Shane Mercer, Key Media Journalist Profile

Articles

'Nobody is responsible': Family of Arctic researcher calls for accountability

5 days ago | thesafetymag.com | Shane Mercer

'Not much of a problem...that's the part that drives me completely mad,' says widower By 11 May 2025 Maya Bhatia’s body remains somewhere on the Jakeman Glacier. Her family still waits for answers. And Canada’s major institutions remain unwilling to take responsibility for bringing her home — or preventing the next tragedy.
State of Safety Survey 2025 highlights improvements and challenges

1 week ago | thesafetymag.com | Shane Mercer

'We're concerned with the volatility of external factors," says Threads of Life executive director By 09 May 2025 Threads of Life has released the 2025 State of Safety Survey, providing insights into workplace health, safety, and mental well-being across Canada. Conducted among Canadian business owners, hiring managers, and decision-makers, the survey reveals that while some barriers to improving workplace safety are declining, significant challenges persist.
Strike looms at WSIB after contract expired

1 week ago | thesafetymag.com | Shane Mercer

Workers demand action on mental health issues and workload By 08 May 2025 Workers at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) voted overwhelmingly in favour of giving their union a strike mandate, with 96% support, setting the stage for a potential work stoppage later this month. The Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU), represented by CUPE Local 1750, enters mediation with WSIB management, but major issues over workload and mental health remain unresolved.
Reducing injury rates among first-year construction workers

1 week ago | thesafetymag.com | Shane Mercer

ACSA launches awareness campaign because 55% of Alberta's WCB claims are workers in first year at company By 07 May 2025 The Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) is launching a new campaign to address a persistent safety issue in Alberta’s construction sector: 55 per cent of Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) claims in the industry involve workers in their first year at a company.
Research probes cancer risks of night shift work

1 week ago | thesafetymag.com | Shane Mercer

'It impacts sleep, diet, physical activity, and exposes workers to light at night' says scientist at BC Cancer Research Institute By 07 May 2025 “Night shift work is here to stay,” says Parveen Bhatti, distinguished scientist at the BC Cancer Research Institute.
Rethinking approaches to mental health in safety field

1 week ago | thesafetymag.com | Shane Mercer

'We're all just walking each other home' says Dr. Jody Carrington during closing keynote at Energy Safety Conference By 05 May 2025 On the final day of the Energy Safety Conference in Banff, Dr. Jody Carrington does what few speakers dare: she opens with an F-bomb, warns the audience she’ll “rip your souls out and put them back together,” and then does exactly that — with humour, hard data, and heart.
Using AI to scale learning through storytelling

2 weeks ago | thesafetymag.com | Shane Mercer

From the four Ds to the four Ls and why 'you don't have be bad to get better' By 01 May 2025 Speaking at the 2025 Energy Safety Conference, renowned safety leaders Brent Sutton, principal consultant at Learning Teams Inc., and Jeff Lyth, director at QSP Leadership, challenge attendees to rethink how they approach workplace safety.
Challenging traditional safety metrics

2 weeks ago | thesafetymag.com | Shane Mercer

Jodi Goodall tells audience at Energy Safety Conference measuring TRIF won't help prevent fatalities By 01 May 2025 Safety expert Jodi Goodall urges Canadian health and safety professionals to rethink how they measure workplace safety, warning that traditional metrics may be giving organizations a false sense of security.
Surviving the Piper Alpha disaster

2 weeks ago | thesafetymag.com | Shane Mercer

'You are free to choose — but you are never free from the consequences of your choices' says survivor during speech at Energy Safety Conference By 30 Apr. 2025 A hush falls over the room at the Energy Safety Conference as Steve Rae, a survivor of the Piper Alpha disaster, the deadliest offshore oil platform tragedy in history, steps to the podium.
Breaking ground on psychological safety in construction

2 weeks ago | thesafetymag.com | Shane Mercer

'We see an increase in rising mental health concerns, but we also see such a significant stigma,' says EllisDon's first-ever mental health director By 29 Apr. 2025 "It's quite humbling, you know, overwhelming at times and yet, extremely—I try to say it's remarkably fascinating, exciting," says Connie Ellis, reflecting on her appointment as EllisDon’s inaugural director of mental health.