There's a culture of compassion at WorkSafeBC

When she was called to an incident involving a tower crane that contacted an overhead power line, Occupational Safety Officer Ashley Teister knew she needed help. She also knew exactly where to find it: among her colleagues at WorkSafeBC.

"On my way to the site, I called one of our subject-matter experts for cranes," Ashley recalls. "He met me at the worksite and was there to support me as I did my inspection."

That kind of teamwork plays an important role in WorkSafeBC's culture. "I work with so many people from different backgrounds and with different areas of expertise," Teister says. "Yet everyone is working toward one goal -- helping workers go home safe."

Wendy Strugnell, WorkSafeBC's Vice-President Corporate Services & Chief Human Resources Officer, agrees. "Every day, I'm impressed by the passion we share in our commitment to health and safety," she says.

As the province's workers' compensation insurer, WorkSafeBC serves 2.3 million people employed by more than 230,000 registered employers. In addition to providing no-fault insurance, WorkSafeBC helps employers and workers prevent injury and disease, and helps those injured return to work safely.

For Strugnell, WorkSafeBC's culture of compassion and dedication is largely responsible for its historically low staff turnover. Another important factor is the organization's support for lifelong learning. "We know that professional development is vital for employee retention," Strugnell says, "and a better-trained staff provides better service for our clients."

WorkSafeBC offers hundreds of in-house courses to help staff keep up with new technologies, practices and regulations. Teister is an eager student. "I love to learn," she says, "and my manager encourages it."

Besides her in-house training, Teister has signed up for a leadership program and is working toward certification as a registered safety professional. Says Teister: "There are no dead-end jobs here. Whether you want to grow by transferring into another area or rise in the ranks to a managerial role, the company will make sure you get the support you need."

Attracting the best people and giving them the environment and support to do their best work allows WorkSafeBC to fulfill its promise as an organization: to make a difference one worker, one employer, one workplace at a time.

That promise resonates strongly with Teister. "A worker isn't the only person impacted by an injury," she says. "It affects their family too. We can make a difference for them by helping every worker return home healthy and safe after every shift."