Here we go!  This is my first attempt at a blog and I would first of all like to introduce myself.  I am John Evans, Plant  Manager at Ranpro Inc. in Simcoe ON.  We are a very active EMC member.  EMC has asked me to contribute as an expert blogger, specifically as one of EMC's Safety Group champions, speaking on Health and Safety issues from the perspective of an EMC member.

I have been an active EMC member for over eight years now, participating in monthly SIG events, as well as EMC's WSIB Safety Group program.  Prior to joining EMC I was employed by a manufacturer in Brantford that was NOT an EMC member.  That manufacturer was also a member of a safety group not affiliated with EMC, so I have experience on 'both sides of the fence' and can provide my perspective from the different approaches.  I have been in senior management positions in manufacturing for the last 20 years and currently sit on two other community committees, one being the Norfolk County Master Fire Plan Committee, and the other being the Emergency Management Program Committee, as the industrial sector representative.

Like in Lean manufacturing practices, if you do not adopt Lean principles in all areas of your business today you are taking the hard road to operating your business.  So goes safety in the work place.  Similar to Lean, if health & safety in your operation is not supported from top management down it will be very difficult to adopt sound health and safety practices .

Generally, I have seen companies that have poor moral, also have high accident rates, Ministry of Labour problems, labour relation problems, and are the loudest complainers at business seminars about how horrible conditions are with inspectors from Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Environment.  They have difficulty retaining good employees, can't get any government grants approved and typically have Health & Safety as a very low priority on their list of things to do.

Now I am not saying life is rosy and all problems go away when you have a good health & safety program, but after some hard work developing a world class safety program (which can be accomplished with the Safety Group guidance on policy creation and implementation) and full support from the senior management of your organization, you will definitely sleep better at night.

I will be regularly contributing to the EMC Health & Safety blogs to share my experiences - both good and bad - with Health & Safety in the workplace and also how the experience has assisted me in helping in my community in which I live.

I would like to have feedback from those that read the blogs so please reply.

John Evans, Plant Manager
Ranpro Inc.

Feel free to contact me through my online EMC profile: www.emccanada.org/.profile/jevans