The 2027 agenda is still under development at this time. All topics and speakers are subject to change

2027 Program Schedule

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Tuesday, April 13, 2027: Conference Day One

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Wednesday April 14, 2027: Conference Day Two

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Thursday April 15, 2027 (Post-conference professional development courses)

 Scroll down for Tuesday/Wednesday Conference Program. Click on a course title to jump to that course description

Please Note: All sessions, speakers, events, times and descriptions are subject to change without notice. Pacific Safety Center Ltd reserves the right to limit quantities and to correct errors or omissions. For the latest information and updates please check the home page.

Photography & Film Footage Will Be Taken During This Event
Please be advised that a photographer and videographer may be attending the Western Conference on Safety. By entering the conference your image may be included in some shots. If you do not wish to be included be identify yourself to the photographer/videographer and so indicate your wishes to them. Otherwise your presence here will constitute your consent to being photographed and/or video’ed and your acknowledgement that such photography/film may be used for promotional, archival or media purposes.

Scent Friendly:
The Western Conference on Safety is a scent-free environment. In consideration of others, please be “scent-sitive” and reduce or avoid your use of perfume or other personal scents. Your fellow conference attendees will appreciate you for it.

Session Descriptions:

Tuesday April 13, 2027

7:00am

Registration and Safety Tradeshow Open

8:30 – 9:00am

Welcome and Opening Remarks  (Regency Ballroom “D”, 3rd Floor)

Master of Ceremonies: Tanya Steele
Welcoming Remarks by: TBA

9:00 – 10:00am

Tuesday Opening Keynote: The Art of Leading When No One is Watching by Shilo Neveu   (Regency Ballroom “D”, 3rd Floor)

Leadership isn’t defined by titles or meetings — it’s revealed in the quiet moments when no one’s watching. The most admired leaders earn trust not through authority, but through the small, consistent choices they make every day. This session explores practical leadership behaviors that build lasting credibility and connection. From mastering “scene change” between conversations to leading with heart and clarity, participants will learn what it truly means to do what’s right — even when no one is looking. Expect a grounded, candid conversation about how simple behaviors can elevate trust, influence, and collaboration across teams.

• Shilo Neveu serves as the Executive Vice President of Operational Performance for the Valard Construction Group of Companies and as Quanta Services’ Regional Safety Director for Canada. His leadership spans more than two decades of experience guiding large, complex operations across the country — from remote field projects to billion-dollar infrastructure builds.

Shilo’s journey didn’t start in a boardroom; it started in the mud and minus-forty winters of the Canadian field. That firsthand experience, combined with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Conservation Sciences, a Juris Doctorate in Law, and professional designations as both a CRSP and CUSP, gives him a rare ability to connect strategy with reality — and people with purpose.

A former practicing lawyer specializing in labour, employment, and occupational health and safety law, Shilo has built his career helping organizations find the balance between compliance, culture, and human performance. Today, he’s known for challenging conventional thinking about leadership and safety — reminding others that real influence doesn’t come from authority, but from doing what’s right, even when no one’s watching

10:00 – 10:30am

Safety Tradeshow and Coffee Break

10:30 – 11:45am

Session 2A: 
What Causes Accidents?
Description to Follow
Speaker: Jeff Lyth, QSP Leadership Inc., Vancouver BC

Session 2B: 
Systems are Great, But Without People and Commitment?
Come and join us for an upbeat interactive discussion on health and safety approaches in the workplace. Is it top down, bottom up, where do we find the balance that gives you safe, happy employees, clients and is cost effective?
Speaker: Ray Hudon, Safety Coordinator, Westshore Terminals LTD Partnership and Jackie Spain, Golden Consulting

Session 2C:
Beyond the Checklist: Transforming Emergency Drills Into Meaningful Safety Learning
Emergency drills are a cornerstone of workplace preparedness, but are they truly preparing workers and organizations for real emergencies, or simply satisfying compliance requirements? This engaging session challenges traditional approaches to emergency exercises and explores how organizations/JOHSC can play a critical role in improving organizational readiness. Learn how to design and evaluate drills that test decision-making, communication, leadership and hazard response under realistic conditions. Through practical examples and proven techniques, attendees will discover how to incorporate scenario-based challenges, meaningful performance measures and structured debriefs that uncover hidden risks and drive continuous improvement. Whether your workplace conducts evacuation drills, first aid exercises or emergency response simulations, this session will provide actionable tools to move beyond check-the-box activities and create learning experiences that strengthen safety culture, improve worker engagement and build confidence when real emergencies occur.
Speaker: Simon Miles, Safety First Consulting, Victoria BC

Session 2D:
TBA
Description to Follow
Speaker: TBA

11:45am – 1:15pm

Safety Tradeshow and Lunch (On own for lunch)

1:15 – 2:45pm

Session 3A: 
The Good, The Bad & the Ugly of Artificial Intelligence in Workplace Safety
Artificial intelligence promises better hazard recognition, predictive risk management, and less administrative work. It also brings environmental costs, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, privacy concerns, and the danger of misplaced trust. Explore how safety professionals can harness AI’s strengths while protecting worker dignity, preserving critical thinking, and maintaining meaningful human oversight. The future of safety may be powered by AI, but it will still depend on responsible people.
Speaker: Glyn Jones, M.A.Sc. CIH, CRSP. Principal Engineer, EHS Partnerships Ltd.

Session 3B: 
From Panicked to Prepared: Building Personal & Workplace Resilience Before Disaster Strikes

Wildfires, floods, earthquakes, extreme weather, power outages, and other emergencies can happen with little warning. Yet many people remain unprepared both at home and in the workplace. In this practical and engaging session, disaster preparedness expert Jackie Kloosterboer shares simple, realistic steps that individuals can take to prepare themselves, their families, and their workplaces for emergencies. Drawing on more than 30 years of frontline emergency management experience, Jackie combines real-life stories with practical tools that participants can implement immediately. Attendees will learn how to create a personal preparedness plan, identify common gaps that leave families vulnerable during disasters, and understand why being prepared at home allows them to be more effective and resilient at work when emergencies occur. Participants will leave with actionable strategies, increased confidence, and a clear understanding of how preparedness today can reduce stress, improve safety, and support recovery when disaster strikes.
Speaker: Jackie Kloosterboer, Survive-It Disaster Preparedness

Session 3C: 
Menopause at Work: An Overlooked Occupational Health & Safety Issue
Description to Follow
Speaker: Joanna Ayotte, B.Sc., RPH, MSCP, MMHPC, CRE, Evolve Menopause Education & Consulting

Session 3D: 
Improving Safety Committee Effectiveness
Description to Follow
Speaker: BC Fed Occupational Health & Safety Centre

2:45 – 3:15pm

Safety Tradeshow and Coffee Break (Tradeshow closes at 3:30pm)

3:15 – 4:30pm

Session 4A: 
Investigating Potentially Serious Incidents: Lessons Learned from BC Hydros’ Serious Incident Management Program

Potentially serious incidents present an opportunity to learn before a fatality or life-altering injury occurs. This session provides an overview of BC Hydro’s Serious Incident Management (SIM) process, it’s creation and the methods used to investigate incidents with high-consequence potential across a variety of domains including, worker safety, contractor safety, public safety, environment, and wildfire. Participants will learn how incidents are screened for enhanced investigation, the role of senior leaders and executives in the process, and how investigation findings are translated into corrective actions. The session will include a walkthrough of an incident investigation using the Executive Investigation Findings presentation format employed at BC Hydro, demonstrating how evidence is analyzed, findings are developed, and recommendations are communicated to leadership.
Speakers: Damien Clapa, P.Eng, Director of Compliance, BC Hydro and Christine Messer, P.Eng, Serious Incident Management Compliance Specialist, Serious Incident Management Program, BC Hydro.

Session 4B: 
TBA
Description to Follow
Speaker: TBA

Session 4C: 
TBA
Description to Follow
Speaker: TBA

Session 4D: 
TBA
Description to Follow
Speaker: TBA

Wednesday April 14, 2027

7:00am

Registration and Safety Tradeshow Open

8:30 – 9:45am

Wednesday Opening Keynote Presentation: How To Survive and Thrive in the World of Safety by Mike Harnett

9:45 – 10:15am

Safety Tradeshow and Coffee Break

10:15 – 11:30am

Session 6A:
Update on WorkSafeBC’s Regulatory Changes
Description to Follow
Speaker: Mariana Storoni, Quality Manager, Policy, Regulation & Research, WorkSafeBC

Session 6B:
SIF’s and Critical Control Evaluations
Description to Follow
Speaker: Brent Sutton, Founder, Learning Teams Inc. Auckland, New Zealand

Session 6C:
Workplace Safety Inspections
Workplace inspections are one of the most effective tools for identifying hazards and preventing incidents—but only when they’re done well. If you’re looking for ways to improve your inspection process, increase employee participation, and achieve better results, this session is for you. Learn practical techniques for planning and conducting effective workplace inspections, identifying and assessing hazards, and prioritizing corrective actions. Discover strategies for engaging workers during inspections, encouraging meaningful feedback, and turning inspection findings into real improvements. Whether you’re a safety committee member, supervisor, manager, or anyone responsible for conducting workplace inspections, you’ll leave with practical tools and ideas you can put to work immediately. Stop treating inspections as a checkbox exercise and start using them as a powerful tool for improving workplace safety.
Speaker:  Arunjit (Aaron) Gill,  Ph.D, CRSP, Employers Advisor, Employers Advisors Office, Ministry of Labour

Session 6D:TBA
Description to Follow
Speaker: TBA

11:30 – 12:45pm

Safety Tradeshow and Lunch (On own for lunch. Tradeshow closes at 12:45pm)

12:45 – 2:00pm

Session 7A: 
Results from Saskatchewan’s Employee Fatigue & Lifestyle Study
Description to Follow
Speaker: Mike Harnett

Session 7B: 
AI Took the Training: The Worker Got the Credential
Workers are receiving safety and compliance training credentials for training they never took. This session demonstrates how AI is already being used to complete online training on behalf of workers, how existing safeguards are being bypassed, and why a training record can no longer automatically be treated as proof that training actually occurred.
Most importantly, we’ll look at practical, low-cost safeguards that employers and training providers can implement today to help verify the right person is actually taking the training and restore confidence in the credentials being issued.
Speaker: Robert Day, CSP, CRSP — Special Advisor to the Chair of ANSI/ASSP Z490.1 and member of the IACET AI Task Force, focused on AI and online training integrity.

Session 7C: 
When Sh*t Happens- Preparing for Incident Investigations

Organizations work hard to identify hazards and implement controls that protect workers, equipment, the environment and the public. Yet, even with strong systems in place, incidents still occur. When they do, the quality of the investigation can make the difference between simply documenting what happens and uncovering the underlying causes needed to prevent it from happening again. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience, Lorinda Jacobson will share practical insights for preparing and responding to workplace incidents, from the moment the call comes in through on-scene activities and post-incident follow-up. Participants will learn how to approach investigations with the right mindset, gather meaningful evidence, ask effective questions, and identify contributing factors that support a thorough root cause analysis.  Whether you are new to investigations or an experienced safety professional looking to refine your approach, this session will provide valuable strategies to help you be ready when “SH!T happens.”
Speaker: Lorinda Jacobson CRSP, Regional Manager, Saskatchewan, Energy Safety Canada

Session 7D: 
TBA
Description to Follow
Speaker: TBA

2:00 – 2:15pm
Room Change

2:15 – 3:30pm

Super Session 8A: 
Psychological Support from the Ground Up: Practical Skills for the Workplace
Description to Follow
Speaker: Dr. Nicole Legg, OhD,  Co-Founder, Licensed Psychologist, WellIntel,

Super Session 8B: 
TBA
Description to Follow
Speaker: TBA

3:30pm – Conference Concludes

_______________________________________________________________________________

Post-Conference Courses:

Thursday April 15, 2027

8:30am – 4:30pm

Course PC-1
Fundamentals for Joint Health and Safety Committees Course  
This course is ideal for new safety committee members needing to comply with WorkSafeBC’s Safety Committee Member training regulations as well as existing members looking to upgrade their safety knowledge and skills. If your organization is setting up its first safety committee or looking to makes its existing committee more effective, this one day course is just what you need.

Topics include: applying the process of safety inspections and accident investigations, participating in constructive committee meetings, helping your committee work together and much more.
Fees:
$265.00 (register by Mar. 5, 2027)
$295.00 (after Mar. 5, 2027)
GST extra

Course PC-2
Accident/Incident Investigation Course  
Great course for safety committee members, supervisors or anyone who is required to conduct and/or review accidents and incidents in the workplace. It will help you to effectively investigate accidents with the objective of reducing or preventing future accidents. This is one of our most popular courses.
Fees:
$295.00 (register by Mar. 5, 2027)
$395.00 (after Mar. 5, 2027)
GST extra

Course PC-3
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Course
A fundamental concept in managing occupational health and safety (and also in many WorkSafeBC’s regulations) is the recognition, assessment and control of hazards. The process is commonly referred to as Hazard Identification or Risk Assessment. But how do you determine what is a hazard and how do you find hidden hazards before someone gets hurt? This course will assist you in recognizing and rating the severity of workplace hazards and explore common strategies for controlling them. A great course for supervisors, managers and safety committee members.
Fees:
$295.00 (register by Mar. 5, 2027)
$395.00 (after Mar. 5, 2027)
GST extra

Course PC-4
Supervisors Safety Training Course
Supervisors are arguably the most influential people in preventing workplace incidents and injuries. But only if they understand their key role and have the specific skills needed to follow through on that understanding. If they don’t or worse, have never been taught how to supervisor for safety as part of the job, then accidents and injuries nearly always follow. This jam-packed one day course guides new or experienced supervisors through the fundamentals they need to ensure safety on the job.
Fees:
$295.00 (register by Mar. 5, 2027)
$395.00 (after Mar. 5, 2027)
GST Extra