Tervita Supports Youth Safety Education With $250,000 Donation to Job Safety Skills Society

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - May 31, 2012) - Tervita confirmed its commitment to safety today with a $250,000 donation to the Job Safety Skills Society (JSSS) to address workplace injuries and fatalities among young people.

Tervita presented the cheque to the society at the 14^th annual Safe Youth Network Celebration, an event with leaders from business, industry, government and education to promote their support of and commitment to workplace safety.

"At Tervita, safety is our number one priority. If you are not safe, nothing else matters. No job is ever too important that we can't take the time to do it safely," said John Gibson, Tervita president and CEO. "We are proud to support the Job Safety Skills Society as it teaches our future workforce how to help ensure they and their colleagues return home from work safely."

In partnership with educators, industry, government and local communities, the non-profit organization is committed to providing safety training for young workers before they enter the workforce.

"We depend on financial support from organizations such as Tervita in order to carry out our important work with youth," said John Hudson, Job Safety Skills Society board chair. "Fortunately, Alberta is witnessing a decline in the number of workplace injuries among young workers, but fatality rates remain a major concern in the workplace so we will continue to do more."

Tervita's safety journey began in 2010, when the company united eight distinct safety programs under a single umbrella to bring about a corporate-wide safety revolution. A safety-first culture is at the centre of all operations at Tervita, affecting everything from how employees interact with clients to how leaders develop processes in the field. Safety is every employee's responsibility and reducing the acceptance of risk and paying attention to hazards are non-negotiable.

"The Job Safety Skills Society provides a tremendous service to the community, industry and families of young people entering the workforce," said Rob Van Walleghem, Tervita vice president & general counsel, and executive safety representative. "Today's event allowed us to connect with like-minded leaders and learn about new initiatives that will help educate our next generation of workers."

The JSSS researches, develops and delivers an extensive school-based program of workplace health and safety-education and training resources called the JobSafe Program. This program material is available without charge to all publicly funded junior and senior high schools in Alberta. More than 650 schools use JobSafe Program resources with more than 115,000 students completing the program.

ABOUT TERVITA

Tervita is a leading North American environmental and energy services company. Our 4,600 dedicated employees partner with natural resource and industrial companies who share our values, and work with them to create a sustainable future. Safety is our highest priority: it influences our actions, guides our decisions and shapes our culture. We maintain a strategically located network of more than 95 state-of-the-art waste management facilities and a fleet of specialized equipment and assets to help customers address production and operational waste challenges. Our highly effective, convenient and environmentally sound solutions help minimize environmental impact and maximize returns.