discover new injury prevention concepts, finding something easy to relate to is an important first step. For example, the potential negative impacts of a hazard could be easily associated with the functioning of our five senses. In this way, the student can nurture a basic understanding of injury prevention. "What can I see, hear, smell, taste, and touch that might be effected by hazards in my environment?".
This is why our "Hearing Protection Training" is placed among the four foundational courses in the "Career Safety Education" series, to be taken before any other industry specific safety courses. Because, why would we train for specific hazardous environments before we have learned to protect our five senses in everyday environments?
With K+S Potash Canada committing to support Hearing Protection Training, we took a trip out to K+S Potash Canada's Bethune Potash Mine Site to get a sense of how they put hearing protection concepts into practice at their cutting edge facility. As we learned, no effort is spared during their quest to create a safe & healthy workplace.
Paige Gignac is a Community Investment Specialist for K+S Potash Canada, as well as the host of our site tour of the Bethune Potash Mine. We learned that at K+S, safety doesn't end at the workplace.
"Its really important that our employees are safe at work, so they can go home to their friends and families, and really participate in the growth of their own communities, ultimately making the community safer for everyone."
Brett Welder is a Senior Manager in HSSE at K+S Potash Canada. "That Basic Knowledge just gives us something to build upon." he said about new workers who have taken the SSC's Hearing Protection Training. Brett told us that "It does give them the basic backgrounds when you are introducing topics like hazard awareness, hazard recognition, PPE, things like that. They already have that base knowledge, so you don't have to start from scratch."
For sponsoring youth injury prevention programs such as hearing protection, we thank K+S Potash Canada for all they do. Leaders like Paige and Brett promote the use of Career Safety Education and leverage the programs as part of their onboarding process, thereby ensuring new workers enter their chosen industries with foundational safety knowledge.
What does injury prevention mean to your organization? Learn more about sponsorship below:
The Saskatchewan Safety Council Hearing Protection course reveals that noise is, in fact, a controllable hazard with the proper training and safety measures in place. By understanding how to control it, and protect yourself, you will significantly decrease your risk of injury and hearing loss.
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