On a calm day in Richardson International’s Environment, Health & Safety department, Andrew Senkiw underscores that calmness is the goal. “When things are quiet here, it means we’re doing our job,” he says. “Quiet is good.”
In an office outfitted with high-vis vests, manuals, and safety goggles, Senkiw serves as Richardson’s Director of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S). When speaking of safety, he does so earnestly. With more than 3,500 employees across global operations, Richardson’s vow to safety, and widespread safety culture, is at the forefront — and is something Senkiw, his team, and the people of Richardson work toward every day.
Director, Environment, Health & Safety
Richardson International
“The ultimate goal, always, is that everyone goes home safe at the end of their day,” says Senkiw. “And to do that, it takes everybody.”
The ‘it takes everybody’ mindset is precisely the foundation of Richardson’s safety culture. With a central EH&S team headquartered in Winnipeg, dedicated safety reps at all 100+ facilities, and investment from company leadership, Senkiw notes that safety is embedded into Richardson from every direction. “It [safety culture] is genuinely felt from the top leadership and down. It’s not just a box for us to check,” he explains.
To build a widespread culture of safety, Senkiw stresses that it takes more than wearing personal protective equipment, more than corporate policies, and more than a one-time training session. To build a culture, it takes the buy-in and care from every employee, during every shift. And to do that, Richardson prioritizes behaviour-based safety through extensive training, communication, and an emphasis on accountability. “Behaviour-based safety is when safety becomes a habit, not a requirement,” says Senkiw. “By changing behaviours, that’s when proactive safety begins.”
The strategy is working. With a national safety index showing industry-leading metrics and continued improvement in the last 15 years, Richardson’s tactics — which include regular mock emergency drills, youth worker training, in-person education and networking, and learning programs that exceed industry requirements — are setting a standard of safety for others to aim for.
“We are incredibly proud of our numbers, and it only motivates us to keep improving wherever possible,” says Senkiw. “We know that the more effort we put in, the more engaged our teams are with safety.”
Understanding that employee engagement and behaviour is key, Richardson’s Safety Starts with Me campaign is a major focus of Senkiw’s team.
“Safety Starts with Me is about our people understanding how much power and influence they have over their own safety outcomes, not only at work, but also at home,” says Senkiw. “Richardson provides best-in-class equipment and training, but it’s up to the individual to lead with the knowledge we’ve provided them.”
Promoted widely across Richardson’s global network, the campaign helps reinforce a culture where safety is top of mind and communication is encouraged. Senkiw notes that when safety is talked about, consistently and without hesitation, that’s when it becomes part of the culture. “Since launching Safety Starts with Me, we’re seeing our people talk more about safety, asking more questions, and being more proactive. That’s what we want,” he says.
And while positive metrics and employee engagement are several indicators of Richardson’s safety culture, the quiet and calm days in Winnipeg’s Environment, Health & Safety department are another.
Safety Culture in Action
Ensuring the health and safety of our network is our number one priority. We could not accomplish the work we do without the support and commitment of our people. Every Richardson operating facility has a dedicated safety representative and/or workplace health and safety committee, whose objective is to facilitate a safe work culture through a number of efforts, including:
