Cheryl Pocklington

Director, Mines Investigations - Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals

Cheryl Pocklington is a respected leader in health and safety regulation, with over 20 years of experience in British Columbia’s mining sector. She specializes in incident investigation and human organizational performance, bringing a deep understanding of how complex work environments shape safety outcomes. As Director of the Health, Safety and Compliance Unit for BC’s mining regulator, Cheryl leads a team of inspectors dedicated to promoting safety and ensuring compliance across the industry. Her work is grounded in a modern, learning-focused approach to regulation—one that prioritizes understanding how work is actually performed in real-world conditions. Cheryl has led numerous field inspections, safety audits, and complex investigations through the lens of human factors, emphasizing the importance of learning from both failures and successes. She believes that meaningful safety improvements come from uncovering how everyday work is done, rather than relying solely on enforcement or blame. Passionate about evolving regulatory practices to meet the complexities of today’s workplaces, Cheryl collaborates with other regulators and enforcement agencies to foster a culture of learning and growth. Cheryl offers a fresh perspective on regulatory practices and is eager to engage in conversations about “Regulating Differently.”

Gordon Walsh

Principal Consultant, Energy Safety Canada

Gordon Walsh has been working in health and safety for over 20 years. Gordon is currently employed with Energy Safety Canada (ESC) as a Principal Consultant, Safety Centre of Excellence. Over his 16 plus years with Enform and now Energy Safety Canada, Gordon has worked in multiple roles and departments. Before working with ESC, Gordon worked for two other industry safety associations in commercial trucking and manufacturing. Before starting a career in safety Gordon was employed in various industries including excavation and related trucking, general construction and underground mining.

Gordon completed his OHS Certificate with the University of Alberta and has been qualified as a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) since 2007, further completed a Business Essentials Program Certificate through the University of Calgary Haskayne School of Business, and NEBOSH Tech Cert Oil and Gas Ops Safety.

Over the past 5 years Gordon has been focused on learning about Human and Organizational Performance, working directly with experts in industry and academia to progress the adoption of doing Safety Differently through the lens of the 5 Five Principles of HOP, evolving safety forward.

Gordon has been an instructor of safety courses and a presenter at multiple conferences over the last two decades covering topics relevant to frontline workers as well as manager and executive level content.
Gordon sits on the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Area OHS Advisory Council as well the Construction Safety Research Alliance (CSRA) Safety Culture research project.

Mark Fleming

Professor of Psychology at Saint Mary's University

In October 1993 I started work in Aberdeen as a researcher on an offshore safety project, investigating employee perceptions of risk and safety. Ever since I have worked to develop practical tools to enable organizations to continuously improve their safety culture.

I work with organizations to help them to reduce risk by applying evidence based interventions. By focusing on accurately measuring important safety drivers, organizations can identify threats and develop practical solutions.

As the CN Professor of Safety Culture I promote the importance of safety culture through presentations at national and international conferences and collaborative research projects.

Claudine Bradley

Technical Leader, Human and Organizational Factors, Canada Energy Regulator

Claudine Bradley is Technical Leader – Human and Organizational Factors for the Canada Energy Regulator (CER). Claudine provides counsel on management systems, safety culture and other safety matters related to activities under the jurisdiction of the CER. She is currently Chair of the North American Regulators Working Group on Safety Culture.

Prior to joining the CER, Claudine spent 17 years in the aviation industry where she led various airline safety, training, and operations teams. Claudine holds a Political Science degree from McGill University, a Masters in Leadership from Royal Roads University, and a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University. Her doctoral studies focused on safety culture in high hazard industries and regulator safety (oversight) culture.

Caroline Nakatsuka

Director, Health and Safety Specialists, Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation

Caroline Nakatsuka, MSc, BEd, is the Director of the Health and Safety Specialist Unit with the Office of the Chief Inspector of Mines at the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. With over two decades of experience as a mining regulator and occupational hygienist, Caroline is driven by her desire to protect workers in the mining industry and beyond. She is dedicated to advancing the promotion of workplace health and safety and preventing occupational illness and injury, ensuring healthier and safer working environments.  She resides on the traditional lands of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples, also known as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations, where she feels privileged to live and raise her children.