Irwin’s Safety, founded in 2009, has become a leading occupational health and safety services provider with a significant presence across Canada. The company’s mission is to provide exceptional safety solutions to various industrial and commercial sectors, all while fostering community engagement and workforce development.
In over 14 years, Irwin’s Safety has rapidly expanded, currently operating from over 20 offices nationwide. Their vision is clear—to provide best-in-class safety solutions to commercial and industrial markets while fostering collaboration between industries and local communities, thereby strengthening workforce capacity at a grassroots level.
Irwin’s Safety serves all major industries, including oil & gas, mining, forest products, power generation, transportation, utilities and infrastructure construction. The company’s mission is to provide exceptional safety solutions to all industrial sectors, and world class companies all while fostering community engagement and workforce development.
After years of experience Peter St. Martin, Director of Business Development, emphasizes a common challenge shared every sector is “the need to execute projects on time, on budget, while keeping their workers safe,” he says. “The fundamentals of our business are Safety, Quality, and Efficiency. It is our commitment to our customers that, with each project we execute, we are always delivering on those three fundamentals without sacrificing one for the other.”
Key Products and Services
Irwin’s Safety prides itself on being a one-stop-shop for safety and labor needs, offering services that cater comprehensively to the safety and labor needs of major producers , including Industrial Turnarounds, Safety Training, Rescue Services, First Aid/Medical Services, Industrial Firefighting, Safety Consulting, Occupational Testing, Confined Space Attendants, General Laborers, and Safety Equipment Supply.
Irwin’s Safety is a pioneer in industrial safety innovation, evident through products like “Dragon Hooks,” which enhance safety in emergency victim retrieval scenarios. Another innovation is “Digital Confined Space Monitoring,” which leverages technology to remotely monitor confined spaces, reducing personnel requirements, project costs, and enhancing safety protocols while providing valuable data analytics. “This technology allows our customers to reduce the amount of personnel required for confined space maintenance events, reduce the overall project cost, and enhance confined space safety protocols all while providing valuable data analytics for future project planning/scheduling,” says St. Martin.
St. Martin says that Irwin’s Safety actively seeks feedback from all stakeholders, including customers, employees, partners, and vendors, using it as a foundation for continuous improvement. “We believe that inclusion and transparency amongst all stakeholders involved in our operational efforts is most important for creating a circle of trust that encourages feedback that we can then acknowledge, process, learn from, and build upon to constantly stay in a state of constructive evolution,” he says.
Indigenous Engagement
Irwin’s Safety has established successfully established several joint venture partnerships in Western Canada, including the Ktunaxa-Irwin Safety Alliance, LSIB-Irwin Safety, Musqueam-Irwin Safety Alliance, We Wai Kai-Irwin Safety Alliance, Haisla-Irwin Safety Alliance, and Yuuse Medic Services. Their role in these partnerships is to actively develop a qualified workforce within the local communities they collaborate with.
“By working with industrial and commercial operators to understand the labour needs for upcoming projects, Irwin’s Safety takes a proactive approach in developing and executing training programs for Indigenous communities that are relative to the upcoming major projects in their regions,” says St. Martin. This empowers community members with employable skills, including emergency response capabilities like First Aid, Rescue, and Wildland Firefighting.
Success Stories
A notable success story that is illustrative of Irwin’s Safety success is the “six-week Emergency Worker training program for Nisga’a Education Skills & Training (NEST) in 2020.” This program equipped Nisga’a Nation students with essential skills to become Emergency Response workers in industrial environments, with five out of six students securing employment within just three days of completing the program.
“The training was a great confidence builder for the participants, and it was great to see their transitions knowing they could do an intense course and pass,” says Carmen Adams, Employment Advisor, Nisga’a Employment Skills & Training
Community Involvement
When discussing Irwin’s Safety with St. Martin, perhaps nothing elicits his passion like the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, including initiatives like “Steel Toes to Sneakers” that encourage staff involvement in community recreational activities. The company also supports organizations like BC Children’s Hospital and sponsors youth participation in events like the North American Indigenous Games, promoting a sense of community and healthy lifestyle choices.
“This year, we supported the BC Children’s hospital during the “Bats for a Cause Tournament” in Kelowna, BC, and supported a Nisga’a Nation youth to attend the North American Indigenous Games,” says St. Martin. “We believe that providing an outlet for youth to join sports programs promotes a strong feeling of community while staying active and is a cause that is near and dear to our hearts.”
While Irwin’s Safety has experienced significant growth, the company remains committed to expanding ethically and sustainably. The company’s primary focus is on “developing sustainable partnerships with local Indigenous communities and businesses,” leading to increased training and employment opportunities for community members and economic development in Western Canada. Through its history, vision, commitment to various sectors, innovative services, Indigenous partnerships, community involvement, and plans for the future, Irwin’s Safety demonstrates the positive impact that socially responsible businesses can have on society and industry.
For more information, please visit https://www.irwinsafety.com/becmag
