Estevan’s own Helen Fornwald has gotten some well-earned recognition for her commitment to safety. Fornwald is the recipient of the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association’s (SCSA) Safety Practitioner Award for the southeast region.
“It’s an honour. I work with a lot of great contractors, and staff and employees,” said Fornwald, who is the emergency measures organization co-ordinator for the City of Estevan. “It’s a common goal we’re all working toward, to make the workplace safer.”
Fornwald said the effort she puts in to get the recognition of a reward entailed long hours and that “construction isn’t a nine-to-five job.”
Fornwald received the award at the Feb. 25 annual general meeting of the SCSA. She earned the award, due to nominations she received for the work she does with a multitude of contractors in the southeast region.
In a call with the Mercury, Fornwald said some of the more important projects on which she’s worked have included the resurfacing of runway of the Estevan Airport, and the rehabilitation of Highway 47 North.
“It’s seven days a week; it’s weekends. It’s long hours. This year, with the season and with the weather we’re having, our construction is going 12 months of the year,” said Fornwald. “Our construction sites are still going. I’m regularly going out there, doing inspections and making sure everything is done safely.”
According to a press release from the SCSA, the award recognizes member companies that have demonstrated outstanding dedication and contribution to ensuring the success of the SCSA in their region.
SCSA president Colin Pullar noted in the release, that the award goes to individuals who have made “significant personal and professional sacrifices” to ensure the safety of construction workers in Saskatchewan.
“We have to attend the meetings regularly to qualify for the award, and I’m the vice-chairperson. You want to bring as many new members to the meeting as you can, to identify concerns and bring forward ideas,” said Fornwald.
Fornwald noted a main overarching goal is to pursue Mission Zero, a program meant to achieve zero workplace injuries in Saskatchewan.
“It’s important to get the message of safety out there, not only in our city, but trying to bring in other companies to understand the importance of safety in the workplace,” said Fornwald. “What we’re going to strive for is to reduce the amount of injuries we have in our workplaces and really get education out there to our employees.
“We’re encouraging people to be safe at work and home, as well.”
