2024 Canada's Safest Employers Awards handed out at star-studded gala event
The 2024 Canada’s Safest Employers Awards celebrated a remarkable range of health and safety leaders across 20 categories. Honorees included individuals and companies dedicated to advancing safety standards through leadership, innovation, and team collaboration.
Agnes Wietrzynski, CEO of QM Environmental, took home the prestigious CEO of the Year award. Wietrzynski attributed her success to her team’s unwavering focus on safety as a daily priority across the company. “We take safety very seriously, and we want to make sure that everyone gets home safe every day,” she explained. Her leadership, which focuses on embedding safety in the company’s KPIs, ensures that safety is not only a priority but a core part of their business practices.
Adelia Marchese, head of health, safety, and environment at Wolseley Canada, was named Safety Leader of the Year. Marchese believes that safety should be treated as a core value rather than a shifting priority. “Priorities shift and change, but values don’t,” she said, emphasizing that inspiring employees to embrace safety as part of their daily routine leads to a stronger safety culture.
This year’s awards also recognized contributions from innovative researchers like Aliakar Eslamibaladeh of Toronto Metropolitan University. Eslamibaladeh’s work in safety engineering and AI is helping to push technological advancements in workplace safety. “Collaboration is key in pushing these innovations forward,” he noted, underscoring the role of teamwork in achieving greater safety standards.
On the corporate side, Larry Rodo, president and CEO of 4Refuel, celebrated his company’s win for Best Safety Culture, crediting their people-first approach. “We’ve always said, take care of the people, and they’ll take care of profits. Safety is our DNA,” Rodo remarked, highlighting how his company’s commitment to safety has driven performance and reinvestment in employee well-being.
From individual leadership to cutting-edge research and corporate commitment, the 2024 Canada’s Safest Employers Awards reflect the strength and diversity of Canada’s safety landscape. Each winner, whether an industry leader or a company, has played a crucial role in shaping safer workplaces across the country.
These awards continue to inspire and raise the bar for health and safety practices, ensuring that safety remains at the forefront of business operations and innovation.
Here is the full list of winners:
Canada’s Safest New Employer
Top Grade Energy Services
The Minerva Award for Rising Star of the Year
Aliakar Eslamibaladeh - Toronto Metropolitan University
Canada’s Safest Chemistry Employer
Greenfield Global
The Mark's Commercial Award for Most Innovative Use of Safety Technology
EnergySolutions Canada
Canada’s Safest Mining & Natural Resources Employer
Dufferin Aggregates
The MSA Safety Award for Canada’s Safest Oil & Gas Employer
Pronghorn Controls
Best Environment Management Program
City of Calgary - Green Line
Canada’s Safest Utilities and Electrical Employer
Black & McDonald Ltd.
The WSPS Award for CEO of the Year
Agnes Wietrzynski - QM Environmental
The SafeStart Award for Canada’s Safest Employer for Young Workers
City of Barrie
Canada’s Safest Employer in Services Sector
Compass Group Canada
Canada’s Safest Construction Employer
Modern Niagara
Canada’s Safest Logistics and Supply Chain Employer
NexGen Transportation Ltd.
The Avetta Award for Canada’s Safest Manufacturing Employer
Burnbrae Farms Ltd.
Best Safety Industry Provider
SafeStart, a division of electrolab ltd.
Canada’s Safest Public Sector/Non-Profit Employer
The Calgary Airport Authority
The DriverCheck Award for Canada's Safest Public Transportation Employer
Metrolinx
The BGIS Award for Safety Leader of the Year
Adelia Marchese - Wolseley Canada
The CloudMD Award for Best Wellness Program
Gibson Energy Inc.
The WSIB Award for Canada’s Best Health & Safety Culture
4Refuel
