September 26, 2024

SWANA Safety Awards recognize organizations in the solid waste and resource management industry that take initiative to improve employee safety. One of the runners-up for this year’s 2024 Workplace Wellness Program award was the Municipality of East Hants, located in the easternmost region of Canada. The Wellness Committee promotes physical and mental health, important work that it accomplishes through a variety of activities.   

Last year, the Wellness Committee put on a Sow’n’Grow event where an expert spoke to staff about gardening, including how to start and how it can support healthier eating habits. During Nutrition Month, the committee provides health snacks to all municipal facilities. The rest of the year, staff are provided free membership to the municipal aquatics center with a discounted family rate. In addition, the committee hosts webinars on topics ranging from managing holiday stress to financial wellness. Using staff emails, posters, and the professional messaging app Workplace, the Municipality of East Hants makes sure employees are tuned in to the Wellness Committee’s itinerary, regularly reaching out to offer support.   

Trask says employees have shared lots of positive feedback about the program. “Expanding our program to include different facets of wellness including physical health, mental health, and social health has been a more inclusive approach, and we reach more team members.” The committee gauges its success by taking attendance at each event or meeting, conducting frequent surveys, and performing an annual full-year review. “We’ve also seen improvements in attendance after surveys asking about the effectiveness of the wellness program and what staff would like to see in our programming.”   

To learn more about the Municipality of East Hants, visit the East Hants website.   The Safety Award winners will be recognized at WASTECON during the opening session which will include the keynote session Safety in the Skies and on the Ground: Aviation Industry Insights for Solid Waste and Resource Management.