Transmit Safety: Occupational Health And Safety on All Frequencies

In today’s episode of Transmit Safety, Aimee talks about what factors you should consider when updating and improving your manual.

The term continuous improvement is used all the time within Health and Safety, but when it comes to our own Health and Safety manuals, we seem to be quite reluctant about making changes.

Tune in to today’s episode, where I will guide you through the 5 factors that influence your Health and Safety manual. We will dive into some conversational points about them to help you recognize their impact and what you should keep in mind when updating your manual, as well as to give you tools to deal with the tricky parts of the process.


In this episode, you’ll learn about

• #1 The complainers
• #2 The collective process of legislation and industry standards
• #3 The client requirements
• #4 Business changes
• #5 YOU

The Transmit Safety Podcast is here to help health and safety practitioners achieve a holistic approach to workplace health and safety so they can become impactful leaders and put the value of safety into action. 

Resources and links

Today's episode was sponsored by Transmit Safety, a consulting business where I help streamline and simplify health and safety management systems through education, program development, audits, and coaching.

For more information about how to work with Aimee, go to transmitsafety.com/ways-to-work-together

For more on the Transmit Safety Podcast, go to transmitsafety.com/podcast


Facts and Sources

- 48% of adult Canadians have literacy skills that fall below a high school level, negatively affecting their ability to function at work and in their personal lives.

- 17% function at the lowest level, where they may, for example, be unable to read the dosage instructions on a medicine bottle.

Source: abclifeliteracy.ca

And, "even modest investments in workplace literacy and essential skills training can translate into substantial gains in workers’ skills and job performance, as well as increases in employment, earnings, job retention, productivity, and costs savings from reduced errors and waste."

Source: UPSKILL Health – Technical Report on worker and business outcomes: Social Research and Demonstration Corporation, 2016).


Quotes from this episode

“Your primary audience is the one doing the work. And your Health and Safety Manual needs to be for them. It needs to be easily understood, putting that paper into practice.”

“Every time somebody asks you a question about the application of the words on the paper or the policy, the procedure, that's an indication there could be room for improvement.”

“Don't feel like you have to carry everything. [...] Just because you can carry the weight of things doesn't mean that it's not heavy. [...] Sometimes we need to realize that it's okay to ask for help.”

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

Linkedin: Aimee Arsenault
Instagram: @transmit.safety
Twitter: @transmitsafety
Website: transmitsafety.com

In today’s episode of Transmit Safety, Aimee has an invaluable conversation with Leigh-Ann Stewart, a fellow CRSP.

There is never an exact copy-and-paste career path in the Health & Safety world. As I’ve touched on in previous episodes (i.e. Episode 5), there’s a wide range of possibilities out there and you must decide which one works best for you.

This episode is also packed full of important lessons Leigh-Ann and I learned along our careers that will help you become a better OHS practitioner, no matter your path. But, if yours has taken you to an administrative role within a company, you’ll certainly benefit from Leigh-Ann’s expertise. She climbed the corporate ladder to the C-suite level at the company she worked at for almost two decades and she is sharing all about her own path and what it took to get there.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Leigh-Ann’s journey of climbing the corporate ladder and her recent transition into consulting
• How to get involved in the decision-making conversations, even when you don’t have a seat at the table (yet)
• A 3-step program to integrate OHS strategies into your organization’s business approach
• Why not every OHS practitioner is cut out to be a consultant
• Define what success means to you and constantly touch back on it
• The importance of cultivating a professional network

The Transmit Safety Podcast is here to help health and safety practitioners achieve a holistic approach to workplace health and safety so they can become impactful leaders and put the value of safety into action.

Today's episode was sponsored by Transmit Safety, a consulting business where I help streamline and simplify health and safety management systems through education, program development, audits, and coaching.

For more information about how to work with Aimee, go to transmitsafety.com/ways-to-work-together

For more on the Transmit Safety Podcast, go to transmitsafety.com/podcast

Curious about the Zone of Genius? You can hear more about it in the first interview episode of the Transmit Safety Podcast, Episode 2: Doing Good Business with Sarah Williams.


Connect with Leigh-Ann Stewart

Leigh-Ann Stewart is a CRSP with over 24 years of safety experience. She is the co-founder of Simply Safe, an OHS consulting firm based in Vernon BC. She is also a board member of the Tire Industry Association and is very proud to be the Vice Chair for Women in Occupational Health & Safety Society.

LinkedIn: Leigh-Ann Stewart

Website: simplysafeconsulting.ca

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

Linkedin: Aimee Arsenault
Instagram: @transmit.safety
Twitter: @transmitsafety
Website: transmitsafety.com

In today’s episode of Transmit Safety, Aimee shares how she takes control of her to-do list and manages her work-life balance.

Have you ever had your whole work day planned out, only to get a million things piled on you as soon as you step into work? It truly sucks when your planned, controlled, and confident day gets thrown into chaos, especially when you have no control over that chaos.

Tune in to today’s episode to discover what to do when other people's requests and urgent to-do’s take over your to-do list. Hopefully, with these tips, you’ll be able to avoid the need to come in early, to work through your lunch, to not take any breaks, or to stay late.


In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to keep control of your to-do list
• Stephen R. Covey’s Time Management Matrix
• Deciding what is urgent and what is important
• The importance of consistently reinforcing your boundaries

The Transmit Safety Podcast is here to help health and safety practitioners achieve a holistic approach to workplace health and safety so they can become impactful leaders and put the value of safety into action. 

Today's episode was sponsored by Transmit Safety, a consulting business where I help streamline and simplify health and safety management systems through education, program development, audits, and coaching.

Aimee uses Stephen R. Covey’s Time Management Matrix to prioritize her tasks. If you want to learn more about it and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, go to: https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits/

For more information about how to work with Aimee, go to transmitsafety.com/ways-to-work-together

For more on the Transmit Safety Podcast, go to transmitsafety.com/podcast

“The reality is not everything is urgent. Not everything is important. I'm gonna say that again. Not everything is urgent. And not everything is important. Regardless of who is on the other end of that request.”

“You can't just flat out say no. But it's okay to say not today. It's okay to say not right now. It's okay to say maybe I'm going to redirect this task to somebody else who has the same skill set as I.”

“You are important. Keep track of your time, track the tasks, requests, and prioritize based on your definition of urgency and importance. Say it with me. I am only one person and can only do so many things in a day. And that's okay.”

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

Linkedin: Aimee Arsenault
Instagram: @transmit.safety
Twitter: @transmitsafety
Website: transmitsafety.com

Tune into today’s super fun episode, where Aimee hangs out with Constanza aka Technically a Tech, the Workwear Queen, and everyone’s worksite bestie.

If you’re a woman who works on-site like me (even if only occasionally), you know how hard it is to find field workwear and safety gear that is size-inclusive, actually comfortable, durable, and well-priced. Followed by the great challenge of finding community because sometimes you’re the only woman on the job site.

Well, look no further because Constanza is here to talk about her field of work, finding the right gear, building community for Women on Site, and much more.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to learn about the opportunities in your field and land your first job
• The nitty-gritty of an Environmental Technician’s life on-site 
• The importance and benefits of having the right gear for on-site work 
• Some of Constanza’s latest tricks for finding workwear that works
• A peek into Constanza’s workwear reviewing, her relationships with brands, and what’s to come
• Women on Site: a community for women who work on-site
• What to consider if you want to work as an Environmental Technician

The Transmit Safety Podcast is here to help health and safety practitioners achieve a holistic approach to workplace health and safety so they can become impactful leaders and put the value of safety into action. 

If you’re a woman who does fieldwork and works on-site join Constanza’s Women on Site Community. You can learn more about and connect with the founders, here are their Instagram accounts: Tessa Ferzli (@tattedbrickie), Samara Sampson (@wingnutless), Darci Spiteri (@sparks_to_sparkles), and, of course, Constanza Maass (@technically.a.tech).

Looking for a good belt? Check out Aimee’s go-to work belts at Unbelts.

For more information about how to work with Aimee, go to transmitsafety.com/ways-to-work-together
For more of the Transmit Safety Podcast, go to transmitsafety.com/podcast

Connect with Constanza Maass
Constanza is an environmental field technician who is passionate about getting women into workwear that actually fits. She speaks candidly about the experience of women in STEM and construction, creating a community for women to feel heard and understood. Constanza is your job site bestie, she will also make sure you're staying hydrated and UV protected during those long days on site!

Instagram: @technically.a.tech
TikTok: @technically.a.tech
YouTube: Technically A Tech
LinkedIn: Constanza Maass

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

Linkedin: Aimee Arsenault
Instagram: @transmit.safety
Twitter: @transmitsafety
Website: transmitsafety.com

• Health and Safety strategies in isolation do not work 
• Change Agents and their importance for creating a healthy and safe workplace
• How to identify your organization’s Change Agents
• The different types of personal power and how to harness it for change

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

Linkedin: Aimee Arsenault
Instagram: @transmit.safety
Twitter: @transmitsafety
Website: transmitsafety.com

In this episode of Transmit Safety, I sat down with a friend of mine Bunmi Ibitoye and we chatted about the benefits of keeping a personal journal. Bunmi is a stress management and wellness coach with over seven years of professional experience in the public health sector. She holds a master's in public health, and her interest lies in workplace health, wellness, and stress management.


In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The impacts of prolonged stress on our bodies
• Tips to start a personal journal
• The 5 key benefits of keeping a personal journal
• Journaling prompts examples to inspire you
• How health and safety practitioners can de-stress and disconnect after a stressful day

The Transmit Safety Podcast is here to help health and safety practitioners achieve a holistic approach to workplace health and safety so they can become impactful leaders and put the value of safety into action. 

If you want Bunmi’s journaling prompts or another one of her amazing resources, visit flonahubhealth.com/products

Bunmi mentions a journaling app during the interview called ByteLyfe, you can learn more and sign up at bytelyfe.app

Today's episode was sponsored by Transmit Safety, a consulting business where I help streamline and simplify health and safety management systems through education, program development, audits, and coaching.

For more information about how to work with Aimee, go to transmitsafety.com/ways-to-work-together

For more of the Transmit Safety Podcast, go to transmitsafety.com/podcast

“I understand that we have a lot of things to get done, but you just have to be flexible. You just have to choose the time [for journaling] that works for you.” - Bunmi Ibitoye

“...creating a personal journal should be beneficial to your mental health. So it'd be something that is helping you de-stress it and not making it another to-do list.” - Aimee Arsenault

“...it [a personal journal] helps improve concentration, helps find solutions to problems [...] because when your mind is free, and you're able to find solutions to things, you get some form of relief.” - Bunmi Ibitoye

“It's not always easy. But when you engage your mind in something else, you've redirected your thought, you’ve redirected what you're focusing on, and that helps you take your mind off work.” - Bunmi Ibitoye 

Connect with Bunmi

Bunmi is a Stress Management and Wellness Coach, and founder of Flonahub Health. She creates content that helps you better manage stress and improve your wellness.

Instagram: @flonahub

Website: flonahubhealth.com 

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

Linkedin: Aimee Arsenault
Instagram: @transmit.safety
Twitter: @transmitsafety
Website: transmitsafety.com

Tune into today’s episode to hear all about Aimee’s career path in Organizational Health & Safety and find your own.

As an OH&S contract trainer in the classroom, I often get asked about “What’s next?” or “Where do I go from here, now that I'm getting this type of training?”. Well, the simple answer is: IT DEPENDS. 

To help clarify this, join me as I share all about my origin story and the questions that guided me, as well as the internal and external factors and influences that landed me where I am today.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The wide range of paths, expectations, training, and qualifications available within the Health & Safety profession
• The difference between a practitioner and a professional
• The importance of certifications and designations in OH&S
• Tips and questions you should ask yourself to find the right career path for you

The Transmit Safety Podcast is here to help health and safety practitioners achieve a holistic approach to workplace health and safety so they can become impactful leaders and put the value of safety into action. 

Today's episode was sponsored by Transmit Safety, a consulting business where I help streamline and simplify health and safety management systems through education, program development, audits, and coaching.

Aimee references the International Network of Safety & Health Professional Organisations (INSHPO)’s OH&S Professional Capability Framework, you can learn more about it here.

Want to know more about Alan (Al) Quilley, someone who deeply impacted Aimee’s career path, and whose impact in the OH&S profession has been and will be long-lasting even after his passing? You can find his work and content on his website Safety Results, his blog, or his Twitter.

For more information about how to work with Aimee, go to transmitsafety.com/ways-to-work-together

For more on the Transmit Safety Podcast, go to transmitsafety.com/podcast

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

Linkedin: Aimee Arsenault
Instagram: @transmit.safety
Twitter: @transmitsafety
Website: transmitsafety.com

In today’s episode, join Aimee and Joan MacMillan to learn all you need to know about Psychological Health and Safety.

We are currently facing a mental health epidemic at work. Meanwhile, the average health and safety practitioner is expected to know everything about everything and be able to implement all of it even without having the expertise or resources to hire out for it.

Knowing this, in this episode, we bring to you the information and guidance that you need to acquire the tools, skills, and abilities that will allow you to create the change you need in your workplace.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The important factors to consider and ways to implement a psychologically healthy and safe workplace
• Why just implementing the CSA standard is not enough
• Ways to measure mental wellbeing in the workplace
• What mindfulness truly is and its benefits
• The right kind of systems to implement for diversity
• How self-work and emotional intelligence can make you a better leader and create change in the workplace

The Transmit Safety Podcast is here to help health and safety practitioners achieve a holistic approach to workplace health and safety so they can become impactful leaders and put the value of safety into action. 

Today's episode was sponsored by Transmit Safety, a consulting business that helps to streamline and simplify health and safety management systems through education, program development, audits, and coaching. 

To better understand why we do the things that we do, even when maybe we know we shouldn't, check out Joan’s Emotional Intelligence and Evolved Decision-Making Course.

To work with Aimee, go to transmitsafety.com/ways-to-work-together

For more of the Transmit Safety Podcast, go to transmitsafety.com/podcast

Connect with Joan MacMillan

Joan is the founder and director of Cammac Learning Evolution and a subject matter expert in all areas of human behavior, emotional intelligence, and Occupational Health & Safety.

LinkedIn: Cammac Learning Evolution Inc.

Instagram: @cammaclearningevolution

Website: cammaclearning.com 

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

Linkedin: Aimee Arsenault
Instagram: @transmit.safety
Twitter: @transmitsafety
Website: transmitsafety.com

In today’s episode of Transmit Safety, Aimee brings up an ongoing conversation that’s essential for the continuous improvement of workplace Health & Safety.

There are many ways that Health & Safety practitioners are required to collect, sort, and analyze data related to workplace Health & Safety. If you are like me and not the best of friends with maths, this might not be as easy. But I am here to explain why and remind you that how we do this MATTERS.

Join me in this vital conversation that is shaping the Health & Safety profession right now.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• [00:30] The difference between Health & Safety practitioners and statisticians
• [02:09] More about the H&S Industry Standards in North America
• [02:58] To uncover and challenge some H&S-related acronyms
• [06:00] Understand the idea behind the ever-present “Smoke Shack Stat”
• [13:11] My take on how we, as H&S practitioners, should approach this conversation 

The Transmit Safety Podcast is here to help health and safety practitioners achieve a holistic approach to workplace health and safety so they can become impactful leaders and put the value of safety into action. 

Today's episode was sponsored by Transmit Safety, a consulting business where I help streamline and simplify health and safety management systems through education, program development, audits, and coaching. 

Learn how to work with Aimee: transmitsafety.com/ways-to-work-together

For more on the Transmit Safety Podcast: transmitsafety.com/podcast

As promised in the episode, you can find the Construction Safety Research Alliance report titled “The Statistical Invalidity of TRIR as a Measure of Safety Performance” that I mentioned HERE.

“... I do defer to these industry standards on what types of Health and Safety statistics should health and safety practitioners be collecting. But these are just numbers. It is how these numbers are being used and interpreted, that can cause issues or success when discussing workplace health and safety.”

“... each number on your injury statistics spreadsheet is a person. Each number on that injury statistics spreadsheet has a ripple effect into your workplace, into families, into communities. So how we collect, sort, analyze, and communicate Workplace Health & Safety data matters.”

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

Linkedin: Aimee Arsenault
Instagram: @transmit.safety
Twitter: @transmitsafety
Website: transmitsafety.com

Why isn’t doing business that is good for profit, people, and the planet equally the standard?

Join Sarah and I as we talk about the importance of “walking the walk”, and work on redefining “business as usual”. Explore with us some ways you can take your business or career to the next level, by prioritizing your values, saving time to do what you do best, hiring the right people, and learning to challenge your clients to do the right thing, but most of all by doing good business. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Things that you can do to automate your processes and save time, even without a dedicated software system
• How to recognize your “Zone of Genius”
• How to map your workflows and guarantee buy-in from those involved
• Ways to make sure the people you hire are the right fit for you and your business
• The importance of fully committing to your values and prioritizing them in your business strategy

The Transmit Safety Podcast is here to help health and safety practitioners achieve a holistic approach to workplace health and safety so they can become impactful leaders and put the value of safety into action. 

Today's episode was sponsored by Transmit Safety, a consulting business where I help streamline and simplify health and safety management systems through education, program development, audits, and coaching. 

For more information about how to work with Aimee, go to transmitsafety.com/ways-to-work-together

For more on the Transmit Safety Podcast, go to transmitsafety.com/podcast

Are you a health and safety consultant listening to this episode? As a special bonus, Sarah Williams provided 40% off on the Client Experience Audit from Rebel Office for our listeners. 

If you're looking to take your business to the next level, go to https://rebeloffice.ca/cx-audit

To check out The Do Good Podcast episode with Aimee as a guest, go to: The Dos and Don'ts of Fostering a Healthy & Safe Culture with Aimee Arsenault

Connect with Sarah Williams

Sarah Williams is the founder of Rebel Office Inc., a consultancy of client experience. She is a total nerd about client experience & systems, and the host of The Do Good Business Podcast. She's your partner in strategy and making decisions in alignment that will take your business to the next level.

LinkedIn: Sarah Williams

Facebook: @rbloffice

Instagram: @rebeloffice

Website: rebeloffice.ca 

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

LinkedIn: Aimee Arsenault

Instagram: @transmit.safety

Twitter: @transmitsafety

Website: transmitsafety.com

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

Linkedin: Aimee Arsenault
Instagram: @transmit.safety
Twitter: @transmitsafety
Website: transmitsafety.com