Ron Kelusky's 'passion for worker health and safety' well-known throughout industry
The province of Ontario has appointed Ron Kelusky as the new chief prevention officer.
Prior to his appointment, Kelusky was the president and CEO of the Public Services Health and Safety Association (PSHSA) and was responsible for health and safety solutions for Ontario's health care, education, government and First Nations sectors. Kelusky led a number of projects including a system-wide review of violence in the health-care sector and strategies on improving outcomes for first responders experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Ron Kelusky’s experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors makes him an outstanding choice as the chief prevention officer. His ability to build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, as well as his passion for worker health and safety, is well-known throughout the health and safety sector,” said Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn. “I am confident that he will lead us to healthier and safer workplaces, which will benefit people across the province. I welcome him aboard.”
The chief prevention officer oversees the Prevention Office within the Ministry of Labour, and has a wide range of responsibilities, including: working with Ontario's health and safety system partners to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities; reporting to the Minister of Labour on the performance of Ontario's occupational health and safety system; setting province-wide training and safety programs standards; and the establishment of a provincial occupational health and safety strategy.
Prior to working at the PSHSA, Kelusky had been with the Canadian Red Cross as director general and the national executive lead for health programs. During his tenure he was involved with the international response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and was the principle lead, involving the merger of two community health organizations resulting in the creation of a $200M operation responsible for delivering home-care services in all 14 health networks across Ontario.
Kelusky's leadership experience spans the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Prior to joining the Canadian Red Cross, he was the president of GestureTek Health, a health-care technology startup focused on the development and introduction of leading edge virtual reality medical technology into global health markets.
Kelusky has also served as vice-president and chief operating officer of March of Dimes and for more than 28 years worked with the City of Toronto. In the last five years with the City of Toronto, he served as chief and general manager of Toronto Emergency Medical Services.
He holds a master of business administration, diplomas in health and human resources, is a Certified Municipal Manager (CMM III) and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineers.
“I am humbled by this appointment and excited to begin building upon the significant improvements the Ministry has made in reducing workplace injuries over the past several years,” Kelusky said. “Today, Ontario is a safer place to work but there continues to be much more to be done.”
Kelusky will take up his appointment on March 12.
