October 1, 2026 – St. John’s, NL – Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has announced updates to the Forum 2026: The Changing World of Work (Forum 2026) program.
Forum 2026 is a national workplace health and safety event being held on October 28 and 29 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Speakers from diverse backgrounds will share their expertise, forward-thinking ideas about the future of work, health, and safety, and guidance that organizations can use in their workplace.
The following special guests and highlights are newly confirmed for Forum 2026.
- Dr. Steven Fischer, Professor; Associate Chair of Applied Research, Partnership and Outreach, University of Waterloo: on how emerging ergonomics technologies are helping organizations see musculoskeletal disorder risks in new ways, and how prevention depends on the programs built around those insights.
- Rob Stewart, Chief Science Officer-Applied Research Knowledge Services, Intactix Systems Inc.: makes the connection between real-world applications of socio-technical science to how it supports stronger Criminal Code accountability, operational discipline, safety assurance, and business excellence before tragedy occurs.
- Paul Demers, Scientific Director, Occupational Cancer Research Centre: on opportunities and implications for Canada as the International Labour Organization (ILO) updates its guidance on occupational health and safety statistics to better address occupational diseases, workplace exposures, and emerging risks.
- Alex Tuff, Health and Safety Advisor, WorkplaceNL: shares a personal perspective on the tragic human cost of inadequate frontline supervision and why workplace safety requires moving past legal minimums to build deeply competent leaders.
- Toby Desnomie, Founder, President and CEO, Indigenous Centre for Occupational Health & Public Safety and Trina Maher, President, Bridging Concepts Inc.: on the intersection of Indigenous inclusion, occupational health and safety, leadership, and organizational accountability, emphasizing that Indigenous perspectives on health, safety, and well-being have existed since time immemorial and offer valuable lessons for modern workplaces.
- Katyana Aragão Menescal, Manager, Occupational Health and Safety, and Edgar Vieira Inácio, Senior Policy and Industry Specialist, share how SESI, Brazil’s social service of industry, is working to transform occupational health and safety in Brazil.
- Lori LeDrew, Executive Director, Office to Advance Women Apprentices Newfoundland and Labrador, Martha MacDonald, Leadership Coordinator, Yukon Women in Trades & Tech (YWITT), and Alison Ng, Women in Trades Program Manager, First Peoples Development Inc.: share insights on the health and safety issues faced by women in trades, discuss strategies for creating inclusive workplaces, and highlight what more needs to be done.
- Innovation Showcase: a lineup of health and safety tools, resources, and programs featuring: Made Safe NL, Mitig Consulting, Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Safety Association, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, Threads of Life, Dahrouge Geological Consulting and Mental Health Commission of Canada.
As previously announced, participants will also hear insights from Lee Jeyes, business futurist and Head of Innovation and Change at Waitrose & Partners; Mary Ann Baynton, psychological health and safety expert; Janet MacEachern, CEO of the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC); Dr. Arif Jetha, Associate Scientific Director and Scientist, Institute for Work & Health (IWH); and Alan Doyle, musician, actor and best-selling author.
The complete program as well as information on how to register, is available at www.ccohs.ca/forum.
