John M. Beck Award

Generously sponsored by Aecon, the John M. Beck Award is presented annually to a project-based Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) in the Ontario construction industry. The award recognizes the contributions the committee has made to health and safety in the previous year. The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) administers the award. The successful committee is recognized on a commemorative plaque presented each year at IHSA’s Annual General Meeting.

2023 Winner: Bridging North America
Multiple joint health and safety committees’ initiatives–including a real-time hazard identification program for workers, emergency-response drills, and the provision of onsite chiropractic care—continued to protect the more than 1,000 people working on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, one of the continent’s largest infrastructure projects.

Electrical Utility Safety Excellence & Innovation Award

The Electrical Utility Safety Excellence & Innovation Award recognizes organizational excellence and is presented annually at IHSA’s Annual General Meeting to an organization that has demonstrated health and safety innovation and advancement within the Electrical Utilities Sector.

2023 Winner: Ontario Power Generation Confined Space Electronic Application Team
This multidisciplinary team piloted the development and implementation of a new digital solution to reduce documentation errors, decrease duplication, and ensure only qualified workers undertake confined space work. Their efforts improved a complex process and enhanced worker health and safety in a high-risk sector.

Roy A. Phinnemore Award

Inspired by Roy A. Phinnemore’s achievements, former CSAO director Oliver J. Gaffney established a fund to recognize similar contributions to prevention. Gaffney’s donation was matched by Phinnemore’s son and daughter—Robert and Margaret—and the Roy A. Phinnemore Award was established in 1969.

This award is the foremost award given by the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) to Ontario’s construction industry. The winner is acknowledged with a commemorative plaque presented each year at IHSA’s Annual General Meeting.

2023 Winner: Jack Oliveira - accepted by Sandro Pinto
Jack has contributed to health and safety in Ontario’s construction industry substantially over his 38-year membership with LiUNA Local 183 – the largest construction local union in North America – where he is currently Business Manager. Jack is a staunch advocate for worker rights Jack has been a staunch advocate for worker rights and safety, as well as inclusion and diversity efforts at construction and industrial workplaces.

The Gil Samson Award

Inspired by Gil Samson’s contribution to accident prevention, a donor established a fund to honour Samson and to recognize similar contributions towards accident prevention made by a Labour-Management Health and Safety Committee.

The award is in the form of a suitable plaque or citation to each member of the winning committee. The award is presented each year at IHSA’s Annual General Meeting.

2023 Winner: North Bay Regional Labour-Management Committee
The committee expended its reach beyond the North Bay area by organizing multiple hybrid education-sessions on subjects including supervisor communication, silica exposure, mental health resources, opioids in construction, and crisis management. Committee members advanced the cause of workplace health and safety—especially psychological health and safety—throughout their region.

Ken Hellawell Transportation Safety Award

The Ken Hellawell Transportation Safety Award was established to recognize contributions made by an individual or group that is active or retired from the Ontario transportation industry and exhibits extraordinary leadership, initiative, creativity, and innovation towards the advancement of health and safety.

The award is presented annually to a qualified individual or group who have diligently served the cause of transportation health and safety through services, contributions, inventions, procedures, or in any manner considered by the judging committee as being worthy of recognition.

2023 Winner: Dave McDonald
Recently retired, Dave supported driver and fleet safety for over forty years at Bridgestone Tire Company and throughout many years on the Fleet Safety Council’s Northern Ontario chapter. The knowledge he imparted in wheel-off and commercial vehicle alignment workshops has helped thousands of dealers, fleet managers, and operators to improve the safety of the vehicles.

Maria (Filice) Mason Award of Excellence

Maria (Filice) Mason started her career in the construction sector as a residential framer. She became passionate about occupational health and safety and devoted her career to preventing workplace injuries and fatalities. She obtained her Construction Health and Safety Officer (CHSO) certificate, Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) designation, and completed the Occupational Health and Safety Program at Metropolitan Toronto University (formerly Ryerson).

2023 Winner: Carrie-Lynn Carpenter
Carrie-Lynn has committed more than ten years to improving health and safety of coach operator’s and customers at Ontario Northland. In 2023, Carrie-Lynn oversaw departments responsible for driver training at the company – including in non-violent crisis intervention and anti-human trafficking measures – and coordinated with the Thunder Bay OPP to stop the transport of illegal drugs and weapons in Northern Ontario.

IHSA Recognition of Performance Achievement Milestone Award

This award program recognizes IHSA member firms that have achieved a specific number of work hours (based on their firm size) without a lost-time injury (LTI). Formerly known as The President’s Award, the name and criteria for this award program has been changed to account for the new firm size requirement. Employers can apply for this award when they have reached the milestone listed below for their firm size.

IHSA COR^® Excellence and Milestone Award

This new award program has the same criteria as the IHSA Recognition of Performance Achievement Milestone, except that it is only open to IHSA member firms that have achieved and maintained their Certificate of Recognition (COR^®). COR^® is a national standard for recognizing a well-functioning health and safety management system.

Safe Worker Award

IHSA’s Safe Worker Award program gives employers the opportunity to recognize their employees’ health and safety performance. Our Safe Worker pins are available for each year that an employee has worked without a compensable incident—up to 50 years.

Safe Driver Award

IHSA’s Safe Driver Award program gives employers the opportunity to recognize their employees’ health and safety performance. Our Safe Driver pins are available for each year that an employee has worked without a motor vehicle incident (MVI)—up to 50 years.