Employee recognition increases loyalty.

At Thunder Bay Hydro, health and safety does not stop after the company has posted the mandatory WHMIS information up on the wall. For the utility company, safety is central to the workplace culture.

"Our basic philosophy is that we want people to leave here the way they came in," says Andrew Covello, vice-president of human resources and safety at the company.

A central part of creating a "culture of safety," he says, is through a very vigorous joint health and safety committee. The company also provides the opportunity for employees to be able to speak out about any potential health risks, which are responded to in a quick manner, he says. The company also ensures that proposals submitted into suggestion boxes are reviewed and acted on promptly.

Covello also points out that safety is encouraged through company-wide employee recognition. Through their Target Zero program, the company awards safety plateau awards to employees who work safety. The awards are given out, he says, in five-year increments.

Over the last few years, the awards came with prizes, such as a suede jacket and watches. The company also holds flu shot clinics and helps provide driver testing and first aid training for its employees.

A health-centred environment, however, is not the only reason that Thunder Bay Hydro has a good working environment with low worker turnover, Covello says. The company has also been trying to draw attention to employee productivity and commitment by awarding perfect attendance awards every year. These practices produce loyalty within a company, Covello says.

"People see us as the employer of choice. I know our employee turnover is less than five per cent. People who start out working at our utility tend to retire here."

www.tbhydro.com

By JOSEPH QUESNEL 

Northern Ontario Business