The Safe Communities Foundation partners nationally and internationally with groups allied to the Safe Communities Network to promote a goal of zero tolerance for injuries at work, school, home and play.

In 1994 Sean Kells was only 19 years old when he was burned to death on the third day of his part-time job. The tragedy is that it was entirely preventable. Sean wasn’t told that he was handling a dangerous chemical; he didn’t receive any health and safety training and; he was unaware that inappropriate handling of this chemical could cost him his life. Paul Kells, Sean's father, vowed that no other family would go through the same pain and suffering of losing a child so needlessly. Working with a concept developed by the World Health Organization, he created the Safe Communities Foundation (SCF).

The Safe Communities Foundation, launched on April 23, 1996, is a unique partnership between the private and public sectors that is dedicated to making Canada the safest country in the world in which to live, learn, work and play. Working at both a grassroots and a national level, the Foundation believes that Safe Communities are a basic human right.

Paul Kells enlisted the support of the five major national banks, which became the SCF’s founding supporters: BMO Financial Group, CIBC, RBC Foundation, Scotiabank and TD Bank Financial Group. DuPont Canada added its support and was later joined by CN, The Co-operators, Hydro One Inc., the Imperial Oil Foundation and the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (Ontario). The SCF was also granted funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to support a two-year community capacity building project that is now available for order or download from the website (www.safecommunities.ca). The Safe Communities Foundation's Board of Directors includes representatives of the banks and corporate supporters, as well as community leadersand the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

Over the years the Foundation has grown by leaps and bounds, establishingpartnerships with 45 communities across Canada in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland & Labrador. Safe Communities cover about 22 per cent of the Canadian population. The Foundation works with local organizations to bring injury prevention expertise to the community. For example in Ontario, a unique incentive program was developed in partnership with the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board. The Safe Communities Incentive Program encourages small businesses to improve safety in their workplaces by providing participants with safety training and resources to reduce workplace injuries. Participating businesses gain a refund of 75% of any savings realized from improved workplace health and safety. More than 4,700 small businesses in Ontario Safe Communities have reduced their claims costs and shared rebates totaling $9 million from 1997-2004.

Safe Communities fundraise within their community to support injury prevention and awareness programs that target children, youth, adults and seniors. Programs can include road safety, recreational safety, home safety, young worker awareness, anti-drug programs, falls prevention and many more. The first step towards becoming a Safe Community is to establish a steering committee to identify local workplace and community injury patterns and health and safety training requirements. The committee then develops a business plan to implement community-wide, long-term health and safety programs that include measurable results. Steering committee members typically represent local businesses, Chambers of Commerce, service clubs, community safety organizations and district health councils as well as local governments and agencies. The Foundation has produced a guide to help interested communities through the process of becoming a Safe Community. The Safe Communities GuideBook is available from the Safe Communities Foundation by phoning (416) 964-0008 or it can be downloaded from the website at www.safecommunities.ca.

"Passion is our greatest ally," says Paul Kells, Founder of the Safe Communities Foundation. “Safe Communities empower people to make a personal and positive difference by actually doing something themselves, instead of pleading with others to do it. Working together at the community level, we can help develop partnerships to create a ‘culture of safety’ that will improve the quality of life for all Canadians." Foundation President Pat Coursey adds, "The participation of small businesses is key to our unique approach. It is a win-win situation for all involved. By learning and implementing new approaches to safety, employers can reduce the numbers of injuries and deaths in their workplaces, make their employees happier and more productive, increase their profitability, and avoid the huge costs of emergency, health care and support services."

The Safe Communities Foundation coordinates the efforts of all participants to achieve broader effectiveness. Designated as an Affiliate Safe Community Support Centre by the World Health Organization, the Foundation partners nationally and internationally with groups allied to the Safe Communities movement to promote a goal of zero tolerance for injuries at work, school, home and play.For more information, please contact: Safe Communities Foundation 64 Charles St. East, Suite 201 Toronto, ON M4Y 1T1 Tel.: (416) 964-0008; Fax: (416) 964-0089 E-mail: info@safecommunities.ca Web: www.safecommunities.ca