Tom Welton has spent a lifetime thinking about safety in Canada’s forestry industry. …When Welton looks back on the state of the industry he can’t help but be impressed by the improvements made in health and safety, and says it’s been driven by education. Welton entered the workforce in the 1980s and spent 10 years with Domtar as a regional health and safety coordinator. He says safety awareness grew in the industry during that period. …His message to those who are beginning their careers in forestry safety: don’t stop learning. “There’s a lot of knowledge out there,” says Welton, “you can gain bits and pieces of key nuggets of knowledge and carry those forward.” Welton suggests one development program that every safety professional should work towards is the Canadian Registered Safety Professional designation.