Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1358656
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NO MORE EQUIPMENT DOWNTIME. 2 0 4 . 5 6 0 . 9 2 1 9 Protect Your Operators! w w w. l i l y f i e l d q u a r r y. c a 2 0 4 . 2 2 4 . 9 2 1 8 7-1109 Wilkes Ave Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3P 2S2 C M Y K A SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017 13 Celebrating 75 GROUNDBREAKING years in 2018 Manitoba's largest and most dependable Dust Control Provider for 27 Years 938 McPhillips Rd. | St. Andrew, MB 204.785-2180 | www.fortdistributors.com We invite applications for a Mechanic Supervisor for our Semi Truck / Trailer repair shop to join our staff COR Certified Gold Seal Employer Specializing in • Asphalt Paving/Concrete Paving • Site Development • Sewer & Water Services • Diamond Grinding 777 Erin St. Winnipeg, MB R3G 2W2 Phone: 204-783-7091 | Fax: 204-786-3106 www.mapleleafconstruction.mb.ca I f there's a secret to shaping a strong culture of safety, it's this: ere are no secrets. Sharing information is key to success, and the heavy construction industry is unique in that its members are willing to collaborate, says Gord Lee, president of Nelson River Construction. "Whatever you've done really well in your own company, you're happy to share it with your competitor so that they don't find themselves in a predicament that you could have otherwise helped them with," Lee says. "It's just amazing the cooperation you get on safety from people who could be your most fierce competitor. ey're quite open about what they're doing to be safety-minded and you reciprocate." At Nelson River Construction, success rests on promoting a sense of "internal responsibility" as well as maintaining a long history of corporate responsibility. "Internal responsibility means that safety always starts with the individual," Lee says. "Each of us has a responsibility to act safely for our own sake and so we don't bring harm to the person next to you or even outside of your group." Lee says senior management has always provided unequivocal support for safety initiatives. "It's always safety first, production second. I remember back right from the earliest days, 30 years ago, when I was working part-time here, safety always took precedence at Nelson River Construction." In the early days, only a few in the industry really paid attention to that element of operations, Lee says. "Today everybody thinks about it." e COR™ (Certificate of Recognition) safety program has become an industry standard. Currently, about 75 per cent of Manitoba's heavy construction companies are COR™-certified. Lee would like to see the industry itself move it upwards of 90 per cent. "You act on safety because it's the right thing to do and if you have a strong moral compass, which I believe most of the employers in our industry do. It's good for their people, it's good for their co mpany and it's the responsible thing to do." Inspired by the book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don't, by American business consultant Jim Collins, the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA) is looking at ways to apply Collins' analyses to raising the safety bar. at means adhering to core values, maintaining focus and taking action because it's a responsibility, not a job. e first step is to have the right people in the right place. People like Hugh Munro Construction safety coordinator Brent Good and Accurate HD safety coordinator Marc Rodrigue. e MHCA was among eight organizations that presented awards at the inaugural Safetys, co-hosted by SAFE Work Manitoba in September. Rodrigue received the first MHCA WORKSAFELY™ safety leader award. Along with providing safety orientation for new workers, WORKSAFELY™ training sessions and "toolbox" talks, Rodrigue conducts inspections to ensure everyone on a job site is in compliance with sa fety protocols — everything from wearing personal protection equipment to conducting hazard assessments first thing in the morning and reassessing potential hazards throughout the day. "Someone might notice a tree with a big wasp nest later," he says. "In the last year we have had two employees working for us that were highly allergic to bee stings… those things also have to be brought up to the crew." When in doubt, Rodrigue calls upon WORKSAFELY™ staff and other companies for advice, and he's happy to return the favour. Good has been with Hugh Munro Construction for more than 30 years, and since 2010, he has been teaching safety in formal classroom and workshop settings as well as in the field. "If you're working with a subcontractor who isn't, say, up to par on their safety, we would make sure to help them out, give them some guidance, make them aware of things they should have in their safety program." Hugh Munro general manager Wayne Loo says it benefits everyone to help smaller compan ies bridge any safety gaps and increase baseline knowledge throughout the industry. "e best thing we can do as an industry is make sure that everybody working in this industry is getting to the same standards and levels," he says. "Because we all have to work alongside each other and if everybody is held to the same standards that will help take safety from good to great." Earlier this year, Hugh Munro initiated a Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) program as an incentive to encourage workers to focus on safety behaviours, both good and bad. Workers fill out cards and submit them in a ballot box, with the option to be entered in a draw for small prizes, or remain anonymous. Reported behaviours might be anything from noting that an equipment operator failed to use three-point contact while climbing off a machine, to acknowledging a worker who drove at a safe speed through a job site. e reports are not used for punitive response but rather as valuable feedback. Good has used some issues in his toolbox talks. Loo says the open communication contributes to a culture of safety from the top to bottom. Rather than laying blame, the company uses incidents for learning purposes, and shares that information with others. "Sharing what's been successful and not successful for companies is not going to create any unfair advantage competitive edge to contractors. It's all leading to growth." ❱❱❱ TAKING SAFETY FROM GOODTO GREAT BUILDING ON INDUSTRY SUCCESS B Y P A T S T . G E R M A I N Accurate HD safety coordinator Marc Rodrigue reviews safety logs. Photo by DARCY FINLEY HILLCOUNSEL.COM Build your case on a strong foundation. 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