Three-day event mid-May focuses on emerging risks, leadership and the evolving role of safety practitioners
The Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) is marking its 50th anniversary with a three-day conference in Niagara Falls, positioning the event as both a celebration and a strategic look at where the profession is headed. The BCRSP 50th Anniversary Celebration Conference runs May 10–12 at the Fallsview Casino’s Grand Hall, bringing together certificants, aspiring certificants and safety-focused leaders from across Canada and abroad.
A milestone worth marking
BCRSP Board of Governors chair Larry Masotti says the milestone is significant in a sector that has undergone constant change. “Any organization, whether profit or not for profit, reaching a 50-year anniversary milestone is really something to celebrate,” he says, calling the board “stable, foundational for so many people in the profession.”
A major focus for Masotti is recognizing the volunteers who support certification and governance work behind the scenes. “We are taking time to recognize our volunteers because…health and safety can often be an isolated position,” he says, noting the value of cross-sector conversations and peer learning that the conference is designed to foster.
Futures, leadership and psychological safety
The program blends long-standing safety issues with emerging risks and leadership challenges. Futurist and foresight advisor Nikolas Badminton will deliver the opening keynote, drawing on more than three decades of experience advising global companies on strategic change and risk. Masotti says he is keen to hear how geopolitical volatility, technological disruption and global supply chains are reshaping the context in which Canadian safety professionals operate.
Concurrent sessions will probe topics such as strategic safety leadership in manufacturing, occupational health and safety forensic investigations, and the philosophy and obligation around the use of big data in workplace health and safety. Another session that Masotti highlights will examine managing the psychological safety of immigrant workers as Canada’s population growth is increasingly driven by immigration.
He says he has met workers who hesitate to raise concerns: “I’ve talked to people…they’re afraid to say anything that something might be unsafe.” Ensuring those workers feel empowered to speak up, he adds, is essential to building strong safety cultures and retaining talent.
Balancing technology and human-centred practice
The agenda also reflects the tension between rapid technological change and human-centred practice. Panels and breakouts will explore artificial intelligence in safety management systems, data analytics, and how to “speak the right language” to secure C-suite support, alongside sessions on emotional intelligence, inclusive leadership and the evolving role of women leaders in safety.
Masotti says BCRSP is mindful of balancing tools such as AI, drones and robotics with leadership, learning styles and psychological safety. Today’s safety professionals, he notes, are dealing with multiple generations in the workforce, complex ESG expectations and an increasingly globalized operating environment.
Networking and reflection are built into the schedule. In addition to receptions and informal networking breaks, delegates can participate in a Steps for Life walk in support of Threads of Life, honouring families affected by workplace tragedies while raising awareness about prevention. Evening events, including access to the historic Niagara Parks Power Station, are intended to give attendees time to build relationships and experience the location.
For Masotti, the conference underscores how central leadership has become to modern safety practice. “A health and safety person is a leader…looking out for the organization’s best interest to make sure they’re, of course, safe, healthy, but also economically prosperous,” he says. He encourages safety leaders still on the fence to view the event as a one-of-a-kind opportunity that “doesn’t happen often, and it really is an opportunity to embrace.”
