Three Oaks student honoured for excellence in workplace safety
Melanie Rodger, who recently graduated from Three Oaks Senior High School student in Summerside, has been busy creating safe spaces at her school, work and volunteer settings.
Recently she was recognized for showing excellence in the demonstration and understanding of occupational health and safety (OCH) principals, by the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) with the Safety Matters Award during their annual public meeting.
“One of the ways to build safer workplaces is to focus on our future workforce,” said Stuart Affleck, chairman for the Workers Compensation Board. “The WCB places great importance on fostering safety champions in our next generation of workers and employers.”
Melanie participated in the OHS Leadership Program over the past year, where she worked with a partner to plan and host events designed to raise student awareness around safety in the workplace.
In the summer of 2017, she worked in a laboratory setting at University of Prince Edward Island, where she gained awareness and appreciation for safety training, and the need for personal protective equipment in certain workplace settings.
She participated in a training course at an aerospace company where workers were provided with an orientation to a new 3-D printer and learned more about effective communication of workplace hazards.
Rodger volunteers at the Prince County Hospital, in addition she serves as president of a volunteer youth board at the hospital. She has taken a leadership role in sharing knowledge about OHS with her co-workers and plans to study bioengineering at McGill University in Montreal this fall.
“We applaud Melanie and the many other students who take an interest in health and safety in the workplace,” said Luanne Gallant, CEO for the Workers Compensation Board. “Any effort to educate and engage others in discussions around safety will help benefit everyone.”
To learn more about educating young workers about workplace safety, visit the Workers Compensation Board website at or call the WCB office at 902‐368‐5680 or 1‐800‐237‐5049.