Researcher: Jean-Pierre Brun (U.Laval)

It has long been accepted that technical expertise is a prerequisite for successful prevention interventions. This study, the result of nine months of workplace observation in the sawmill, pulp and paper, and panel board sectors by Université Laval researchers, revealed that prevention specialists also require listening, mediation, and consensus-building skills, and must remain accessible and visible in the field. The project produced a striking profile of the challenges -especially the heavy workloads, complex bureaucracy and contradictory guidelines- faced by prevention specialists on a daily basis, and identified the most effective prevention practices and the skills needed to apply them. The project is described in detail in a book entitled Le métier de préventionniste : entre l'arbre et l'écorce [The life of the prevention specialist: between a rock and a hard place]. Since September 1998, Université Laval has developed customized training programs for prevention specialists in several sectors, including the aluminium, social affairs, metal products, and chemical sectors.