Highlighting Ornge's Occupational Health and Safety team and all they do to keep everyone at Ornge safe, healthy and happy.

The Occupational Health and Safety team at Ornge are a crucial part of Ornge’s everyday operations. Guided by key principles like collaboration, education, and cooperation, the Occupational Health and Safety team support employees before, during and after incidents.

This year for North American Occupational Safety and Health Week we’d like to highlight our OHS team and all they do to keep everyone at Ornge safe, healthy and happy.
 
Q: For those who may not work with you regularly, how would you describe the mission of the Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) team?
A: Our team’s mission is to ensure that everyone goes home safe and well at the end of each day. We do this by working in partnership with leaders and staff to anticipate and manage risks, learn from incidents and near misses, and embed safety into everyday decision making. We not only focus on compliance, but on fostering a culture where people feel accountable for safety, empowered to speak up, and supported to do their work safely, especially in this complex high-risk environment.
Q: What types of issues or situations does the OHS team most often support employees and leaders with?
A: OHS is here to support, not police, by partnering with employees and leaders to prevent harm. We do that by:

• Identifying hazards, assessing risk, and helping teams put practical controls in place before harm occurs.
• Supporting timely reporting, conducting fair and respectful investigations, and focusing on learning rather than blame.
• Advising on workplace stressors, critical incidents, harassment or violence concerns, and supporting respectful, mentally healthy workplaces.
• Helping leaders and teams develop, review, or clarify safe work methods, especially when work changes or new risks or equipment are introduced.
• Guiding leaders on their health and safety responsibilities and ensuring requirements are understood and met.
• Collaborating with employees, leaders, and partners to support safe, sustainable returns to work following illness or injury.
• Provide training to build confidence and competence so safety becomes part of everyday decision‑making, not just a checklist.

Q: Looking back over the past year, what’s a key initiative, improvement, or accomplishment the team is especially proud of?
A: One of the biggest accomplishments the OHS team is most proud of is the continued establishment and strengthening of our Internal Responsibility System (IRS). We’ve seen meaningful progress in how frontline employees, managers, and senior leaders work together on health and safety sharing responsibility, having open conversations, and staying focused on the same goal: keeping people safe and well at work.
A key part of this success is our joint health and safety committees, which are among the most well established and effective in the industry. Committee members have shown incredible dedication, perseverance, and hard work to build trust and credibility with their peers. Their commitment to listening, problem solving, and advocating for safety has helped move OHS beyond compliance and into genuine partnership. This collaborative approach has strengthened our safety culture and reinforces that health and safety isn’t owned by one team, it’s a shared responsibility across the organization.
 
Q: Can you share an example of how the OHS team’s work has made a real difference in keeping people safe or healthy at work?
A: One example of how the OHS team has made a real difference is through the standardization of the Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) program across operations. Previously, individual bases had their own approaches and some just had none, from product use, decontamination procedures, bio‑hazardous and chemical waste handling, storage, and signage. OHS partnered with operational leaders to align these practices into a consistent, evidence‑based program. This reduced variability, strengthened compliance, and ensured staff across all locations are protected by the same clear, reliable safeguards directly improving safety in our high‑risk front line environment.
From a corporate office perspective, OHS has continually focused on ergonomics, emergency preparedness, and overall worker well-being. Through workstation design, ergonomic assessments, training, long term employee health, mental health support, coordinating wellness initiatives that promote both physical and mental health. Centralizing wellness tools that staff can easily access.

Q: What does a “typical” day look like for the OHS team, and what might surprise people about the work you do?
A: No two days look exactly the same because our work spans across the organization working with all disciplines across both operational and corporate environments.  On any given day we may be supporting an incident investigation, advising leaders on legislative matters, requirements, coordinating with frontline on safe work practices like working from heights or guarding a drill press, helping a base managers with an employee’s hazardous exposure to a patient with meningitis, supporting return to work and accommodations or, providing mental health training to new medics and pilots through onboarding. 
What may surprise people is that much of the OHS team’s work happens behind the scenes and upstream. While we are visible during incidents or inspections, a significant part of our role is proactive, anticipating risks, standardizing practices, coaching leaders, and strengthening systems so incidents don’t happen in the first place.  At its core, the OHS team’s day‑to‑day work is about partnership and trust, supporting employees and leaders to make informed decisions, embedding safety and wellness into everyday work.

Q: What motivates you to work in occupational health and safety, and what do you enjoy most about supporting employees?
A: What really motivates me to work in OHS is knowing that the work has a real impact on people’s everyday lives. I care deeply about helping create a workplace where people feel safe, supported, and able to focus on their work without worrying about getting hurt or sick.  While the weight we carry in this profession can be significant, the reward of helping influence, guide, and ultimately strengthen an organization’s health and safety culture makes every challenge worth it.  Being part of that journey, seeing people embrace safer practices, watching leaders grow in their understanding, and knowing that our work helps protect lives, is what keeps many of us staying the course.

Q: During North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, what’s one safety tip or message you’d like all employees to remember?
A: Taking a moment to check your surroundings at work or in your personal life. Check the equipment you are using, before any high-risk task including something as ordinary as driving, stopping to see how you are feeling both physically and mentally can prevent injuries and close calls. If something doesn’t feel right, speak up and ask questions. Safety starts with awareness, and everyone has a role in looking out for themselves and each other.

Q: How can employees best partner with the OHS team or reach out if they have questions or concerns about workplace safety?
A: Raise concerns with your direct supervisor who can engage OHS for support. Access resources, tools, support or guidance such as mental health or Safety Data Sheets for chemicals. Volunteer for a fire warden or first aider role for the corporate offices. Join your workplace health and safety committee.

Q: Tell us something fun about your team – or you individually!
A: This job like many others at Ornge can be quite demanding at times so we like to have a lot of fun and those who know us have seen the “work family” dynamics in action. We made a pact several years ago that we can’t all be miserable on the same day.  We have kept our word by reminding each other of that periodically. Base visits always end in some comical story about our travels together. Arguing about who is going to drive next or who is the better driver. Julia, Dawn and I have been working closely together for over 11 years and when Gagan and Tom joined the team it filled the gap we needed to become a well-rounded competent squad. When it comes down to it, we always have each other’s backs and love what we do.
 

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