8 SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2019
A SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
YEARS OF SAFETY EXCELLENCE 30
THROUGH THE AGES Rubber boots and gentlemen’s caps (and shirtless!) no longer cut it as workwear on heavy construction sites. Hard hats, reflective vests and steel-toed boots are mandatory safety protection gear. PHOTO: MANITOBA INFRASTRUCTURE
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION SAFETY EXCELLENCE
MHCA’S COR-CERTIFIED COMPANIES CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WAY
BY JACKIE JONES
T he proof of safety leadership and certification for Tara Baschuk is seen every day, on the worksite. There are statistics that can show, in black and white, the value for heavy construction firms to achieve Certificate of Recognition – a gold standard, nationally recognized workplace safety and health leadership program. WCB numbers track the near- annual fall of workplace injury rates and severity of injuries, and this is especially true for the heavy construction industry. But Baschuk, safety coordinator at Bituminex Paving Ltd., sees the ‘qualitative’ in the quantitative benefit of statistic tracking. “When you take into account our company growth in the last 2 years with many of our new employees being in the category of high risk for injuries and accidents, 2018 was our best safety year on record,” Baschuk points out. “It proves that enforcing your safety program does pay off and that employees have officially been ‘sold’ on the safety message,” says Baschuk. This year, MHCA marks 30 years of providing dedicated safety services and programing to the heavy construction industry. The expansion of safety services provided through the MHCA evolved as a result of demands from the industry for the practical tools and resources to protect workers from work-related injury and illness, to reduce compensation costs and, therefore, improve the bottom line, and to ensure a safe industry that can attract workers as a career choice. Bituminex Paving, a Winnipeg-based company owned and operated by Manitobans since 1987, was one of the first companies in the heavy construction industry to obtain nationally recognized COR TM safety program certification, that was implemented in the industry in 2000. The company employs approximately 250 men and women in peak season and is one of Winnipeg’s largest road construction companies.
Bituminex is committed to providing the safest workplace for their employees, clients and the general public. Its belief that employees are the greatest and most valuable asset is the foundation of its unwavering commitment to safety. The key principle that drives its safety process is the expectation that everyone, from the company president to the newly hired employee, shares the responsibility of achieving the highest level of safety performance in their operations. Since 1989, the heavy construction industry has driven the development of safety programing, amassing a wealth of experience that has been used by other industries to tailor workplace safety and health services. The program has evolved from providing advice and training to a comprehensive, nationally recognized certification system designed for heavy construction workplaces. The industry has embraced the COR program as the industry standard. Today, 340 companies are COR certified, covering close to three- quarters of the industry workforce. “Our success is derived from the fact programming has been developed by industry for industry,” says Peter Paulic, branch manager for Brandt Tractor Ltd. and the chairman of the MHCA WORKSAFELY TM committee. “Having a great program helps to ensure our employees go home to their families every day without incident or injuries – healthy and safe,” Paulic says. Baschuk says Bituminex developed a safety process that includes an emphasis on formal training, mentorship programs, pre-job hazard assessments and established safety policies that meet or exceed the nationally recognized COR certification. It has now become part of the job and workers are appreciative and
Jackie Jones is an education and training advisor at MHCA’s WORKSAFELY.
SINCE 1989, THE HEAVY CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAS DRIVEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAFETY PROGRAMING, AMASSING A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE THAT HAS BEEN USED BY OTHER INDUSTRIES TO TAILOR WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH SERVICES.
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