Safety and Health Week: Workplace Impairment & Support Strategies

Safety and Health Week is a reminder that workplace safety challenges are often complex and require informed, practical solutions.

Substance use in the workplace is one of the most difficult issues employers face and knowing how to respond appropriately is not always clear.

This webinar, Our Current Reality: Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace – What to Do When, How and Why, provides evidence-based guidance to help employers manage these situations effectively.

Presented by consultant pharmacist Nadine Wentzell, this session explores:

Current realities and common misconceptions around substance use
What makes an effective workplace substance use policy
Considerations for testing, privacy, and post-incident response
Strategies for supporting workers and return-to-work planning

Safety and Health Week is an opportunity to strengthen your approach to complex workplace safety challenges and ensure you are equipped with the right tools and knowledge.

Watch the webinar below to learn more.

Safety and Health Week is an opportunity to focus on the real challenges that impact workplace safety and the practical steps employers can take to address them.

One of the most complex responsibilities for employers is supporting an injured worker’s safety and timely return to work, especially with Duty to Cooperate requirements now in effect.

This webinar, Preparing for the Duty to Cooperate – Supporting CSNS Employers with Return to Work Solutions, provides clear, practical guidance to help employers navigate these responsibilities with confidence.

Featuring experts from Eastern Return to Work Solutions and Construction Safety Nova Scotia, this session explores how to:

Understand employer obligations under the Duty to Cooperate
Support effective communication between all parties
Improve outcomes for injured workers and workplaces
Apply practical, real-world return-to-work strategies

Safety and Health Week is the right time to strengthen your approach to return-to-work planning and ensure your processes support both compliance and recovery.

Watch the webinar below to learn more.

Safety and Health Week highlights the importance of not only physical safety, but also creating respectful, healthy workplaces.

Navigating new regulatory requirements can be challenging, especially when it comes to understanding what they mean in practice and how to apply them in your organization.

This webinar, Preparing for the Workplace Harassment Regulations, helps break down the requirements introduced on September 1, 2025, and what they mean for employers across Nova Scotia.

Presented in partnership with the Safety Branch of the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration, this session provides:

A clear overview of the new harassment in the workplace regulations
Practical tools and resources to support compliance
Guidance on applying requirements in real workplace situations

Safety and Health Week is an opportunity to ensure your workplace policies and practices are aligned, proactive, and effective.

Watch the webinar below to learn more.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2026

DARTMOUTH, N.S. — Construction Safety Nova Scotia (CSNS) has launched a new provincewide awareness campaign to help workers and employers better understand the dangers of crystalline silica and take action to prevent exposure on the job.

Crystalline silica is found in materials like concrete, stone, brick, sand, and tile—common across construction and many related industries. Cutting, drilling, crushing, or grinding these materials releases fine dust that’s often too small to see. Breathing this dust can cause severe, irreversible lung disease, including silicosis, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). More than 10,000 workers in Nova Scotia are potentially exposed to silica dust each year, primarily in construction and skilled trades.

“Silica is one of the most common — and least visible — hazards on construction sites,” said MJ MacDonald, CEO of CSNS. “The harm it causes is permanent, but the good news is that silica related illnesses are entirely preventable. This campaign gives workers and employers clear, practical tools to reduce exposure and protect themselves.”

This innovative campaign, The Lungsquatters, personifies respirable crystalline silica as “squatters” that move into a worker’s lungs and never leave — making an invisible hazard visible in a memorable, relatable way. The campaign website, lungsquatters.ca, is designed to support both employers and workers, offering clear and accessible guidance for recognizing silica hazards, using dust control methods, and understanding workplace rights and responsibilities.

For employers, the site offers

step-by-step guidance to identify potential sources of silica on job sites and implement effective control measures
downloadable templates, toolbox talks, and posters
information on selecting and using proper personal protective equipment (PPE)
resources tailored to Nova Scotia’s laws and regulatory requirements

For workers, the site provides:

 practical information on how to protect themselves and others from silica dust
a PPE checklist guidance on their right to refuse unsafe work
guidance on their right to refuse unsafe work
a quiz to help reinforce silica safety knowledge

Construction Safety Nova Scotia encourages all workers, supervisors, and employers in the construction and related industries to explore the new resources and integrate silica safe practices into daily operations.

This campaign is funded in part through the Province of Nova Scotia’s Occupational Health and Safety Education Trust Fund.

–30–

About Construction Safety Nova Scotia

Construction Safety Nova Scotia (CSNS) is an industry-founded and industry-funded not-for-profit association focused on improving occupational health and safety in the construction sector. CSNS is a highly regarded leader in OHS services with over 300,000 students trained in health and safety and over 1,050 firms attaining the association’s Certificate of Recognition (COR®) safety certification. The board of directors, OHS advisors, and CSNS staff work towards a safer construction industry by engaging with its membership to reduce injuries and improve safety culture. The association is passionate about saving lives and reducing injuries through industry-tailored instruction and advice. To learn more, visit constructionsafetyns.ca.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Shannon Kehoe
Director, Strategy & Engagement
Cell: 902-209-5658
Email: skehoe@constructionsafetyns.ca

Construction Safety Nova Scotia (CSNS) is an industry funded not-for-profit association focused on improving occupational health and safety in the construction sector. CSNS is a highly regarded leader in occupational health and safety (OHS) services with over 300,000 students trained in health and safety and over 1,150 firms attaining the association’s Certificate of Recognition (COR®) safety certification. The Board of Directors, OHS advisors, and CSNS staff work towards a safer construction industry by engaging with its membership to reduce injuries and improve safety culture. We are passionate about saving lives and reducing injuries through industry-tailored instruction and advice.

We are seeking new volunteer board members

Construction Safety Nova Scotia (CSNS) is recruiting new directors to join our board. We aim to reflect the diversity of Nova Scotians and seek board members to help us fulfill our mandate of achieving positive occupational health and safety change in the construction industry.

As a member of our board, you will play a direct role in decision making that will positively impact the construction industry in Nova Scotia. You will have the opportunity to use your voice to make the construction industry safer, healthier, and more inclusive. You will gain valuable experience serving as a volunteer board member, learn about the challenges and opportunities surrounding safety in the construction industry, and benefit from professional development opportunities we provide to the board throughout the year.

Core skills and competencies

Experience in the construction industry is not mandatory and all applicants are welcome. However, in our desire to create and maintain a board with diverse backgrounds, experiences and talent, we are particularly interested in hearing from candidates who have one or more of the following:

Knowledge in financial statements and reports
Experience with being a board member
Based in the western areas of Nova Scotia

Expectations and requirements

Board members play an important role in providing leadership and strategic direction for the organization. They are encouraged to attend all regularly scheduled meetings of the Board, which are held five (5) times per year, including the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Meetings are typically half-day in duration.

Directors are appointed for a two (2) year term and may be reappointed for up to three (3) consecutive terms.

Board members are expected to:

Participate in Board meetings and contribute to discussions
Serve on at least one committee, based on interest and organizational needs
Review meeting materials and reports in advance
Support the governance and overall effectiveness of the association

Regular attendance and active participation help ensure the Board can function effectively and meet its responsibilities. From time to time, availability and participation may be discussed to support a positive and productive Board experience for all members.

Recruitment process

If interested, please email your resume and a brief cover letter stating your interest by February 20, 2026 to Chair, Governance, Nominating and HR Committee c/o Jennifer Service at jservice@constructionsafetyns.ca with the subject line Board Member Application.

Applications will be reviewed and shortlisted for interviews. Successful nominees will be presented at our AGM on May 22, 2026, when your appointment will become official.

Construction Safety Nova Scotia strongly encourages applications from all qualified candidates, and particularly for those underrepresented from equity-deserving groups, including women, members of racialized communities, Indigenous, persons with disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Please let us know if you need accommodation during the nomination process and we will be happy to assist.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2025

DARTMOUTH, N.S. – Construction Safety Nova Scotia (CSNS) and MERIT Nova Scotia are pleased to announce the launch of Anchor Point, a new Member Assistance Program (MAP) designed to enhance mental health and wellness supports for workers in Nova Scotia’s construction industry.

Delivered through the GreenShield+ digital health platform, Anchor Point provides construction workers and their families with confidential access to professional mental health and wellness services. These services are offered free of charge to construction workers who do not already have access to an Employee or Member Assistance Program through their employer. Anchor Point is available anytime, anywhere, ensuring that help is accessible when and where it is needed most.

“The mental health of workers is a critical component of workplace safety,” said MJ MacDonald, CEO of Construction Safety Nova Scotia. “Through Anchor Point and our partnership with MERIT Nova Scotia, we are ensuring that every worker, regardless of company size, has access to the resources and support they need.”

The development of Anchor Point stems from the findings of CSNS’s Creating Mentally Healthy Workplaces study, which identified a strong link between working conditions and mental health outcomes in the construction sector. The report emphasized the need for expanded access to mental health resources and stronger workplace cultures of support.

“We’re proud to partner with Construction Safety Nova Scotia to launch Anchor Point, a program that fills a vital gap in our industry,” says Paul Dubé, President of MERIT Nova Scotia. “Many construction workers, particularly those in smaller companies, don’t have access to mental health benefits. This partnership ensures those workers and their families can get the help they need, when they need it.”

The launch of Anchor Point complements Construction Safety Nova Scotia’s broader mental health strategy, which includes initiatives such as new Mental Health Toolbox Talks and a suite of new mental-health-related training programs launching this fall. Together, these programs aim to build awareness, reduce stigma, and foster psychologically healthy workplaces across the construction industry.

For more information about Anchor Point and how to access services, visit constructionsafetyns.ca/anchorpoint

-30-

About Construction Safety Nova Scotia

For media inquiries, please contact:

Shannon Kehoe
Director, Strategy & Engagement
Cell: 902-209-5658
Email: skehoe@constructionsafetyns.ca

Adam Lane and Megan Smith at the 2025 CSNS AGM & Safety Awards

At Construction Safety Nova Scotia, we’re proud to recognize individuals and organizations who go beyond compliance to create safer, healthier, and more inclusive workplaces. This year, we’re thrilled to celebrate Megan Smith, Health, Safety, and Environmental Coordinator at EllisDon, as the recipient of our Women in Safety Leadership Award.

Megan’s leadership is rooted in empathy and authenticity. Onsite, she creates safe spaces where people feel comfortable raising both safety concerns and personal challenges. Her approachable style and expertise have made her a standout figure in EllisDon’s safety culture.

Her impact extends beyond just her role. Megan has been involved in organizing the Women in Construction events, helping women connect, share experiences, tackle challenges. What started small has grown into meaningful, company-supported initiatives.

“The industry wasn’t always designed with diversity in mind, but EllisDon is working to change that. Safety starts with inclusion, and inclusion grows when people feel seen and supported,” Megan shares.

Inclusivity is an important part of how EllisDon approaches safety. Their Fit Your Frame initiative provides tailored PPE for diverse body types, ensuring comfort and safety for all workers. Feminine hygiene products are available on site, and the gender ratio in offices is approaching 50/50.

Supporting wellbeing, On and Off Site

While Megan’s leadership shines, it’s also part of a broader culture at EllisDon, one that earned the company an Honourable Mention for Workplace Mental Health Award this year and an Honourable Mention Best Safety Culture in 2024. From coast to coast, safety is embedded in everything they do, whether it’s starting meetings with a safety moment or investing in mental health resources.

“There’s been a big shift in the last five or six years,” says Adam Lane, Safety Manager for EllisDon’s Maritime operations. “Safety isn’t just the responsibility of the safety team anymore; it’s a company-wide initiative. From senior management to site workers, everyone is involved.”

To expand their psychological safety programming, the company has hired a Director of Mental Health and a Mental Health Specialist, rolled out mental health toolbox talks, and enhanced its employee assistance program and benefits.

“We don’t just recognize mental health, we prioritize it,” Megan shares. “These programs have changed how we work and how we support each other. It’s life changing for those who need it.”

The organization encourages employees to take initiative and lead change, fostering a collaborative environment through Indigenous culture events, cross-regional knowledge sharing, and other initiatives where ideas are welcomed and acted on.

“We celebrate successes,” Adam adds. “Safety isn’t just about what went wrong, it’s about what we did right. That positive reinforcement helps build a culture where people feel valued and motivated.”

Looking Ahead

Led by dedicated people like Megan Smith and Adam Lane, EllisDon shows what’s possible when safety is truly a shared responsibility. Their work with CSNS, including training and certification, continues to strengthen their foundation and inspire others across the industry.