The Safety Culture Shift: A Case Study
‘Safety First’ is the Number One value at Bruce Power, the world’s largest nuclear power generating plant. From the company’s leadership to its workers, partners and visitors, safety is at the forefront of every decision and every activity. Bruce Power has a deep respect for its responsibility to environmental and human wellbeing. Well-planned safety programs ensure that this commitment protects the staff, the community and the province throughout all of its operations.
The development of a robust platform sets the foundation for a strong culture of health and safety, but company-wide engagement is the key to maintaining it. Big Red Oak collaborated with the Bruce Power team to build the strategy and implement the program.
How It Works
The first step was a detailed dive into the organization’s processes and procedures to learn more about industry-specific risks and challenges, then we launched a campaign of monthly safety videos to inform and update the employees. Our participation in planning meetings keeps us on top of new initiatives and policies, and topics are selected with input from various departments. The focus may target timely issues, such as winter readiness and upcoming outages; provide guidance on specific tools; or reinforce best practices on different aspects of the safety suite. Segments of the monthly presentations are often repurposed for training programs, visitor exhibits and external communications.
Posted on Bruce Power’s Intranet, the videos are used as the centrepiece in crews’ monthly safety meetings. They invite feedback and spark discussions, and ideas are always welcomed for prospective topics and participants. Big Red Oak handles the execution, from initial brainstorming sessions to interview preparation and creative assets to final production.
How It Succeeds
Statistics show that workers who are assured of their employer’s commitment to the prevention of incidents and near misses are more motivated, productive and loyal. Megan Adams, Director of Corporate Communications at Bruce Power, testifies to the program’s success: “We have achieved excellent compliance with our employees,” she says. “We track the views month-to-month, and we see fairly consistent positive results.”
In fact, the company’s track record earns continuing recognition for its effectiveness, most recently with the 2025 5-Star Safety Cultures Award from Canadian Occupational Safety. Winning organizations must achieve an overall employee satisfaction rating of at least 80%, based on annual performance and staff feedback. The 5-Star status rests on the principle that employees have the knowledge to identify hazards, speak up with confidence, and participate in corrective actions.
How It Evolves
Safety underscores all aspects of Bruce Power’s culture. As new tools, processes and initiatives are launched, the management team updates the program, continually researching leading-edge best practices to empower their people with creative content that clarifies potential risks and their prevention.
By proactively addressing issues, outlining step-by-step procedures, and ensuring that employees fully understand the why and the how of job safety, Bruce Power delivers on its goal to keep everyone safe and secure in the knowledge that the company prioritizes their welfare.
Big Red Oak is strongly invested in the critical work of Bruce Power. We are proud to apply our skills and nuclear know-how to support its award-winning safety programs and communicate its mandate to supply clean reliable energy, fight climate change, and produce life-changing medical isotopes. We value our long-term partnership, begun over a decade ago and founded on the shared objectives, dedication and knowledge that drive success and fuel progress.
Would you like to explore how we can help you develop a safety culture that protects your company’s reputation, your people’s health, and your community’s well-being? We have created an easy-to-implement, step-by-step program to achieve exactly this. It includes training modules, communication templates, coaching, and more. To learn more about it, book a free consultation.