Profile
“Of all my contributions to safety, I’m most proud of being a mentor”
Marsha Bell,
Uplift Safety
Marsha Bell is a partner at Uplift Safety, which offers professional health and safety solutions to improve workplace safety, employee engagement and operational performance.
She stumbled upon a career in safety – literally. After graduating from Brandon University, Bell took a site-seeing trip to Montreal and visited McGill University. Wandering about campus, she came upon the building housing the occupational hygiene program, and a professor recruited her on the spot. Eventually, she graduated with a master’s degree in occupational hygiene and has spent the past 20 years working across industries ranging from healthcare and manufacturing to oil and gas and forestry.
127-2045 Stagecoach Drive, Kamloops, BC V2B 0H8
778 257 1863
marsha.bell@upliftsafety.ca
linkedin.com/in/marsha-bell-30329162
upliftsafety.ca
Marsha Bell
Partner and Principal Consultant
Uplift Safety
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Bio
Milestones
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Special Report
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Bio
Milestones
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Special Report
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Bio
Milestones
I want to provide people with advice that helps them go home safe”
Marsha Bell,
Uplift Safety
1999–2000
2000–2001
2002–2014
2014–2022
2023
1999–2000: Graduated with an MSc in occupational hygiene at McGill University
2000: Occupational Hygienist at Syncrude
1999–
2000
Corporate Occupational Hygienist at 3M
2000–
2001
2002–2014: Occupational Hygiene Specialist at the Interior Health Authority
2009: Lean Green Belt
2002–
2014
2014: Health and Safety Specialist at Tolko Industries
2021: NAOSH Award Forestry; APA Innovation Award
2022: Published an article in Safety
2014–
2022
Voted Vice Chair in APA Safety
Certified Industrial Hygiene designation
Partner and Principal Consultant at Uplift Safety
2023
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
Aug 2022
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
Evaluating silica dust exposure to heavy equipment operators working on the tailings ponds at Syncrude.
Working for 3M Canada as a corporate occupational hygienist across their Canadian Manufacturing Operations.
Building an occupational hygiene and infection control strategy that reduced TB exposures from inpatients while at Interior Health.
Gaining outstanding results reducing MSI injuries by 45% and hand injuries by 50% through intensive, multi-faceted control campaigns while at Tolko industries.
For her, ongoing challenges include challenging traditional perspectives on safety to drive more trusting and collaborative cultures.
“Change takes time,” says Bell. “I have dealt with it by identifying ways to connect with people through listening, storytelling, educating and having the courage to get in front of the decision-makers to be authentic about what I’m seeing and hearing. Between working with leaders and building a critical mass of safety professionals, we can slowly start to change the narrative of what a safety looks and feels like.”
Of her many achievements, she’s most proud of creating a network of young, enthusiastic and values driven safety professionals who feel strongly enough about her influence over their careers that they would nominate her for COS Top Woman in Safety award. “Of all my contributions to safety, I’m most proud of being a mentor,” she says.
Among her strongest qualities is the ability to build rapport with frontline workers. To this she attributes her ability to understand and appreciate their challenges, creating space for learning and change. She’s also proud of her courage, stating that she’s not afraid to speak up if she’s convinced there’s a problem. But more than anything, she doesn’t want anyone to get hurt.
“I want to provide people with advice that helps them go home safe” she says. “My attitude is one of caring for people. When I can help simplify a complex safety problem for a client, it is incredibly satisfying.”
Some of her notable experiences include: