Applied Risk Communications for OHSE Practitioners

Course Description

Communication is the key component in every aspect of health and safety, making this session invaluable to every OH&S professional, occupational health nurse, industrial hygienist and the broader risk management community.

This two day course provides OH&S professionals with the opportunity to learn new insights into the role of communication in the management of risk.

Participants will engage in robust and challenging case studies; learn and apply techniques to communicate important information to groups of people who are stressed, concerned or even when apathetic about hazard; proactively plan communication messages; recognize and cope with communications barriers; identify workplace culture issues that could affect communication; learn when and how to apologize and develop powerful risk management communication strategies including the even larger challenge of managing organizational change to accomplish those issue-related changes necessary for moving forward.

Participants will learn and practice more effective interpersonal communication techniques that can be applied immediately to assist in their risk management challenges and be integrated into their risk management plans. This course builds on the material taught in the other two core courses, Consulting Skills and Obligations and Liabilities.

The Applied Risk Communication course should be taken by all safety professionals to make their work relevant in real life. – Cindy O'Krane, Burnaby, BC

Course participants will be able to:

• Develop an alternative definition of 'risk' by describing three general categories of risk situations and explaining reasons why these situations arise
• Model risk communication principles and implement techniques and strategies to resolve risk situations
• Apply message mapping tools to facilitate effective risk communication
• Lead employers and clients in assessing risk communication needs and integration plans to resolve risk situations

Course Examination

The course exam is provided to participants by email within five business days of course completion. Participants have 4 weeks from the release date to complete the exam, along with a Statement of Independent Completion. The exam deadline is final. Only documented emergencies will be considered by the CSSE as extenuating circumstances for any written request for extension. Please note that delay in opening the exam after delivery, new or added work requirements, and holidays/vacation are not considered extenuating circumstances.

Successful completion of CHSC courses requires completion of a CHSC Exam with a minimum 75% standard. Exams require 10-24 hours additional time commitment beyond in-class time for the student to demonstrate mastery of the course expectations.

Candidates who fail to successfully challenge a course exam on three separate occasions will be withdrawn from the CHSC program.

•   Meet the Instructor

  Matthew Allen has held various global Executive roles in the Consulting, Assurance and Professional Services fields, most recently leading SAI Global’s 500 person Assurance & Risk Management division for the Americas as President. Matthew is a Professional Chemical & Materials Engineer in Canada (P.Eng.) and Certified Health & Safety Consultant (CHSC) with over 20 years' engineering consulting and risk management experience in the areas of environmental, health & safety, regulatory compliance, sustainability, pollution prevention, hazardous materials, infrastructure, spills and forensic engineering.

  Matthew has a Bachelors and Masters of Chemical Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada and has served as a Naval Officer. Matthew has spoken and published internationally on EH&S, risk management, chemical stewardship and food safety topics. Matthew is an active national instructor of Consulting Skills and Applied Risk Communication with the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE). Matthew was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario and currently lives in the Toronto area where he is an active outdoorsman, dog lover, (slowly) developing rhythm and blues musician, hobby farmer and father to 3 busy teenagers.

Course Credits

• CSSE has awarded this course 16 CHSC Maintenance Points.