Safety excellence in the Nova Scotia fishing industry was celebrated and recognized at the second annual Splashes of Safety gala at the Westin Hotel in Halifax on Sept. 27.
Organized by the Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia (FSANS), well-known Deadliest Catch star Captain Keith Colburn of the F/V Wizard was the guest speaker for the evening.
Nearly 200 people took part in the gala, that included a silent auction, 50/50 draw and survival suit donning contest.
Earlier in the day, industry stakeholders gathered at the Shad Bay government wharf for a public man overboard drill/safety demo on Friday featuring Captain Colburn aboard the F/V Just Once with Captain Danny O’Neill.
Platinum sponsors of the event were the TriNav Group of Companies, DSS Marine and Clearwater Seafoods.
In total, seven safety awards were handed out at the event.
Taking part in the presentations were Amanda Dedrick, FSANS executive director, Matthew Duffy, FSANS safety advisor and Captain Colburn.
This award is given to an individual for demonstrating safety leadership through their own efforts and making a signifi-cant impact towards fishing safety in Nova Scotia. Accepting the award was Lisa Fitzgerald.
This award is for a long-standing advocate and member of the Fisheries Safety Association.
Clearwater Seafoods Fishing Safety Champion of the Year: Wendell Murphy (absent from event)
This award is for an individual who has stepped forward in being a true safety advocate for the fishing industry in the Cape Breton region.
This award is given to a company which has made a strong and continuous effort towards increasing safety in the workplace for their employees and peers.
This award is in honour of Marilyn D’Entremont’s late husband, Lewis, who was sadly lost during a fishing-related inci-dent in 2004. The Lewis D’Entremont Memorial Award is given to an individual who has demonstrated an on-going commitment to fishing safety excellence by continuously promoting safety and the use of safety equipment to their peers. Through this individuals’ efforts, they helped build the Fisheries Safety Association immensely and has contributed greatly to many of its successes.
This award is given to an individual who has demonstrated a true passion for safety and for being an unwavering voice towards improving safety for the Nova Scotia Fishing Industry.
This award is for an organization that has demonstrated continuous commitment to the improvement of safety in the Nova Scotia Fishing Industry and is being recognized for upholding the very best practices towards reducing fishing-related workplace injuries and for fostering a safety culture within the industry. This award is recognized to be the highest fishing safety honour given to an organization, partnership or individual.
