Director of WORKSAFELY®, Education and Training don@mhca.mb.ca 204-291-4740
An economist by background, Don Hurst has been the director of the MHCA WORKSAFELY® Education and Training Program since 2015.
Don joined the MHCA after nearly three decades in public service at both the provincial and federal levels.
Don is responsible for overseeing all education and training-related programs, including the delivery of the COR® safety program, heavy construction industry workforce training and advocacy in the areas of safety and health legislation, policy and enforcement, and WCB prevention policy.
Don has extensive background in economics and strong executive leadership skills. His experience in various government departments includes developing policy in economic development, finance and taxation. As the past director of Workplace Safety and Health for the province, his responsibilities included new developments with government legislation; the first joint prevention plan between the Workers Compensation Board and government; and the development, approach and implementation to inspections, regulations and compliance awareness within the construction sector. It was the relationships he built along the ways that led him to MHCA.
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PHIL McDANIEL, OH&S Cert., P. Gold Seal Cert., NCSO, CRM
Phil is a graduate of Red River College’s Occupational Safety and Health Program. Phil is a seasoned safety professional with extensive work experience in Manitoba’s heavy construction sector. He has attained designations in the safety, health and risk management disciplines, including: National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO); Gold Seal Certification for Construction Safety Coordinator (GSC) through the Canadian Construction Association; and a Certificate in Risk Management (CRM) from the University of Winnipeg.
Phil is responsible for the development and delivery of training courses for the Introduction to Heavy Equipment Operator Training Program and for the development and delivery of other heavy equipment operator training and skills assessment initiatives for contractors, Indigenous communities and organizations.
Phil participates on industry technical committees as a subject-matter expert in the National COR® Safety Program. He plays a key role in administering the National Construction Safety Officer designation on behalf of the heavy construction industry safety practitioners. Since joining the MHCA in 2007, he has been instrumental in promoting and helping employers in the industry successfully attain and integrate COR® and SECOR® certification.
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RANDY OLYNICK, CRSP
WORKSAFELY® Regional Safety Advisor, Eastern Region randy@mhca.mb.ca 204-295-3876
Randy is the WORKSAFELY® safety advisor for eastern Manitoba. Randy delivers COR® course instruction, reviews internal audits, conducts external audits, and also conducts spot safety inspections at company worksites and site visits.
His extensive experience and knowledge in safety and health legislation, incident investigations disability management are real assets for WORKSAFELY®. He is the program’s lead resource for incident investigations and assisting companies with disability claim management and return-to-work programs.
Randy’s experience in safety and health spans two decades and his previous experience in the private sector includes serving in supervisory roles in the environment, safety and health field. He also served as a senior safety and health officer at Manitoba’s Workplace Safety and Health branch. Randy started with MHCA in 2015.
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TREVOR SHWALUK, NCSO, B.P.E.
WORKSAFELY® Regional Safety Advisor, Central Region trevor@mhca.mb.ca 204-871-0812
Trevor Shwaluk is the Central Region Safety Advisor in MHCA’s WORKSAFELY® program, having joined the MHCA in 2016. At WORKSAFELY®, Trevor delivers COR® course instruction, reviews internal audits, conducts external audits, makes worksite visits, and conducts spot safety inspections of company worksites. As well, he helps companies with musculoskeletal prevention, conducts flag-person and traffic-coordinator training.
Trevor comes to WORKSAFELY® with a background in kinesiology and athletic therapy. He holds a Bach. of Physical Education degree from University of Manitoba and also the National Construction Safety Officer designation.
He has over 10 years of experience working in bodily injury insurance with Manitoba Public Insurance and the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba.
Trevor began working in the construction industry as a director of operations/safety coordinator when a friend requested assistance in acquiring COR® for his fast-growing company.
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DAVE McPHERSON, NCSO
WORKSAFELY® Safety Advisor and Indigenous Liaison, Northern Region dave@mhca.mb.ca 204-271-2088
Dave brings years of leadership, safety, health and environment experience to MHCA’s WORKSAFELY® team. Based in Flin Flon, Dave works diligently to fulfil industry needs in Manitoba’s northern communities, including in remote First Nations locations. Services Dave delivers include COR® course instruction, review internal audits, conduct external audits, worksite visits, and spot safety inspections of company worksites.
Dave joined MHCA in 2015 after retiring from a management position at Hudbay Minerals. At Hudbay, he worked in a variety of roles, including co-chairing the Health and Safety Committee as a union representative, and serving as chief union steward before entering Hudbay management in 1996.
A Manitoban of Metis descent, Dave has a passion to help business and employees across northern Manitoba meet their safety and health goals through training and awareness. He believes that follow-up with people is critical in the COR® process and that monitoring through auditing allows for continual improvement in the industry.
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GERRY McCOMBIE, Gold Seal Cert., NCSO
WORKSAFELY® Regional Safety Advisor, Western Region gerry@mhca.mb.ca 204-720-3362
Originally from Flin Flon, Gerry has lived in Brandon for over 20 years. As WORKSAFELY®’s safety advisor in western Manitoba, Gerry is responsible for COR® course instruction, reviewing internal and conducting external audits, general site visits, and conducting spot safety inspections at worksites.
Gerry joins us after working at Manitoba’s Workplace Safety and Health branch from 2013-2017. He spent 10 years working as a safety manager in the heavy construction industry.
Gerry brings extensive experience and knowledge of the heavy construction industry and the COR® program, and holds both the National Construction Safety Officer and Gold Seal certifications.
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PETER MANDRYK
WORKSAFELY® Regional Safety Advisor, Winnipeg Region peter@mhca.mb.ca 204-947-1379
Peter joined the WORKSAFELY® team in November 2022, bringing with him over 30 years of experience in manufacturing, safety and training and joins us after a 30-year career at Gerdau Canada in Selkirk. After leaving Gerdau, Peter worked 4 years as a safety consultant in the construction industry, assisting companies achieve their COR® certification.
WORKSAFELY® Regional Safety Advisor, Southern Region delaney@mhca.mb.ca 204-947-1379
Delaney joined the WORKSAFELY®team in 2018 as a client services advisor. He holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science from the University of Manitoba. Working previously in retail, the service industry and agricultural technology development, he went on to graduate from the Occupational Health and Safety program at Red River College.
At the MHCA, Delaney now serves as a safety advisor for the Southern Region and hopes to learn more about the heavy construction industry by conducting audits and teaching classes.
Sarah worked as a personal lines insurance broker for 3 years before joining the Alberta Construction Safety Association where she worked in the COR®department. Sarah moved to Winnipeg in 2011, and joined the MHCA in 2012.
At the MHCA, Sarah oversees the WORKSAFELY®program database for the COR® program. She is responsible for developing customized COR® manuals, promoting and coordinating e-COR®, and overseeing the application of COR®quality-assurance procedures and the quality assessment of training program delivery.
Jessie Weir joined MHCA WORKSAFELY® in 2022 as Education Programs Coordinator. A graduate of Herzing College in Occupational Health and Safety, Jessie brings over 6 years of heavy construction industry experience in the areas of safety, training and locates while working at Crown Pipeline and No Limits Underground, including 3 years as safety officer in underground utilities which gave her experience in investigations, policy writing and inspections.
Jessie also led the human resources recruitment team for No Limits Underground.
Kristen has 15 years of experience in administrative roles, including within a college environment where she handled registrations, enrolment and student record keeping, bookkeeping and database management.
Kristen plays a vital support role to our WORKSAFELY® education and training program, maintaining our data base and ensuring all COR® -program company and training records are accurately recorded.
She serves as the primary contact for course inquiries and registrants, prepares materials for training sessions, and provides necessary materials and information to companies seeking to register for the COR®/SECOR®program. Kristen joined the MHCA team in 2016.