Safety Day 2026

Safety Day is an educational and recognition event that celebrates Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC), Local Safety Team (LST) & Worker Health & Safety Representatives from across the university. The day provides an excellent opportunity to engage with your colleagues who sit on safety committees and teams suited on campus as well as our many offsite work locations. It is also a great opportunity to acknowledge all members for their effort and commitment to making UBC a safe and healthy place to work.

Save the date:

Date: Tuesday October 6, 2026
Time: 8:00am – 3:30pm
Location: Great Hall 2nd Floor, AMS NEST Building 6133 University Boulevard
Registration: Use the registration tab

Benefits

• Engaging speakers selected to provide you with useful tools to practice health and safety in the workplace and beyond
• Network with UBC Safety committee/team members
• Meet and learn from supporting health and safety partners
• The event can be used towards a JOHSC member’s 8-hours or education leave
• Be acknowledged for your commitment to safety at UBC

Prizes and Food

• Breakfast, coffee breaks, and lunch will be provided as part of the event
• Enjoy fun games and win prizes throughout the day

Tina Varughese: One Campus, Many Voices: Strengthening Safety Through Connection

If people don’t feel like they belong, they don’t speak up, and when they don’t speak up potential safety risks stay hidden. Every interaction either builds trust or erodes it. In safety, that ripple matters. It’s why connection and ultimately belonging matter so much.

When people are seen, heard, and acknowledged with intention and authenticity, they cultivate a sense of belonging rather than a longing to belong. A culture of connection fosters trust, strengthens collaboration, build momentum, and promotes unity. This ultimately drives higher performance and productivity, increases morale and engagement, drives retention, lowers anxiety, and improves overall well-being. Belonging begins with being seen.

About Tina Varughese

Tina Varughese is the author of the bestseller 50 Shades of Beige: Building Bridges While Breaking Bias. Her clients include Microsoft, Pfizer, Carnival Cruises, Kraft Heinz, Hockey Canada, 3M, and the Million Dollar Roundtable, where she spoke to 5,000+ attendees in Dubai with translation in 12 languages. She delivers heartfelt, hilarious, human-centric messages to global audiences.

Nicole Legg: Application of Skills for Resilient Mental Health

Knowing strategies to promote and bolster mental health is an important part of building resilience, but having a clear roadmap for how to implement them is crucial for maintaining well-being through daily challenges. This presentation focuses on practical skills and techniques individuals can use to protect mental health and strengthen personal resilience. It introduces practical mindsets and ways of thinking that support problem-solving, acceptance, and resilience. Participants will gain concrete tools to manage emotions, navigate difficult decisions, and deepen their understanding of the factors that influence overall well-being.

About Nicole Legg

Dr. Nicole Legg is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, research scientist, and speaker with over 10 years of experience presenting on mental health, resilience, and well-being. With a PhD in Clinical Psychology, she is known for translating complex psychological concepts into practical, relatable strategies for individuals and organizations.

Stephanie Benay: Why Fundamentals Outperform Slogans Every Time

Most organizations don’t fail at safety due to intent, but because the fundamentals are overlooked. This presentation uses pickleball as a metaphor to explain six key safety fundamentals: governance, field presence, clear expectations, daily behaviours, system resets, and patience. The focus of this presentation is placed on how these principles build consistent, prevention-driven safety performance in complex environments like universities. Practical application in labs and academic units is emphasized, along with how different roles—from safety committees to leadership—contribute to a stronger safety culture beyond posters and slogans.

About Stephanie Benay

Stephanie Benay is a seasoned executive, writer, and leadership voice with over 30 years of experience in Health, Safety & Environment across aviation, power, oil & gas, education, and consulting. As an award-winning leader, she is known for combining operational rigor with emotional intelligence to help organizations build safer systems and support women in leading with clarity, boundaries, and self-trust.

To download a copy of the Safety Day 2026 agenda, please click here.

Safety Day 2026 is a free event for UBC Joint Occupational Health & Safety Committee (JOHSC), Local Safety Team (LST) & Worker Safety Representatives. You are required to register for this in-person event (zoom is not available). We are limiting registration to 250 so please register early to ensure you don’t miss Safety Day 2026.

Register here for Safety Day 2026

Questions: safety.risk@ubc.ca

Arriving by Public Transit or Hospital Shuttle

Public Transit:

UBC is easily accessible by public transit: the R4, 44, 84 and 99 express buses run directly to the Vancouver campus.Use the Trip Planning feature on the Translink website to find the most efficient routing from anywhere in the Metro Vancouver region.

Inter-Hospital Shuttle:

See the Inter-Hospital Shuttle Schedule

Arriving by Vehicle:

To get to UBC from downtown Vancouver by car, cross the Burrard or Granville Street bridges, and then head west on 4th Avenue, 10th Avenue or 16th Avenue. To get to UBC from the airport, cross the Arthur Laing bridge and then head west on SW Marine Drive.

Car Share or Ride Hailing:

You will find reserved spots for car-shares such as Evo, MODO, and Zipcar. Ride-hailing is also available to and from campus for those without a personal vehicle. There are designated ride-hail spots for pick-up and drop-off.

Parking

There is plenty of paid visitor parking at UBC for personal vehicles. To find a parking lot, review the UBC Parking map (parking hourly/daily rates are also listed on this site).

The closest parkades to the venue include:

University Boulevard Parkade
Address: 6131 University Boulevard
Distance from Venue: Less than 1 minute
Parking Information: There is no daily rate (see the parking web page for rates)

Health Sciences Parkade
Address: 2250 Health Sciences Mall
Distance from Venue: Less than 5 minutes
Parking Information: Daily rate is available (see the parking web page for rates)

North Parkade
Address: 6115 Student Union Boulevard
Distance from Venue: Less than 3 minutes
Parking Information: Daily rate is available (see the parking web page for rates)