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Niagara Falls, Ontario – Barely into his mid 30’s, Ryan Jacobson has established himself as leader in injury prevention, and not just within the confines of his workplace, city or province, but nationally. Presented as the Canadian Safety Professional of the Year at a national safety conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario on September 17, 2018, all Jacobson could manage to say was how he “was absolutely blown away” that his colleagues could nominate him. “It was incredible that they thought me worthy of a nomination. When I found out I had won the national award… I was stunned.” Jacobson said after the presentation. When it comes to safety and injury prevention, Jacobson has distinguished himself as a leader in Saskatchewan and across Canada. Currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Saskatchewan Safety Council, the provinces oldest safety organization; Ryan is serving his second term as Chairman of the Canadian Association of Provincial Safety Councils and is the Vice President of Safe Saskatchewan, not bad for a millennial. Jacobson has volunteered extensively with the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, sat on the Saskatchewan Polytechnic OHSP Program Advisory Committee and is active on a number of other committees including the provincial North American Occupational Safety and Health week planning committee, the Saskatchewan Safety Hall of Fame Committee, the Saskatchewan Safety Professional of the Year selection committee, the Saskatchewan Safe Employer awards committee, the Saskatchewan Safe Worker awards committee, the Mission Zero awards committee, along with a number of others. Ryan’s conference presentations, on topics ranging from behaviour-based defensive driving to safety through managed efficiencies, have been enthusiastically received across Canada. When asked what motivates him to be so personally invested in safety, Jacobson responded, “On one of my office walls, I have a collage of pictures of my daughter positioned so that they are the first thing I see when I walk in; they remind me of the important work we are doing. Everybody injured or killed is somebody’s child. Above my door, I have pictures of previous safety leaders; they are the last thing I see every day before going home. I look at them on the way out and ask myself if I have done enough to carry on the work they started.” “People have accused me at times of trying to change the world,” says Jacobson, “and I’m good with that... the world is changing every day whether we like it or not. I truly believe it is each of our responsibility to try and change the world in a direction we believe in; rather than allowing somebody else to choose how the world changes for us.” While apt to give credit to the teams of people he has worked with, Jacobson has been instrumental in many safety initiatives. Two of those stand out the most to him; Career Safety Education, which earlier in 2018 saw a strategic alliance of safety organizations agreeing to give free industry focused safety training to all Saskatchewan youth between the ages of 14-21. The second was the Online Agriculture Training System (OATS), launched in 2016, an online best practice safety orientation for agriculture workers offered in English or French, completely free. Ryan attributes his success to the people he has worked with and the support of his family, “I feel incredibly lucky to have consistently worked with brilliant and capable people, both at work and as a volunteer. There have been amazing mentors in my career who funnelled their knowledge and experience into me and entrusted me to carry the torch onward. All along that journey, my family has been my strength. A province of safety excellence, that’s how Jacobson wants people to see Saskatchewan. "The only way we can build such a reputation is by working together to develop new and innovative ways to promote an understanding of risk and the outcomes of safety in our culture. Risks are not going away, so we’re going to continue to get better at managing them, not just in the workplace, but at home and on the roads.” About the Award: The award for Safety Professional of the Year is given to those whose careers have been distinguished by a sustained commitment to excellence in the field of occupational health and safety. This is a progressive award that starts with winners in every chapter chosen by the Regional Vice Presidents from the nominations submitted. From the chapter winners the Awards Committee will elevate one winner in every region for the regional awards. From the regional award winners, the Awards Committee will select one applicant as the Safety Professional of the Year.