Put yourself in their boots

As workplace safety is a concern for most employers, it is hard to believe that employee safety could be overlooked for some of the most high-risk jobs: police officers, firefighters and paramedics.

Such was the case for Calgary based police Const. John Petropoulos. In September 2000, Petropoulos was investigating a break-in complaint at a warehouse when he fell though a false ceiling with no safety railing and died.

Managing director of the John Petropoulos fund Ian Wilson states that the high risk professions such as policing, firefighting,and medical emergency personnel are often overlooked by employers when it comes to workplace safety, as it is often not taken into account that these employees enter their workplace after hours.

"They're not necessarily thinking, after-hours, 'Hey, there could be a fire here or a break and enter,' " Wilson said. "A big part of the campaign is getting that light-bulb moment that will tweak their minds."

The John Petropoulos organization was established by Petropoulos' former police-recruit classmates, hoping to raise awareness regarding workplace safety specifically for emergency workers. On Monday morning, 30-second long televised service announcements began airing in Western Canada as part of the organization's 'Put Yourself in Our Boots' campaign. The campaign also features a website at www.ourboots.ca and a 10-minute DVD that details the dangers that police, fire and medical personnel face in unsafe workplaces.

Wilson also states that statistics on Alberta's emergency responders injured or killed in workplace safety incidents are hard to find. Regardless of the fact, Wilson says that the organization's goal is to prevent all injuries and deaths that are a result of unsafe workplace environments for all employees, not just emergency personnel.

With files from the Edmonton Journal