Elwood “Woody” Hamilton works in the electrical utility First Line Response department for ENMAX Power Company in Calgary, Alberta. He is currently serving as chairperson of the VBS Steering Committee for his department for the second time. Woody’s initiative and innovative contributions have been a major factor in the development of a thriving VBSP at ENMAX.
Woody’s past and present contributions to the VBSP are numerous. He was involved in designing the VBSP as a member of the Process Planning team, arranged a company-wide kick off event, organized the supplies for Observation and Feedback during the rollout of VBSP, and is also a one of the company’s top Certified Observation and Feedback class Trainers.
Woody has been genuinely concerned with resolving safety issues in the workplace throughout his career. His interest in safety developed in the 1970s when he was working as a young foreman. During that time, an apprentice was badly injured on the job. After the incident Woody struggled to understand how it had occurred despite his best preventative efforts. He searched for answers, but was never able to come to a resolution about the incident. Over the years, Woody came to accept that on-the-job injuries were inevitable as he felt workers often become complacent and take short cuts that put them at risk