How Bethesda Community Services won a 2023 CSEA award
On a recent episode of COS TV, Paul McGowan, CEO of Bethesda Community Services shares insights about mitigating safety hazards in the non-profit sector. Bethesda recently earned the prestigious 2023 Canada Safest Employers Award for the Safest Public Sector or Nonprofit Employer. McGowan shares his expertise on managing safety challenges unique to non-profits, emphasizing the significance of health, safety, and hazard mitigation.
"The safety concerns aren't that much different in a not-for-profit sector than in the for-profit sector,” explains McGowan.
“However, they seem amplified in the non-profit sector due to our limited resources. We tackle these by making safety a priority within our organization to minimize the negatives that can come along with safety, such as increased costs, worker absenteeism, and morale issues. Safety is not just a management issue but an organizational issue."
When it comes to addressing issues in the workplace, McGowan says communication has been key “ingraining a safety culture within all aspects of our business has been highly successful."
Creating a culture is always important, but McGowan considers it critical, because they can’t always afford to allocate the same kind of budget to safety as for-profit companies. His advice to other health and safety professionals in the non-profit sector is ensure it is still a priority, even if the money isn’t there to back up the initiatives.
"It may seem like an expensive budget item, but it helps contain costs in the long run and, more importantly, keeps people safe,” says McGowan. “For organizations like ours, ensuring safety is a key part of what we do. Ingraining a safety culture and dedicating appropriate resources are key strategies for long-term gains."
McGowan offers valuable insights into addressing safety hazards in the non-profit sector. As we approach 2024, it becomes increasingly evident that safety should remain a non-negotiable priority for all organizations, regardless of their sector.
Communication, a strong safety culture, and dedicated resources are fundamental in safeguarding the well-being of employees and the communities they serve.
