Safety Built on Trust.
We're a Kingston-based safety company serving employers and workers across Eastern Ontario. Construction safety is our specialty, and our approach is shaped by time spent on jobsites, not just behind a desk.
We weren't built from behind a desk.
Kelly Widdop's path into workplace safety wasn't something she planned. She started in an administrative role before a mentor gave her the opportunity to step deeper into health and safety. What began almost by accident became work she genuinely cared about: helping people do their jobs safely and make it home to their families.
Over time, Kelly earned the respect of workers and contractors by showing up, asking questions, listening and understanding what was actually happening in the field. In 2012, she founded StartSafe to bring that same practical, people-first approach to more workplaces.
Today, we provide workplace safety training and consulting support to employers, supervisors and workers throughout Kingston and Eastern Ontario.
We understand construction because we spend time in construction.
We work with different types of workplaces, but construction is our specialty. It's an environment where conditions change, several trades can be working at once, responsibilities overlap and what's written in a procedure doesn't always match what's happening ten feet away.
Good safety support has to account for that reality. That means walking the work, talking to the people doing it and understanding the problem before deciding how to fix it.
- Changing site conditions
- Multiple trades working together
- Contractors and subcontractors
- High-risk work
- Supervisory responsibilities
- Training requirements
- Inspections and documentation
- Regulatory expectations
The paperwork matters. So does understanding what the job actually looks like.
Practical first. People always.
Safety works better when people understand what they're being asked to do, why it matters and how it fits the job in front of them.
Understand it. Talk about it. Fix what matters.
Understand the job first.
Before recommending a fix, understand the work, the hazards, the people involved and what is actually happening in the field.
- Keep it practical
- Ask questions
- Understand the job
Talk to people.
Workers and supervisors need more than instructions. Explain the reason behind a requirement, listen to concerns and treat people fairly.
- Explain the why
- Listen
- Be fair
Fix what matters.
When something needs to change, say so. Good safety support should help solve the problem instead of simply documenting that the problem exists.
- Speak up when required
- Fix problems
- Keep people at the centre
Safety is still a people business.
We're supported by a team involved in safety training, coordination and workplace support.
Founder & Owner
With more than 20 years in workplace health and safety, Kelly has built her career around construction, field work and helping people solve real safety problems.
Her approach is direct without being intimidating. She'll walk the site, ask questions, talk to workers, listen to supervisors and speak up when something needs to change.
For Kelly, safety isn't about creating paperwork for the sake of having paperwork. Procedures, inspections and training should help people understand the work, control the hazards and make better decisions while they're doing it.
That practical approach still shapes how we work today.
If the boots aren't dirty once in a while, we're probably doing something wrong.
The people behind StartSafe.
We're supported by a team of people involved in safety training, coordination and workplace support.
Kelly Widdop
Founder & Owner
Kelly is the person who started the whole thing and still keeps StartSafe grounded in what matters: practical safety, straight answers, and people who actually understand the work. She brings the kind of energy that says, “We’ll figure it out,” usually followed by actually figuring it out.
Andrew Van Vlack
Health & Safety Coordinator / Trainer
Andrew brings a calm, practical approach to safety and training, with a knack for making complicated requirements feel a lot more manageable. Whether he’s coordinating the details or working with a group in training, he keeps things clear, useful, and moving in the right direction.
Lyndia Cooper
Health & Safety Coordinator / Trainer
Lyndia brings sharp attention to detail, a steady approach, and the ability to keep safety conversations grounded in the real world. She helps turn information into something people can actually understand, remember, and use once they’re back on the job.
Jason Gordon
Health & Safety Coordinator
Jason helps keep the moving pieces organized and the safety side of the work on track. He’s part problem-solver, part coordinator, and part “let’s make sure this actually gets done” — which is usually exactly what the situation needs.
Matt Taylor
Marketing Manager
Matt works on the side of StartSafe that connects the company with the people who need it — from the website and brand to communications and everything in between. His job is basically to take good work, make it easier to understand, and make sure people can actually find it.
Credibility is earned by showing up.
Kelly built her place in construction safety through competence, persistence, knowing the work, treating people fairly and being willing to speak up when it mattered.
We're proud to be a woman-owned business and to support more women building careers in construction, the skilled trades, supervision, health and safety, and industry leadership.
Construction is changing, and we think that's a good thing. What matters most is that people are competent, supported, respected and able to do their work safely.
Sometimes you need a course. Sometimes you need someone on site.
We support workplaces through training, consulting and practical safety guidance depending on what the situation actually calls for.
Behind every requirement is a person doing the work.
Regulations, inspections, training records and safety programs all matter. But they're not the reason safety exists.
Behind every one of them are actual workers, supervisors, coworkers and families. The point of good safety is to help people understand the hazards around them, make better decisions and go home at the end of the day.
We're here when you need us — not just when there's a course to sell.
- 2012 Founded
- 20+ Years Kelly's Health & Safety Experience
- Kingston Ontario Based
- Construction Our Specialty
- Woman-Owned Local Business
- CPO-Approved Working at Heights Training
Need help with workplace safety?
Whether you need training, jobsite support or someone to help work through a safety problem, start with the path that fits.