A national report released on the National Day of Mourning says Canadian organizations believe in workplace safety but are failing to put that belief into practice — and the gap is costing workers their lives and health.
Threads of Life, an organization that supports families affected by workplace tragedy, released its third annual State of Safety report on April 28, 2026. The report draws on a survey of 1,013 Canadian business owners, hiring managers and decision-makers conducted between Feb. 26 and March 11, 2026.
“Awareness is not the issue, execution is,” said Eugene Gutierrez, executive director of Threads of Life. “We see strong belief in safety across Canada, but that belief must be reinforced through training, leadership, and culture if we want to see real change.”
Training in place, but gaps remain
The survey found that 73 per cent of organizations say they have safety training in place. Fewer, however, consistently back that training with regular safety meetings, emergency procedures or workplace engagement programs.
The report identifies three key barriers holding organizations back:
- Understaffing: Organizations lack the people needed to run ongoing safety programs.
- Time constraints: Competing demands crowd out safety training and culture-building.
- Operational pressures: Day-to-day business priorities push safety work to the side.
Mental health an emerging factor
The report also flags rising mental health challenges in the workplace as a growing concern. The findings suggest these challenges are increasingly intersecting with overall safety performance.
Threads of Life is calling on employers, policymakers and industry leaders to strengthen safety culture, invest in training and ensure accountability at all levels. The organization notes that the federal government’s push for accelerated projects across many industries makes the report’s findings especially timely.
A call to act, not just believe
“Our vision is a future where Threads of Life is no longer needed,” said Gutierrez. “That will only happen when safety is not just something organizations say, it is something they consistently do.”
The organization currently supports more than 3,900 family members across Canada who have experienced a workplace fatality, traumatic life-altering injury or occupational disease.
The survey was conducted by Threads of Life through the Angus Reid Forum and is representative of Canadian business owners, hiring managers and decision-makers. It was conducted in English and French. A probability sample of this size carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
