2018 BC Health Care Awards Award of Merit recipient in the Workplace Health Innovation category

In 2017, Menno Place saw a reduction in its workplace injury claims costs by 65% compared to 2016. This success is credited to the collaborative teams at work around the campus. The JOHS Committees have taken leadership in best practices of reviewing policy, safe work procedure and wellness initiatives. They work alongside the Transfer Lift Peer Support Teams to collaborate and educate best practices in an area of work where the workplace injury risk is significant. The Health and Wellness Team collaborates together to remind our staff that we are aiming for wellness, which includes events that support mental, emotional, physical and financial health. Respectful Workplace Huddles have been successful in developing collaboration on the floor and at the grassroots level and encourages teamwork which decreases the risk of injury.

How has the 65% reduction in injury claims costs taken place?

Without a doubt, the answer is collaboration. Without the collaborative work of the JOHS committee with management and the teams of staff, we would never have been able to accomplish the success that we have seen evident in 2017.

This collaboration is fully supported through the Board, Executive Team and Leadership Team. It is embedded in our strategic plan.

SAFETY is a DRIVER on the Menno Place Strategic plan. This focus is key in the reduction in workplace injuries.

Every goal and objection on the strategic plan runs through the lens of safety and is supported by the Board of Directors and the Executive Team.

• In 2017 the strategic plan included obtaining the COR certification which is a recognized program through the BC Municipal Safety Association recognizing that the exceptional level of Occupational Health and Safety Program.  This was reached in May 2017.am to refine best practices and recommendations that encourage safety and focus on the reduction of workplace injuries. Along with peer support, violence prevention training, safety orientation, team huddles, and conducting events like their Safety Expo, Menno Place has reduced workplace injury claims costs by 65 per cent.
• The 2017 Strategic Plan included creating and implementing the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Work began in September 2017 with the event “Mental Health Awareness Week” providing mental health supports, materials and tools to the staff.  A Mental Health tab was added to the Menno Staff online newsletter, providing supports for free mental health tools, supports, education and services.
• JOHS Committees working with Leadership Team, Unit Teams and Transfer Lift Peer Support Teams. The Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees at Menno Place have worked together to consistently put into place best practices and recommendations in order to decrease the number of workplace injury claims.At every meeting the JOHS committee reviews every time-loss claim that has taken place in the previous month. They bring recommendations forward for prevention and document these recommendations in the meeting minutes. They also review policy and safe-work procedure along with wellness initiatives.

  These JOHS meeting minutes are shared with the Leadership Team (management) who share them with their staff at their unit and team meetings. Through this collaboration and best practices, the grassroots, our staff are consistently educated on the best practices and techniques of workplace safety. This includes working together with the Transfer / Lift Peer Support Team

• Violence Prevention Training and Peer Support. During 2017 Menno Place set the expectation that all care staff obtain Violence Prevention training.  In an effort to provide this training, they had their own Care Aide take the Provincial Violence Prevention trainer training.  Today 98% of the staff at Menno Home have taken the training, where the Special Care unit is located, and we are working on Menno Hospital at this time.
  In 2018, Menno Place will host eight full-day educational training workshops in Violence Prevention for our staff and colleagues from other organizations in collaboration with SafeCare BC.
• In April 2017 Menno Place held a Safety Expo.  This was a collaborative effort by many teams to encourage a focus on safety and the reduction of workplace injuries. Staff would come and receive a Passport which they got stamped at each display they attended.  Each display presented an aspect of safety which was interactive and fun.  116 staff participated on the one day, which was a huge success!