Manitoba Heavy Construction Association

14 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017 A SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Celebrating 75 GROUNDBREAKING years in 2018 W hen it comes to safety, everyone should be held to the same high standards. Manitoba's heavy construction industry is calling for the Manitoba government to set a province-wide standard by requiring the safety program known as COR™ (Certificate of Recognition) on all government construction contracts. Currently, COR™ certification is required to bid on any construction contract worth more than $100,000, but the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA) urges the government to make it a requirement for all public infrastructure. "Safety shouldn't have a dollar value," says Barry Arnason, senior partner with Arnason Industries and a former chair of the MHCA and the association's safety committee. "Safety should be universal." e issue's roots go back several years. In 2011, the provincial government announced that COR™ certification would be required for all provincial construction contracts worth $250,000 or more, and that over time, the requirement would be phased in for all construction contracts. However, the requirement was subsequently limited to contracts or subcontracts worth more than $100,000. "We thought that would be an interim measure and we would move to a standard where everybody needs COR™," says Don Hurst, WORKSAFELY™ director with the MHCA. More than 350 companies in heavy construction — about 75 per cent of the industry in Manitoba — have adopted the COR™ program, says Hurst. Likewise, about 75 per cent of companies are COR™-certified in the vertical building side of construction. Most of those that are not certified are smaller companies with only a few employees. Hurst points to a number of examples of the evolving and continually improving emphasis on safety, including changes in construction safety road signs in recent years and development of a recognized national training standard for construction safety officers. e COR™ program, developed by Canada's national and provincial construction safety associations, contains requirements for training and documentation that are standardized across the country, as well as specific requirements to meet each province's safety legislation. A key part of the program is the requirement for internal and external audits. A participating company is required to carry out its own internal audit of safety training and procedures for two years and in the third year an external auditor from the provincial construction safety association carries out an audit. Development of COR™ is among the factors that have led to steady improvement in heavy construction safety. Time-loss injuries in Manitoba construction have declined from 6.9 per 100 workers in 2007 to 3.7 per 100 in 2016, according to Workers Compensation Board figures. "I think it [the reduction in injuries] is directly correlated to COR™," says Arnason. Requiring all government construction contractors to adhere to the COR™ standard ensures a level playing field, says Arnason. He notes that meeting the standard comes at a cost for companies. "We figure safety is about five per cent of payroll costs," he says. "In the competitive world of construction, you shouldn't be able to be more competitive by cutting back on safety." Arnason Industries has been part of the program for eight to 10 years, he says, but notes that "when we first got into it, it was a great experiment for our company because it forces you to think about safety all the time." COR™ brings workers and management together through training and follow-through to create a safer environment. "It's become a team thing," says Arnason. "Management and labour work together on this." e MHCA sees a COR™ requirement for all government contracts as a way of ensuring that public funds are well spent, and a means of setting a safety standard for all of the industry — not just for those who bid on government contracts. COR™ has support not just from the heavy construction side of the industry — which deals with projects like roads and bridges, water and sewer systems, and other infrastructure — but from the building side of the industry, as represented by the Winnipeg Construction Association (WCA). "Companies that have COR™ had made a significant investment in training and education," notes WCA president Ron Hambley. "It was a bold move at the time and the industry reacted, but they [the government] seemed to get cold feet." Some small markets may not have COR™-certified companies available locally, a factor that is believed to be part of the rationale for allowing companies without certification to bid on smaller projects. But Hambley notes that the original policy calling for certification on all contracts allows for exceptions in special circumstances. As well, the COR™ program has flexibility for smaller firms, through the SECOR (Small Employer Certificate of Recognition) program, which provides participating companies with a generic safety manual and tools for customizing it. Arnason notes as well that trainers from MHCA WORKSAFELY™ can travel to northern or rural locations to conduct safety training tailored to the needs of workers on large or small jobs to address shortcomings in these areas. ❱❱❱ ELIMINATE THE COR™ THRESHOLD GOVERNMENTS SHOULDN'T COMPROMISE ON SAFETY STANDARDS B Y B O B A R M S T R O N G The Manitoba Construction Sector Council received funding to purchase four blast hole drilling simulators for use in training Indigenous people living in northern communities. We plan to offer drilling training where there are large construction projects underway. We want to work with construction companies to identify locations requiring drillers. We are seeking other funders to support this training initiative. We are currently partnering with Austin Powder and Hugh Munro Construction. It is our intent, those who contribute to the training program will in turn have use of the simulators for the equivalent time. We want to support companies who support this development. In addition, we are seeking companies who will employ the graduates of the Indigenous drilling training program. For more information contact: Carol Paul, Executive Director Manitoba Construction Sector Council cpaul@mbcsc.com, (204)272-5092 Building Relationships Through Infrastructure • Bridges, Highways, Road Construction • Large Diameter Tunnel Boring and Pipe Jacking • Environmental Infrastructure and Site Remediation/Rehabilitation • Shoreline Stabilization • Waterline, Land drainage, and Wastewater Systems • Drilled Caissons and Structurally Engineered Excavations • Foundations UNIT 5 - 1595 BROOKSIDE BLVD. WINNIPEG, MB. R2R 1V6 PH: 204- 942-1516 | F: 204-942-0693 www.tri-core.ca info@tri-core.ca Tri-Core Projects is a diversified Contracting Firm specializing in: THE COR™ PROGRAM, DEVELOPED BY CANADA'S NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL CONSTRUCTION SAFETY ASSOCIATIONS, CONTAINS REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAINING AND DOCUMENTATION THAT ARE STANDARDIZED ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AS WELL AS SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS TO MEET EACH PROVINCE'S SAFETY LEGISLATION. Top: Residential street work. MHCA file photo by BRIAN BAILEY. Below: MHCA director of WORKSAFELY™ Don Hurst. Photo by DARCY FINLEY

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