Who are we?

Incorporated as a not-for-profit society in 2017, WOHSS is a grass-roots organization that is dedicated to supporting women working in occupational health and safety (OH&S) in Canada.

For more information on who we are, click on the Frequently Asked Question button below.

WOHSS Champions

Our committee is responsible for fostering national growth. Committee members may host themed informal networking sessions, work with volunteers or moderate our facebook groups.

Events

Our committee plans, organizes and hosts formal speaker events and informal networking sessions.

Mentorship

Our committee is responsible for our mentorship program, including arranging placements and communicating with mentors and mentees.

Governance

Our committee is responsible for reviewing governance practices to ensure effective governance of WOHSS, including board and committee composition.

Communications

Our committee is responsible for social media, newsletter, and website updates.

Strategic Partnerships

Our committee builds relationships with associations and organizations at the national, provincial and municipal level.

Membership

Our committee is responsible for providing assistance to the members of WOHSS and promote the benefits, products and services of membership.

Nominations

Our committee seeks to identify and recruit qualified and skilled individuals to provide effective leadership to the WOHSS Board of Directors.

Fund Development

Our committee identifies opportunities to raise revenue and increase benefits for WOHSS members, from sponsorship opportunities to grants.

Get Involved

 

We welcome volunteers from across the country! Our committees meet virtually, and we have an open invitation to WOHSS members, whether you are experienced in a specific area or simply wanting to learn more and gain an opportunity to network with other safety professionals. Are you one of our international members? We invite you to volunteer as well.

Are you interested in joining our Board? The Expression of Interest is open until February 15th, 2024 for members in good standing to apply. If you have any questions, you can email info@wohss.com and place “Nominations Committee” in the subject line.

 

Beside you will find summaries of our current portfolios. If you have any questions, you can email us at info@wohss.com and we would be happy to chat!

 

Below you will find summaries of our current portfolios. If you have any questions, you can email us at info@wohss.com and we would be happy to chat!

Sponsors

On behalf of Women in the Occupational Health & Safety Society (WOHSS), thank you for considering our organization for your support. WOHSS is seeking sponsors to help our organization engage women working in occupational health and safety at all levels of the profession to exchange knowledge and experience, to develop leadership qualities and to increase gender equality in Canada.

Sponsor Options

Please email us at sponsorship@wohss.com for information on how to sponsor us. Thank you for the opportunity to build a better future for women in OHS together.

Current Sponsors

Founding Sponsors

Strategic Partners

“We recognize the value of forming collaborative partnerships in order to advance our vision of building a better future for women in OHS. Through collaboration, we have a profound opportunity to positively impact health and safety in Canadian workplaces.”

Our Stand

Vision

Building a better future for women in occupational health and safety.

Mission

Supporting women working in occupational health and safety through education, mentoring, resources and connection.

Our top three priorities for the next five years

1. Delivering continued value to our members.

2. Positively impacting diversity and inclusion in the occupational health and safety profession.

3. Establishing WOHSS as a respected sustainable national organization.

Key Values

  • Inclusive; We embrace diverse backgrounds and views.
  • Empowered; We speak the truth and build each other up.
  • Professional; We raise the bar in all that we do.
  • Integrity; We work with principle and are guided with honesty.
  • Respectful; We honor each other and appreciate differences.

Key Messages

  • WOHSS is a grassroots organization founded by a group of leading women working in various industry sectors in the health and safety profession.
  • WOHSS is a membership organization with a goal to increase female presence, development, and leadership in the health and safety profession in Canada.
  • With a funding model that supports keeping membership fees minimal to lessen barriers to entry, we rely on our wonderful Sponsors to support our vision. We couldn’t do it without you! Our attractive Supporter Options package offers benefits such as targeted marketing, brand visibility, business relationships and a chance to join the movement!
  • WOHSS was incorporated by the Government of Alberta Societies Act October 2017 and is currently working on a strategy to incorporate nationally.
  • According to the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP), from 1976–2016, only 30% of OHS professionals were female.
  • Although much progress has been made in the OHS profession, women continue to be underrepresented at all levels, from first-level supervisors to CEOs.

Board Members

The Board of Directors is comprised of professionals from across the country, representing a diverse cross-section of the occupational health and safety profession. Our Board represents leaders of different backgrounds, experiences and career paths; all dedicated to one common goal: to build a better future for women working in OH&S.

Are you interested in joining our Board? The Expression of Interest is open until February 15th, 2024 for members in good standing to apply. If you have any questions, you can email info@wohss.com and place “Nominations Committee” in the subject line.

Shannon Bolger

Past Chair
Calgary, AB

Leigh-Ann Stewart

Chair
Vernon, BC

Abdel-Rahmen Sabriye

Vice-Chair
Toronto, ON

Denise Howitt

Treasurer
Calgary, AB

Susan McCarthy

Director
Charlottetown, PEI

Janine Williams-Ward

Director
Manchester, UK

Manisha Mistry

Director
Toronto, ON

Jennifer Stratemeyer

Director
Hamilton, ON

Sandra Fleming

Director
Canmore, AB

Dana Stamu

Director
Etobicoke, ON

Nicki Islic

Director
Puslinch, ON

Sarah Frank

Director
Edmonton, AB

Holly Hale

Legal Director
Calgary, AB

Frequently Asked Questions

Safety is an emerging profession and although the number of women entering is rising, we are still underrepresented. In 2016, only 38 per cent of safety professionals certified by the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) were female. Therefore, development and networking, important component of any professional’s career, are even more important when it comes to women.
A goal of WOHSS is to bring more women into the profession and support their development; whether they want to stay in their current position, start their own business or climb the corporate ladder all the way to the C-suite.
Furthermore, women can face unique challenges that our male colleagues may not. For example:
• Female safety professionals are often working in male-dominated industries and face concerns around personal safety when working in remote locations and/or living in camps.
• Issues related to diversity, inclusion, harassment, and discrimination in the workplace are unfortunately, a reality that many women will face. Resources and information on how to effectively navigate these challenges are critical.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) is usually tailored to men, so finding equipment that fits a woman’s body properly can be a challenge.
WOHSS provides a safe forum for our members to come together and discuss issues and strategies to manage challenges.

We are looking forward to connecting with women and men at all stages of their career in OH&S across Canada. Whether you are a student in an OH&S program, a practitioner working in the field or a senior-level HSE executive, there is a place for everyone in WOHSS to come together and support each other. We have three categories of membership:
• General membership for women in OHS in Canada.
• Associate membership for women in non-OHS roles, international safety professionals, and men.
• Student membership for women either currently enrolled in an OHS program, or recently graduated.

 
No. WOHSS welcomes men as associate members and appreciates and values their participation in the mentorship program and WOHSS Events. As associate members, men are welcome to run for a Director role on the Board of Directors.
We welcome volunteers from across Canada as well as from our international associate members. Whether you want to help us with communications, events planning, working on grants and sponsors, membership, mentorship or strategic direction, we would love to have you. Check our “About” page under “Get Involved” for more details.
We are actively working on setting up events in different Provinces, but we need volunteers to help us! Our events team would love to have more individuals in different municipalities to help us with in-person organization. We currently utilize video conferencing for our online events us to allow more members from across Canada to benefit. In addition to the live video, where you can ask questions and participate in a forum during the event, there is also an opportunity to record the event for members who can’t attend at the time.

Yes. WOHSS believes in building strong alliances with organizations such as the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP), the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), post-secondary institutions, provincial safety associations, female-focused associations, and international women in safety groups. We are stronger when we work together and we have a profound opportunity to advance the conversation about health and safety as women in industry.

There are incentives for CRSPs and CRSTs to get Continuing Education Units (CEU) from WOHSS activities. More information can be found on the BCRSP website.
Under the new BCRSP CPD program:

B7: Personal Membership in an OHS-related organization
Personal membership in an OHS-related organization such as: ASSE, CSSE, IOSH, SIA, AIHA, OHAO, ACE, etc.
Documentation: Proof of membership during years of cycle.
Point Summary: 0.5 CEUs/year/personal membership
Maximum 5 CEUs/5 Year Cycle

B1: Mentoring
Acting as a mentor outside normal job duties (i.e. not direct reports) under a formal agreement to develop specific skills.
Documentation: Record of contact with signatures of mentor/mentees and/or mentorship contract
Point Summary:2 CEU/mentoring relationships
Maximum 10 CEU/5-year cycle

B2: Being Mentored
Being mentored under a formal agreement to develop specific skills.
Documentation: Record of contact with signatures of mentor/mentees and/or mentorship contract
Point Summary:2 CEU/mentoring relationships
Maximum 10 CEU/5-year cycle

B4: Volunteer Service on a Committee/Taskforce or Board
Volunteer service must be for a period of no less than a year and/or minimum 24 hours per year including meetings and meeting preparation.
Documentation: Letter of verification from organization you volunteer with.
Point Summary: 1-3 CEUs/year depending (e.g, task force, OHS Board, etc.)
Maximum 5-15 CEUs/5 Year Cycle

A4: OHS related Seminars, Workshops, Conferences, Roundtables.
Attendance at seminars, workshops, conferences, roundtables –online or in person. This may include company offered, national or regional conferences, seminars, workshops, breakfast meetings or dinner speakers with an educational component.
Documentation: Proof of completion in the form of a certificate or letter from course provider.
Point Summary: 1 CEU for 10 course hours, where shorter courses may be combined to 10 hours for 1 CEU or claimed at CEU value (e.g. 4 hour course is 0.4 CEU).
Maximum: 10 CEUs/5 Year Cycle.

A7: Executive/Management Development Program, Seminar, Conference, Workshop
Attendance in an executive/management development program, seminar or conference This category may include courses on: Leadership, Communications, Conflict Resolution, Negotiation, General Business, Management, Etc.
Documentation: Proof of completion in the form of a certificate or a letter of verification from course provider.
Point Summary: 1 CEU for 10 course hours, where shorter courses may be combined to 10 hours for 1 CEU or claimed at CEU value (e.g. 4 hour course is 0.4 CEU).
Maximum: 10 CEUs/5 Year Cycle.

As a not-for-profit society, securing adequate funding to grow a sustainable organization and increase benefit to WOHSS members is critical. To lessen barriers to entry, WOHSS is committed to a funding model where membership fees are kept minimal ($55 for general and associate members and $27.50 for students). As such, securing funding from other sources, such as government grants and corporate sponsors, is a vital component of WOHSS’ growth strategy. WOHSS is proud to work with supporters that value diversity and gender equality in the workplace and we are grateful to the organizations and individuals who support us.

Thank you for your consideration! We are very appreciative of all our sponsors and we couldn’t do it without them! We have an attractive supporter options package and benefits include targeted marketing, brand visibility, business relationships and a chance to join the movement! You can download our Supporter Options package from wohss.com/sponsor and complete the form to identify which package your organization is interested in. We look forward to your support!

WOHSS aims to provide a safe, inclusive space that is free of judgement, to explore and understand the unique challenges that women in safety face. In that vein, since its inception, WOHSS has welcomed our safety brothers and those in safety who identify otherwise, to be a welcome and active part of our membership and programs. We’ve had male volunteers, sponsors, mentors and many men who have come to our events from across the country. We believe diversity makes us stronger as an organization. We also recognize that if women in safety have better opportunities, and can navigate the challenges of women in safety more effectively, then all members of the safety profession will benefit.

Who are we?

Incorporated as a not-for-profit society in 2017, WOHSS is a grass-roots organization that is dedicated to supporting women working in occupational health and safety (OH&S).

For more information on who we are, click on the Frequently Asked Question button below.