ACSA Toolbox Fall 2016 by Venture Publishing

FALL 2016 • VOL. 1, ISSUE 1

Official Magazine of the Alberta Construction Safety Association

Young people are ready to prove they’re up to the challenges of construction safety SPEAKING OF SAFETY Contractors have their say in Alberta government’s ongoing review of Workers’ Compensation Board

MAKING THE PLEDGE New campaign turns to social media to get drivers to slow down in construction zones

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PLUS: • Kavis Reed talks leadership • A look back at the history of the ACSA • Tips for going green on the work site

The business of magazines

Your Stories. Our Experience.

Venture Publishing is pleased to have been selected to produce

Alberta Toolbox is designed to engage the membership of ACSA through unique content tailored to meet your interests and keep you informed of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening in your industry. The magazine alternates three times a year as a print and tablet publication.

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FALL 2016 Features

10 A head of the Curve The Alberta Construction Safety Association has always been out in front, and looks to stay that way By Glenn Cook

14 H elping Hands

The timeline may seem tight, but contractors are committed to giving input on the provincial governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s review of the Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Compensation Board By Lisa Catterall

18 R eady for Work Careers: The Next Generation and the Registered Apprenticeship Program are preparing young people to enter the trades safely By Willow White

Road construction partners try a different tactic to get motorists to slow down in work zones By Michelle Lindstrom

Sections

14 32

youracsa.ca

22 A Different Kind of Vow

Welcome from your ACSA

Building Blocks

News from Afar

In the Zone

Voice of Experience

Road Rules

On the Move

Role Models

Going Green

Sticky Situations

Good Neighbours

Lessons in Leadership

News and Events

Safety Crossword

By Dan MacLennan, Executive Director

By Martin Muyomba

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

PUBLISHED FOR Alberta Construction Safety Association HEAD OFFICE: 225 Parsons Road SW Edmonton, Alberta T6X 0W6 Tel: 780.453.3311 Toll Free: 1.800.661.ACSA Fax: 780.455.1120 Email: info@youracsa.ca CALGARY OFFICE: 292060 Wagonwheel Link Rocky View, Alberta T4A 0E2 Tel: 403.291.3710 Toll Free: 1.800.661.ACSA Fax: 403.250.2852 Email: info@youracsa.ca FORT MCMURRAY OFFICE: Toll Free: 1.800.661.ACSA Fax: 780.715.1684 Email: info@youracsa.ca PUBLISHED BY Venture Publishing Inc. 10259 – 105 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1E3 Toll-free: 1-866-227-4276 Phone: (780) 990-0839 Fax: (780) 425-4921 www.venturepublishing.ca PUBLISHER Ruth Kelly ACSA EDITORS Michael Hogan, Alicia Hewitt & Zahra Elmi EDITOR Glenn Cook ART DIRECTOR Charles Burke GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrew Wedman PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Betty Feniak PRODUCTION TECHNICIANS Brent Felzien, Brandon Hoover CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Robin Brunet, Lisa Catterall, Julie-Anne Cleyn, Glenn Cook, Martin Dover, Michelle Lindstrom, Martin Muyomba, Kim Tannas, Willow White CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS Jared Kelleigh, Don Molyneaux, Evan Montgomery, Ted Ostrowski, Darryl Propp, Grenner Veilleux Contents © 2016 by ACSA Inc. No part of this publication should be reproduced without written permission. Undeliverable mail should be returned to ACSA Head Office at 225 Parsons Road SW Edmonton, Alberta T6X 0W6

Printed in Canada on Forest Stewardship Council ® certified paper by Transcontinental LGM. Publications Agreement #40005413

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

NEW AND IMPROVED

Updated magazine and new visual branding just two of the exciting changes happening at the Alberta Construction Safety Association

I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO the new edition of your ACSA’s magazine, Alberta Toolbox. Formerly known as The Advisor, our new publication aims to inform and interest our readers with articles about what’s important to you – articles about you. Alberta Toolbox will be released three times a year, available in digital format as well as in print for our active members, who make up over 36,000 companies from Alberta’s construction industry. One exciting change I wanted to outline, and which you would have most likely seen by now, is that we’ve changed our brand. The ACSA has come a long way since our inception some 28 years ago and I look forward to working together with our members to ensure the legacy of this organization remains one we can be proud of and take with us in to the ever-changing future. After almost three decades under the same brand, we felt it was time for a new look, so we decided to create a new brand that properly reflects who we are at the ACSA and why we do what we do. In partnership with the growing safety community, we are building links and connections with our stakeholders and industry partners, influencing change and instilling a culture of safety. We are proud of what we do here

WELCOME

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR MEMBERS TO ENSURE THE LEGACY OF THIS ORGANIZATION REMAINS ONE WE CAN BE PROUD OF AND TAKE WITH US IN TO THE EVERCHANGING FUTURE.

DAN MACLENNAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Alberta Construction Safety Association

at the ACSA. It is thanks to our people and the safety leaders in the field that we are all able to work together to make workplaces safer and enable everyone to return home unharmed at the end of each and every working day. Our new look reflects this connection and dedication to our growing construction safety community, while bringing our visual identity up to date with a fresh new approach. You can read more about our new look in this edition. I hope you enjoy reading through our new Alberta Toolbox publication, which is just one of many improvements that we’re making here at the ACSA.

Alberta Construction Safety Association

News about safety and construction projects across Alberta A BY-THE-NUMBERS LOOK AT THE SOUTHWEST CALGARY RING ROAD (SEE PAGE 6):

49 31 bridges

kilometres of six- and eight–lane roadway

interchanges

583 million dollars in funding committed by the federal government

The views expressed by interview subjects in this magazine are solely their own, and do not necessarily reflect to the official positions of the Alberta Construction Safety Association.

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SAFETY BLITZ GETS UNDERWAY As the busy construction season comes to an end throughout Alberta, provincial government officials are assessing their stepped-up efforts making sure workers were staying safe on residential job sites. Starting in July, provincial Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) officers increased their inspections on residential construction sites over weekends and outside regular working hours to ensure safety remained at the forefront of workers’ and employers’ minds at all times. “Building a new home is an exciting time. Each summer, work ramps up on residential construction sites as crews take advantage of the good weather and longer daylight hours,” said Labour Minister Christina Gray in a press release. “OHS officers were out in force making sure employers and workers were taking their workplace safety responsibilities seriously.” OHS officers have the authority to issue stop-work and stop-use orders during inspections, and can write tickets on the spot if they observe non-compliance issues. Between April 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016, officers issued 1,605 orders on residential work sites in Alberta, more than half of which were related to fall protection.

ARHCA Appoints New CEO Jim Rivait is paving a new career path as he takes over as Chief Executive Officer of the Alberta Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association (ARHCA). Rivait comes to the ARHCA from the Canadian Homebuilders’ Association – Alberta, where he served as CEO for the past seven years. Prior to that, he served as Vice-President, Alberta & the North, for the Insurance Bureau of Canada; Director, Government Relations for the University of Alberta; and Senior Policy Analyst and Executive Assistant to the Minister for the Alberta government. He has a bachelor’s degree in geography from McGill University in Montreal and a master’s degree in political science from the U of A. He has also earned his Certified Association Executive designation from the Canadian Society of Association Executives. His main duties will be to develop the ARHCA’s strategic plans with the guidance of the association’s Board, and to develop, oversee and implement supporting operational plans to achieve the ARHCA’s vision. Rivait is succeeding Gene Syvenky, who is retiring. Syvenky was with the ARHCA for 10 years, and was instrumental in the association’s growth and success over that time.

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

ACCORDING TO THE 2006 CENSUS, 37,000 FIRST NATIONS, METIS AND INUIT PEOPLE IN CANADA HAD THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, UP 85% FROM 1996

Don’t Use Damaged Tools Examine each tool before you use it to make sure it is in good working order.

MAKING BUSINESS MATCHES Many people looking for new opportunities and business partners checked out the Aboriginal Business Match Alberta event, which took place in September at the River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alberta. This event, hosted by the Sunchild First Nation, provided both aboriginal and non-aboriginal companies the chance to connect and create business opportunities through the development of joint ventures and partnerships. These included things like training, employment and investment. ABM also offered companies unparalleled access to community decision makers, employment and training co-ordinators, economic development officers and First Nations suppliers and customers. According to organizers, 92 per cent of delegates who attended the 2015 event said they developed key contacts and were anticipating post-event deals. About 20 per cent signed at least one deal on the trade show floor. For more information on ABM Alberta, call 604-483-3532 or email info@ravenevents.ca.

Ring Road Funding Announced IN THE MIDST OF THE CALGARY STAMPEDE, PRIME MINISTER Justin Trudeau rode into town and, along with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, reiterated the federal government’s commitment to funding the construction of the southwest portion of the Stoney Trail ring road. The federal government will contribute up to nearly $583 million toward the completion of the road, which is being built in hopes of reducing congestion and commute times throughout Calgary, making it easier for both people and goods to get to their destinations. The provincial government will contribute the balance of the funding. “Strategic investments in infrastructure not only create good, well-paying jobs that help the middle class grow and prosper today, they also deliver sustained economic growth that will help build the Canada of tomorrow,” the prime minister said in a press release. “We need our transportation networks to be as modern and efficient as possible.” “The Southwest Calgary Ring Road has been a long time coming and I’m very pleased to see it moving ahead,” added Nenshi in the same release. “This project requires unprecedented partnership between all orders of government including our Tsuut’ina neighbours. I’m proud of the work my colleagues at the City of Calgary have done to support this project and we remain available to help in whatever way we can.” The southwest portion of the ring road includes 31 kilometres of six- and eight-lane roadway with 49 bridges – including three river crossings and one roadway flyover – 14 interchanges and one railway overpass. It also includes the reconstruction of Glenmore Trail from Sarcee Road to east of 37 Street S.W. It should be complete by 2021, at which time the whole of Stoney Trail will be 90 per cent complete.

ACCESS ACSA APP AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD Members of the Alberta Construction Safety Association will have the information they need to keep up with their changing industry right at their fingertips. The ACSA has launched Access ACSA, a new mobile app, on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Through the app, students will be able to access their student portal accounts, get their latest course results, and check on the status of their upcoming registered courses and certificates.

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

“The ACSA is leaping ahead with this app,” says Michael Hogan, ACSA’s manager for marketing, communications and reputation. “Embracing new technology to deliver greater access is part of the innovative new approach we are taking. We want to make it easier for our stakeholders to have what they need right in their back pockets. It’s just one more way we can make things better for our stakeholders.”

Alberta Construction Safety Association

ROAD SAFETY BILL PASSED The Alberta government has passed a new bill that it hopes will makes the province’s roads safer for everyone who uses them. Bill 16 was introduced in the Alberta Legislature on May 16 and passed third reading on May 26. It introduces a number of amendments to the Traffic Safety Act. These amendments established regulations for Transportation Network Companies like Uber, modified rules related to impaired driving (including exemptions from the Ignition Interlock Program) and addressed minor inconsistencies in current legislation. “As Minister of Transportation, my primary objective is to ensure

Protecting Fort Mac Homeowners

Construction Figures Dip KEY

CONSTRUCTION

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AS RESIDENTS OF FORT MCMURRAY

INDICATORS

continued to trend downward in Alberta in the third quarter of 2016, according to figures released by the provincial government in July. Both residential and non-residential construction investment were down compared to the same period in 2015. In the first three quarters of 2016, the drop in residential housing starts has been significant at 38 per cent less than the same period in 2015. All building permits were down by 22.4 per cent year-over-year to the end of September. Non-residential construction investment also continued to slide. Industrial investment was down 32 per cent compared to the first three quarters of 2015. Compounding these decreases were a 7.8 per cent decrease in institutional and government construction and an almost 7.0 per cent drop in commercial construction, year-over-year. However, there is some brighter news in the building permits data. Despite the value of building permits bottoming out at a fiveyear low of $885.8 million in June 2016, an upward trend is becoming more apparent. Since the low point in June, the value of Alberta’s building permits has surpassed the $1 billion mark, and continues to climb. At the time of writing this article, we were still waiting on October’s data. Based on the third-quarter trend, though, it seems the worst of it might over.

that passengers, pedestrians and drivers are safe. We are making amendments to the Traffic Safety Act to enhance public safety and to ensure fairness and transparency for all Albertans,” said Transportation Minister Brian Mason in a press release. The amendments in Bill 16 stemmed from the second phase of a review of the Traffic Safety Act that was initiated in 2012. Amendments from the first phase were passed in 2013 and gave municipalities greater control over playground zones and allowed for designated highway lanes to deal with unique traffic flow problems.

WHEN TO REPLACE SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Hardhat: After an impact or any kind of stress, regardless of lack of visible damage

If it has a dent, crack, or hole

If suspension has any damage at all

Depending on expected life span as advised by manufacturer

continue to rebuild their homes and their lives in the wake of a devastating wildfire that swept through the city in May, the Alberta government is taking steps to make sure they aren’t taken advantage of by shady contractors. The province announced in the summer that it had made amendments to regulations under the Home Buyer Protection Act and the Safety Codes Act that would be implemented immediately in the Fort McMurray area. These amendments require builders to complete a builder declaration through the New Home Buyer Registry before they can apply for building permits. They also allow homeowners to access more information on potential homebuilders through the New Home Buyers Protection Public Registry before hiring them, including residential construction history, corporate and financial history and outstanding fines or orders. “Following the fires in Slave Lake, many of my friends and neighbours faced tremendous and unnecessary challenges throughout the process of rebuilding their homes,” said Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee in a press release. “Our government is committed to ensuring this does not happen to Wood Buffalo residents and

will support them from start to finish as they rebuild not only their homes, but their lives.” The province also held public information sessions in Fort McMurray in July and August for both homeowners and builders to learn about these changes and their other rights and responsibilities. A tip sheet is also being provided to homeowners to help them select a builder and understand regulatory requirements and best practices. The province is looking at these changes as the first step in developing a builder-licensing program over the long term. If it is successful, builder licensing may be phased in across the entire province. The Fort McMurray wildfire destroyed 1,900 homes and the insured property damage was estimated at $3.58 billion, making it the costliest insured natural disaster in Canadian history.

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

DRONES LISTED ON AMAZON.CA RANGE IN PRICE FROM $50 TO MORE THAN $10,000

Up, Up And Away

No Drone Zones Transport Canada recommends against the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) near airports, in national parks, and across national borders.

With the cost of drones dropping as more manufacturers enter the market, their use is taking off on construction sites across Canada, reports On-Site Magazine. These drones – also known as unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) – are usually somewhere between the hobby models and those built to military specifications in quality, and are starting to pop up on construction sites for purposes like site surveying and planning, documentation, safety inspections, environ-

3500

mental reporting, lead line or cable delivery and positional marking. “A huge benefit in the construction industry is that drones can remove danger from the human element – not having to send employees into unsafe environments for data collection or inspections,” Adam Sax, president of The Sky Guys, told On-Site. His company is based in Oakville, Ontario. Another big advantage is that drones can be programmed to fly along pre-deter-

mined paths at consistent heights, ensuring reliable data and mostly eliminating human error. While it might be tempting for construction companies to buy a drone and do all the data collection work in-house, Sax says it might be wiser to contract a service provider as needed due to complex technical requirements, including necessary permits, and the cost of both the drone itself and the liability insurance to go along with it.

WOMEN IN REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIPS in Canada 2002 to 2014

3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 2002

2007

2012

2014

Source: Statistics Canada

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

Alberta Construction Safety Association

News From Afar DUBAI After a number of delays, officials in Dubai are ready to clamp down on unsafe building practices when a new fire safety code is introduced. The new code will set out steep fines for contractors and building consultants who are found to be using non-regulation materials and faulty fire safety material in their projects, including flammable cladding on the exteriors of buildings. Maj.-Gen. Rashid Al Matroushi, the director of Dubai Civil Defense, which oversees firefighters and safety, told The National, an English-language newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, that exterior cladding itself was not a fire safety risk, but it could become one if the material used is shoddy or installed improperly. The new code was set to be introduced in May 2016, although as of July, when a fire broke out at a 75-storey residential building in Dubai Marina, it had not yet been released. No injuries were reported in that blaze. –ConstructionWeekOnline.com, TheNational.ae

NEW YORK Officials in New York City introduced new measures to increase crane safety in the city, spurred on by the death of a crane operator in early February. The new measures introduced by Mayor Bill de Blasio include lowering the wind-speed threshold at which crawler cranes must be shut down, and having uniformed personnel such as police officers enforce sidewalk and street closures related to crane use, a task previously left up to construction crews. Crane operators must also inform nearby residents and businesses before cranes are moved; previously, notification was only necessary when cranes were first installed. However, in an op-ed piece for Crain’s New York Business in April, councilman Ben Kallos said that de Blasio’s safety plan is “lacking in a few critical areas,” most notably in his decision to appeal a New York Supreme Court decision that upheld a long-standing local experience re-

youracsa.ca

quirement for crane operators in New York City. “No U.S. city is as congested or densely populated as New York, making crane operation here a great risk not only to operators but to surrounding buildings and pedestrians. ... It would only make sense to ensure crane operators continue to be trained and licensed in New York to prevent future crane accidents and fatalities,” Kallos wrote. –NYTimes.com, CrainsNewYork.com

MONTREAL As temperatures soared in Montreal to record highs in July, officials had to step in and shut down a construction site to make sure workers didn’t succumb to heatrelated illness. About 2,600 workers were sent home on Friday, July 15, from the site of the future Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) in downtown Montreal after the Quebec Worker Safety Board found that improper ventilation at the site was putting workers at an elevated risk of heat exhaustion. Some fans had been installed at the site to allow for better air circulation, but with temperatures reaching 33.7 C and Environment Canada issuing a heat warning for Montreal, they simply weren’t effective enough. Some workers had already left the site the day before the Quebec Worker Safety Board stepped in, citing heat exhaustion, which can result in dizziness, loss of balance and fainting. The board planned to keep the construction site closed until its experts could confirm that conditions were once again safe. –GlobalNews.ca

SEATTLE Officials in Seattle were answering some big questions about safety as a major transportation project was set to get underway in early May. The Alaskan Way Viaduct, an elevated highway that is one of Seattle’s main north-south corridors, is currently being replaced with a tunnel due to earthquake damage, and the entire

road had to be closed in May as drilling began underneath the structure, causing major headaches for commuters. David Sowers, an official with the Washington State Department of Transportation, told local television station Q13 that the state government was taking every precaution to ensure the drilling didn’t damage the viaduct itself and prolong the closure. “If there’s any kind of issue that develops, people will be able to respond immediately. If repairs need to be made or the machine has to be adjusted, that will happen in real-time and the contractor will continue to mine. We will not open the viaduct back up until it is safe for the travelling public,” Sowers said. Luckily, though, the whole operation went smoothly, and the viaduct was reopened to traffic five days earlier than scheduled. –Q13fox.com, SeattleTimes.com

SOUTHEAST ASIA Safety will play a big factor in deciding who gets the contract to build one of the most ambitious high-speed rail projects ever attempted. In mid-July, the prime ministers of Singapore and Malaysia signed a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, officially kicking off a proposed 350-kilometre highspeed rail line project linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The entire trip would only take about 90 minutes. Companies from China, Japan and South Korea are currently jockeying to be the one to build the line. China may have the edge when it comes to leading-edge technology and the ability to keep costs under control, but Japan is banking on its experience and impeccable safety record. Japan’s Shinkansen high-speed railway lines have been operating since 1964 and, in that time, not a single person has been killed riding on one of its bullet trains. In 2015, a state-of-the-art Japanese maglev train set a world speed record, topping out at 603 km/h along a test track. –ChannelNewsAsia.com, China.org.cn, AsiaOne.com, TheGuardian.com

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

Alberta Construction Safety Association

Ahead of the Curve Throughout its history, the Alberta Construction Safety Association has been out in front, and it looks to stay that way as it comes up on its 30th anniversary in 2018 BY GLENN COOK

OU COULD SAY HERMAN BRUIN WAS WELL

ahead of his time. After all, back in 1988, he was talking to employees at his company, Bruin’s Plumbing and Heating Ltd. in Red Deer, about the importance of safety on construction sites. Whether or not that message was getting through, though, was an entirely different story. “In construction [in 1988], you were a macho guy. You wore sleeveless shirts and you had tattoos. If you wanted to do anything safe, you were looked down upon,” Bruin says. “Even my company here, if I suggested steel-toed boots and a hard hat, I had nothing but a fight on my hands.” Fortunately, Bruin and other contractors with the same concerns were able to band together to form the Alberta Construction Safety Association. Initially formed as the safety committee of the Alberta Construction Association in 1975, the ACSA was officially registered under the Alberta Societies Act on November 9, 1988. Bruin served on its board from 1988 to 1991, and then as its chair in 1992 and 1993. Fast-forward almost 30 years from the ACSA’s inception, and many of the things Bruin had to haggle about with his employees have become second nature to people who work on similar job sites today. It’s something that many former board members and chairs can look back on with pride. “I think it has had huge benefits. I can’t speak for the last few years, but when I was involved, I certainly saw it,” says Richard Cooper, founder of Cooper Concrete Construction in Lloydminster, who served as the ACA chair in 2000 and served on the

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ACSA board for a couple of years after that. “There’s critics out there all the time saying, ‘You’re not doing enough,’ but I saw a lot of companies benefit from it, that’s for sure.”

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ALBERTA CONSTRUCTION

“IN CONSTRUCTION [IN 1988], YOU WERE A MACHO GUY. YOU WORE SLEEVELESS SHIRTS AND YOU HAD TATTOOS. IF YOU WANTED TO DO ANYTHING SAFE, YOU WERE LOOKED DOWN UPON.” Herman Bruin, Bruin’s Plumbing and Heating Ltd., Red Deer

Safety Association is pretty well contained in its name: Ensuring that construction workers in the province stay safe on the job site so they can go home to their families at night. (And there are plenty of them – nearly 260,000 in 2015, according to the Alberta government.) How that happens, though, has evolved over time. In the early days, Bruin says, white trucks emblazoned with ACSA logos hauling mobile trailers would roll up to job sites across the province, providing education programs on site. “We would take safety to the people,” he says. But the sight of those trucks would also send workers scrambling to find their hard hats and put them on. “ACSA was partly looked at as the police and partly as education,” Bruin explains. “[Occupational Health and Safety] has taken over the policing role very much since that time, and they’ve done a good job of that. And ACSA has done the education part of it.” Today, ACSA executive director Dan MacLennan says that focus on education remains at the association’s core, with the ultimate goal of reducing the number and cost of workplace injuries. The Association is working to keep up with technology, including the introduction of a mobile app this fall, through which users will eventually be able to book courses and access other useful information.

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

“We don’t want people to have to expend extra effort to be able to take our courses,” says MacLennan, who has been at the helm of the ACSA for the past four years. During his tenure, MacLennan has seen the ACSA make big strides in administering exams and verification of past employment, and experts have been hired to modernize the courses it offers. The physical classrooms have also been renovated to better fit students’ needs, and the process for becoming an instructor has been updated. “We look for people who want to be a guide on the side, not a sage on the stage,” he says.

AS A COMMITTEE OF THE ACA BETWEEN 1975 AND 1988, Bruin says it was tough to bring safety to the forefront of contractors’ minds. “As we met throughout the years, we could see it was really hard to make a difference with so few people for a giant industry.” There was also much consternation about how to fund the ACSA; eventually, it was decided that each contractor would pay a small levy on their Workers’ Compensation Board assessments. While every contractor at the table had a vested interest in keeping workers safe, Cooper says there were some contractors who were hesitant to join the ACSA. “It was extremely new. [The ACSA] came out and did a presentation to everyone who was involved in the construction association, and we said, ‘Where are we ever going to find the time for all this?’ But they did a good job of selling it and talking about the compensation and rates and costs. So we bought into it. Most people, from what I remember, who belonged to the construction associations, were progressive people; that’s why they belonged to associations and were involved that way.” But he adds that, at least for him, the positives of being part of the association far outweighed any negatives in his mind. “It made a huge difference in our premiums, and saved us a lot of money on the compensation end,” he says, noting that, operating out of Lloydminster, his company’s rates in Alberta were half of what they were in Saskatchewan. “We spent a lot of time and resources on training, but we bought into it and thought it was extremely worthwhile.” For Bruin, one of the biggest accomplishments in getting the ACSA set up was bringing both union and non-union contractors to the same table. “ACSA is all employers. There’s no union or non-union. That was one of the things we had to do, to get everyone to get along,” he says. “During my chairmanship … we had to work together, union and non-union, towards a common goal. And I’m extremely proud and happy to say we were able to do that, so we didn’t look like a bunch of kids fighting.”

TODAY, THE ACSA HAS MORE THAN 36,000 MEMBER companies and employs about 65 staff members between its headquarters in south Edmonton and its satellite offices in Calgary and Fort McMurray. The Association works quite closely with the provincial government, especially the WCB, and MacLennan describes

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

“ACSA IS ALL EMPLOYERS. THERE’S NO UNION OR NON-UNION. THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD TO DO, TO GET EVERYONE TO GET ALONG.” Herman Bruin, Bruin’s Plumbing and Heating Ltd., Red Deer

the relationship between the two right now as a good one. “You’re not going to agree on everything, but I’ve found the people from all those organizations really fantastic to work with,” he says. “They have a job to do, and we have a job to do. But the people I’ve met and deal with in the government … have a passion for that work. I deal with OHS officers and I know people who have been in that role for decades. The ones going into it, I find, still go into it for the right reasons.” The Alberta government is currently conducting a review of the WCB as part of a commitment to review all government boards and agencies, and MacLennan and the ACSA have been heavily involved with that recently. But he is also hoping to gather and analyze more data on what types of injuries are occurring on Alberta job sites to determine how the Association can adjust its training courses to prevent those injuries from happening in the first place. “In this economy more than ever, it’s really important to have cost-effective,

Alberta Construction Safety Association

PAST IMPERFECT: Photo taken circa 1980. We’ve come a long way since then.

quality training. If it isn’t quality, it doesn’t matter if it’s free,” he says. “We have to find the right balance.” And that balance is important when MacLennan sees so many young people and women getting involved in the trades. “We’ve made sure to put things in place so that we’re in the best place we can be moving forward,” he says. For his part, Bruin hopes that the ACSA will stick to its founding principles and continue to foster a culture of safety among both management and labourers in Alberta’s construction industry. “My hope is that they will expand on what we have done to date, and that they will never lose sight of why we were created. Sometimes, when you have large organizations, they lose sight of what they were there for in the first place. I would hope, as long as we stay in Alberta with it, that we can help people. … I would hope that we would commit to the goals we started with and only expand on them, so we can make safety even more of a priority than it is today.”

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TIME CAPSULE: 1988 • The Alberta Construction Safety Association is officially registered under the Alberta Societies Act • Calgary hosts the Winter Olympic Games; Canada wins two silver and three bronze medals • Rain Man is the top-grossing movie in North America and wins the Academy Award for Best Picture • Roseanne and Murphy Brown debut on television • U2’s The Joshua Tree wins Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards • The Edmonton Oilers win their fourth Stanley Cup, sweeping the Boston Bruins in the final • Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson wins gold in the 100m at the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, but is then stripped of his medal two days later after testing positive for a banned substance • The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeat the B.C. Lions 22-21 to win the Grey Cup

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

HELPING HANDS Despite tight summer timelines, construction contractors are committed to giving input on the Alberta government’s ongoing review of the Workers’ Compensation Board BY LISA CATTERALL / PHOTOS BY EVAN MONTGOMERY

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

Alberta Construction Safety Association

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Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

ONSTRUCTION IN ALBERTA HAS LONG BEEN

one of the province’s most steadfast industries. It’s a fundamental driver for the province’s economy, employing more than 250,000 individuals – approximately one in every 10 working Albertans. This means that the industry has a lot at stake when it comes to labour and employee relations. In March of this year, the Alberta government announced it would be undertaking a comprehensive review of the province’s Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). According to the government’s official announcement, the review is the first of its kind in over 15 years, and has been called to ensure that the WCB is providing fair and reasonable compensation and rehabilitation to workers across the province and that the system is both affordable and sustainable. Given the construction industry’s investment in the people and resources that make this province work, this review could have a major impact on the way work is done in Alberta. “Our industry contributes approximately 25 per cent of WCB premiums,” says Ken Gibson, executive director of the Alberta Construction Association, “so this is a big priority for our industry and our Association to provide input to the review.” The review is being conducted by an independent threemember panel, including labour relations and legal experts from Edmonton. Though the review and the respective panel were initially announced in March, the first call for public input went out in early June 2016. Lasting from June 6 to July 15, the call for input provided information that formed the basis of the panel’s interim report to government, due at the time this publication was going to press. The gathering of this feedback has been welcomed by many, who see this as an important part of an open, balanced review of the WCB’s offering. “Hopefully it’s truly a collaborative review process, and they’re looking to involve both workers and companies, which is valuable,” says Blair Smith, corporate safety manager at Chandos Construction. “Employers can offer the WCB a lot of insight, so it’s important that they gather this feedback from everyone.”

WHILE THE SPEED OF GATHERING INPUT MAY SHOW THAT progress is being made, it is also a cause for concern for many in the industry who are faced with busy summer schedules and a tight turnaround time. “Our biggest concern is the ability to have meaningful input,” says Gibson. “The review was announced, and we were aware that an interim report would be released in the fall. But the first opportunity to provide input was not released until June 6, with a window of about six weeks.” However, Matt Dykstra, press secretary for provincial Labour Minister Christina Gray, says this window is just the first of several opportunities stakeholders will have to provide feedback. “The WCB review panel will continue to work with the key groups identified [over the summer] throughout the fall and winter to examine the issues in greater detail,” he says. In order to account for vacation schedules and workflow

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

“HOPEFULLY IT’S TRULY A COLLABORATIVE REVIEW PROCESS, AND THEY’RE LOOKING TO INVOLVE BOTH WORKERS AND COMPANIES, WHICH IS VALUABLE. EMPLOYERS CAN OFFER THE WCB A LOT OF INSIGHT, SO IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THEY GATHER THIS FEEDBACK FROM EVERYONE.” – Blair Smith, corporate safety manager, Chandos

changes over the summer, many industry organizations and associations don’t meet regularly between June and August. In construction, warmer temperatures and favourable weather often mean that summer is the busiest time of year, which made this six-week timeframe especially challenging. “For us in construction, this is compounded because summer is when we’re at our busiest. So our ability to gather and provide input either as individual employers or as an industry association [was] challenged,” says Gibson. As part of the review process, the panel has produced a number of reference guides for all stakeholders interested in providing feedback. These documents, available on the review website (alberta.ca/wcb-review), provide stakeholders with information on the process. While a series of one- to two-page quick reference guides were available, the full process guide for the review was 42 pages long, offering background information including details of the claims process, information on governance and a review of program funding for the WCB. Accompanying this document was a 40page workbook designed to gather comprehensive feedback from stakeholders. Though the website stated that interested respondents can answer as much or as little as they’d like in the workbook, the sheer volume of information to review respond to may have deterred some. “The majority of our members have 20 employees or less and don’t have a lot of administrative capacity,” says Gibson, “and in the summer they’re out trying to earn a living and pay their staff by working in the field. So as an Association, we’re trying to simplify that information as best as we can, to try and

Alberta Construction Safety Association

assist them in the feedback process.” Dykstra says the department is pleased with the feedback it received, and collecting input over the summer was not an issue from their perspective. “The engagement phase of the review was launched on June 6 and workers, businesses, labour groups, safety and industry organizations filled out our online questionnaire and provided written comments through our website,” he says.

“COST EFFICIENCIES MAY COME OUT OF THE REVIEW BUT THE TIGHT TIMELINES AND RAPID PROGRESS HAVE LEFT THE MAIN PRIORITY many wondering about the necessity and urgency of the review. IS TO ENSURE Currently, Alberta’s workers’ compensation system has the secTHE SYSTEM IS ond-highest maximum compensable earnings in Canada, and PROVIDING FAIR pays out net earnings higher than the average gross wage in the province. So while the government has been clear that the reCOMPENSATION view is necessary after more than 15 years without one, industry AND MEANINGFUL experts are uncertain of why action is being taken now. REHABILITATION.” “We can’t point to what’s changed in 15 years, and why the review needs to be done now,” says Gibson. “The merit and principles of the WCB haven’t changed – and those were set about a century ago. We’re fortunate to have a very good workers’ compensation system in Alberta, with very high benefits at a very affordable rate.” In addition, employers have indicated that their experiences with the WCB’s current offering have, for the most part, been positive. “In the past, when we’ve been audited by the WCB, I’ve given constructive feedback on the process and, in my experience, they’ve always been receptive to it,” says Smith. “Now, as a part of this review, it’s a collaborative approach to evaluate and

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– Matt Dykstra, press secretary for Alberta Labour Minister Christina Gray

clarify the roles of workers, employers and the WCB.” Though the purpose behind the call for the review and its tight timeline is somewhat unclear, one thing is certain: the review will provide constructive feedback and analysis of the current compensation offerings and governance. “The WCB is working well, but of course in any system, there’s always room for improvement,” says Smith. “It doesn’t need an overhaul … but there are always tweaks that can be made to help things run smoother.” Current statistics indicate that the existing system is indeed working well. For injured workers who make use of WCB vocational services, the target is to enable them to return to earning at least 75 per cent of their pre-accident earnings. As it is running right now, the WCB in Alberta is able to meet this target in most cases. “Currently, we have more than 80 per cent of our injured workers who use those vocational services able to achieve that target,” says Gibson. Dykstra says the WCB review is part of the NDP government’s commitment to review all provincial agencies, boards and commissions. “This is a comprehensive review of all parts of the WCB system, including governance, administration and legislation. Our work with our key stakeholder groups will help determine what changes should be made,” he says. In particular, the government noted that the panel will examine the WCB’s governance to ensure that the system is offering efficient and transparent services that meet the needs of workers, employers and community stakeholders. It may also examine the WCB’s funding policies, looking for efficiencies that could create cost savings and jobs. “Currently, we’re very pleased that we have a fully funded workers’ compensation system,” says Gibson. “In Alberta, we have a policy to be in what’s called the Green Zone, which is between 114 and 128 per cent fully funded. And in fact, our WCB has been operating at about 135 per cent funded. So the WCB is in excess of being fully funded, and in excess of even its own funding policy. What that means is that there are employer dollars tied up in the investment portfolio of the WCB that could be utilized to grow businesses and employ more Albertans.” Dykstra says this aspect will definitely continue to be part of the review, but it’s all part of a bigger picture. “The panel’s priority is to ensure the workers’ compensation system maintains the right balance between injured workers and employers,” he says. “Cost efficiencies may come out of the review but the main priority is to ensure the system is providing fair compensation and meaningful rehabilitation.” Though the review may have caused some short-term stress as employers, employees and industry associations strived to gather and submit their input, the goal to create a stronger workers’ compensation system for all Albertans remains clear. “Hopefully, the outcome of this review will serve to create and build a favourable system for both workers and employers,” says Smith. For more information on the WCB review process and the impact it may have on your business, and to get involved, visit alberta.ca/wcb-review.

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

READY FOR WORK Young people are finding their feet in the trades thanks to Careers: The Next Generation and the Registered Apprenticeship Program BY WILLOW WHITE / PHOTOS BY DARRYL PROPP

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

Alberta Construction Safety Association

IGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND YOUNG

adults make up an important component of the construction industry, but false stereotypes can be barriers to young workers, pigeonholing them as lazy, careless and always on their cellphones. Of course, these labels don’t accurately represent young workers. Without the same experience as a veteran worker, younger people aren’t always equipped with the knowledge to be totally safe on the work site – through no fault of their own. They need training and mentorship. That’s where Careers: The Next Generation comes in. The primary role of Careers is to bring together Alberta students and employers by providing hands-on experience in the trades through internships, summer camps and co-op programs. Each year, Careers partners with more than 500 high schools in the province to provide these programs. Specifically, Careers identifies which industries are in need of skilled workers. Careers then identifies what kind of educational program may be best for a student. For example, high school students interested in jobs in the health care sector can participate in a three-day summer camp, where they will tour labs and medical facilities, hear from professionals and learn about various education programs available in the province. Alternatively, students looking for a more long-term commitment can start a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) or co-op program while in school. Carmen Wyton is the vice-president of stakeholder relations and partnerships for Careers. She’s passionate about making the trades more accessible to young people, especially high school students. Wyton doesn’t believe that students are inherently unsafe, but that they need access to hands-on experience to make good career decisions that traditional high schools don’t always offer. “Often, students we work with are not being engaged in high school because what really fulfills them isn’t being offered,” says Wyton. “So, when we can introduce [students] to the trades and they can get paid internships and site-based work experience, their whole education experience becomes much more relevant.” There are many positive outcomes of Careers programs that are not immediately obvious. “Students in our programs graduate,” Wyton says. “It really is that simple.” Furthermore, students have access to a fair wage. “To be part of the program, the employer has to be willing to pay a competitive wage. The student is collecting hours for their apprenticeship, they are collecting credits toward their diploma, and they are earning a competitive wage.” This experience ultimately provides young

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Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

people with a taste of what having a long-term career is like. While Careers provides great opportunities for students, the benefit to employers is significant as well. Alberta faces a shortage of skilled workers, but employers who participate in Careers are getting ahead by being a key element of training new, young workers.

FOR EMPLOYERS LOOKING TO HIRE YOUNG EMPLOYEES, one of the biggest barriers can be the lack of safety training that a younger person has received. Wyton explains that while many employers want to hire younger people, they can’t justify the expense of safety training – not to mention the lost productivity that employers face when young workers require more training. On the other hand, students may lose weeks of hands-on experience because this extra training is needed. As a solution, Careers teamed up with the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) to create an initiative called Safe Under 18. The program provides safety information to students, employers, parents and schools to help bust myths about workplace safety. Safe Under 18 provides a survey for students, parents and employers to give feedback about their experience with safety in the workplace. These surveys provide information that helps improve safety parameters – though Careers employers already have a pristine safety track record. “We do not have a reported lost-time or disabling injury among any of our RAP and co-op students,” says Wyton. This information should be a comfort to parents. While some may be wary of allowing their high school-aged child to work on a construction site, Wyton – whose son and daughter both work in trades – is quick to assure parents that safety is the priority of all Careers employers. “The organizations we work with have a high level of safety consciousness.” Wyton also explains that when unsafe behaviour happens on a work site involving a young person, it’s not necessarily the young person’s sole responsibility. “When young people are asked to do something they’re not prepared for, they need to have the courage to say ‘No.’ ” This isn’t always easy, and takes patience on the part of the employer. That’s why Safe Under 18 created a creed for students to help them understand and take responsibility for their own safety on site. The creed centres around three values: awareness, behaviour and confidence. Awareness involves making sure you’re prepared, trained and oriented. Behaviour means listening carefully and focusing on the task at hand. Confidence ranges from saying no to a task for which you’re not trained to asking lots of questions. DUSTIN CHRISTENSEN HAS FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE OF what it means to be young and safe on the work site. Thirteen years ago, Christensen was part of the RAP through Careers. He started in the summer of Grade 10 with a residential electrical program, and eventually switched to a commercial electrical company. He has been with the same company ever

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

“WE TEACH [STUDENTS] HOW TO WORK SAFELY. THEY WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE JOURNEYMAN ELECTRICIAN OR SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS VERY CAPABLE.” –Dustin Christensen, operations manager, Canem Systems Ltd.

since. Today, Christensen is in a unique position to offer advice to current high school students of the long-term benefits of pursuing the trades. Christensen says that young workers are not inherently unsafe or careless but that they need more experienced workers to walk alongside them. “It’s an education,” he says. “We give them safety training and orientation.” First, students are required to take the basic Construction Safety Training System (CSTS) program, which is often provided by high schools in the province. But that’s really the bare minimum. “Before [students] go out on the job site, there are rules we let them know about.” For example, phones are off-limits. Christensen admits that, of course, it’s possible to catch a student on a cellphone when they shouldn’t be, but that they learn quickly. “They’re good once you tell them the rules. They listen. They get it,” he says. Like Wyton, Christensen sometimes has to help parents

Alberta Construction Safety Association

understand that their kids will be safe. “There are lots of parents that don’t think [on site] is the right place for a kid to work,” he says. “We just make them aware that we are not throwing kids hand tools and sending them up an eight-foot ladder. We teach them how to work safely. They work very closely with the journeyman electrician or someone else who is very capable.” The long-term benefits of starting in the trades early can be huge. Christensen explains that he finished high school much earlier than his peers and was able to get a jump start on his career. “I actually graduated in January of my graduation year. … When we had our graduation ceremony, I was officially a second-year electrician. I had a one-year head start.” Meanwhile, Gavin Rittammer is a 17-year-old currently enrolled in the RAP who wants to become an electrician. He says he has learned so much from his mentors in the program, especially about safety on the job site. “We make sure we’re using three-point contact on ladders

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“I JUST THINK THAT YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD DO WHAT EXCITES THEM. AND IF THAT’S PAINTING CARS, THEN BE THE BEST CAR PAINTER YOU CAN BE.” –Carmen Wyton, vicepresident of stakeholder relations and partnerships, Careers: The Next Generation

and PPE [personal protective equipment] and all that good stuff,” says Rittammer, who started out in framing in the RAP before switching to the electrician program. “I’ve learned a lot. It’s almost crazy how much there is, but it shows you how much you need to eliminate all the hazards.” Although Rittammer has seen his fair share of young people get distracted by their phones while working, he has also seen older workers fall into that trap. “I understand where [the stereotype] comes from, but I think anyone who uses technology or gets caught up in it will run into that problem,” he says. Wyton hopes that more students will consider entering the trades. “I just think that young people should do what excites them. And if that’s painting cars, then be the best car painter you can be,” she says. “If you support kids, they will finish school. They will be successful in life. Education and employment are the two key elements of life success.”

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

Alberta Construction Safety Association

A DIFFERENT KIND OF VOW Partners in Road Construction Safety ask Albertans to pledge their commitment to slow down in construction zones BY MICHELLE LINDSTROM

OU’VE SEEN THE GRAPHIC IMAGES. YOU’VE

heard the stats. You know that speed kills. But are you ready to take the pledge and vow to slow down in construction zones? The Partners in Road Construction Safety (PIRCS) think drivers are numb to prior messaging and want to take a different approach this construction season. Campaign statistics from the past two years show that 46 per cent of Albertans are still not slowing down through road construction sites, even though awareness is high and motorists can easily recite campaign messages like, “Don’t RIP through construction zones,” for example. “There’s no point to having an awareness campaign if people continue to break the law and continue to get hurt and, in some cases, killed,” says Craig Redmond, the creative director of RED The Agency, which has worked on this awareness campaign with PIRCS for the past few years. “We wanted to change the conversation and move away from the more typical messaging approach, which is, ‘You shouldn’t do this,’ and then list all the ramifications,” Redmond continues. “This year, we thought, instead of condemning bad behaviour, why don’t we reward and applaud good behaviour? Because the whole pay-it-forward mentality has really taken hold in society, like the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS.” PIRCS formed in 2002 to increase safety for road construc-

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tion workers and change drivers’ attitudes with an annual awareness campaign. The partnership includes Alberta Transportation, the Alberta Construction Safety Association, the City of Edmonton, the Alberta Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association, the City of St. Albert, Strathcona County, EPCOR, the Edmonton Police Service, the City of Calgary, the Calgary Police Service, 511 Alberta and Alberta Labour.

“WE WANTED TO CHANGE THE CONVERSATION... WHY DON’T WE REWARD AND APPLAUD GOOD BEHAVIOUR?” - Craig Redmond, creative director of RED The Agency

THIS YEAR’S CAMPAIGN CENTRED AROUND ASKING Alberta’s drivers to “Vow to Slow Down” by taking an online pledge that stated: “I pledge to make roadside construction zones safer for everyone. That means I’ll be driving the posted speed limit and paying attention to all hazards whether workers are present or not.” In early June, the total number of Alberta motorists who took the pledge was close to 300. By mid-November, that number had skyrocketed to more than 7,200, almost three times the stated goal of 2,500. “People want to be a part of something good and they feel good about being part of a larger group,” Redmond says. “There’s the fear of missing out if they don’t participate.” In the past, the PIRCS road safety campaigns used traditional methods of getting the message out, including billboards and radio ads, but there was no real call to action for motorists

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

Director of External Affairs for the Alberta Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association (ARHCA). “We wanted to make more of a two-way relationship with the motorists, which is why we went with the pledge idea asking the general public to go to our website, Facebook page or Twitter and take the pledge to drive safely through construction zones,” Harris-Jensen says. “Our job is to thank these individuals, and to do so, we’ll send them a voucher for a cookie or coffee.” It becomes more of a grassroots neighbourly message of what you would do for a person you know, and it connects with all Albertans instead of targeting a certain demographic with a negative spin. For example, Redmond says last year’s campaign spoke directly to those the statistics indicated were the worst perpetrators of this type of traffic offence – young males between 18 and 25 – and listed how losing their car could ruin their summer or force them to live with their parents. “We’re really hoping the positive spin engages people and makes them think about the real people who are working in these zones,” Harris-Jensen says. “Slowing down for an extra two to five minutes through these zones is such a small act, but it’s such an important one and the outcome is positive for everyone.” The ARHCA is made up of drivers, too, Harris-Jensen says, who understand the frustration road construction brings when trying to get from Point A to Point B. She’s also aware that some contractors are better than others in controlling the traffic through their construction zones to minimize delays. “From our end, we take responsibility for [delays] and en-

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

“SLOWING DOWN FOR AN EXTRA TWO TO FIVE MINUTES THROUGH THESE ZONES IS SUCH A SMALL ACT, BUT IT’S SUCH AN IMPORTANT ONE AND THE OUTCOME IS POSITIVE FOR EVERYONE.” - Heidi Harris-Jensen, Director of External Affairs (ARHCA)

courage our contractors to work on continuous improvement when it comes to minimizing the inconvenience to the motorist,” Harris-Jensen says. “We work with our government partners about doing some nighttime work, working outside of peak hours and we’re attacking it from a lot of different directions with the hope for a positive outcome.” Road construction crews are made up of people we know and would want to keep safe, which makes the reality of what speeding can do hit closer to home. By building a relationship with motorists through this campaign, Harris-Jensen hopes the realization that construction workers are our neighbours and fellow soccer parents will connect with Alberta’s driving population.

DAN MACLENNAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ALBERTA Construction Safety Association (ACSA), says that, like many people, he can be a bit resistant to change, and the new direction of the road safety campaign took a little convincing for him. It just hasn’t been done this way before, but he’s supportive and excited about working with people to provide positive reinforcement. “Some of the things we see on the road are inexcusable,” MacLennan says, noting speeding and texting while driving as his main concerns. “I personally was pleased to see penalties for distracted driving strengthened by the province, and am hopeful the new levels help.” Law enforcement and photo radar cannot be everywhere, though, and MacLennan says that we shouldn’t need either to

Alberta Construction Safety Association

CONNECT: fb.com/ roadconstructionsafety @saferoadwork 1PRCS

tion of the road safety campaign took a little convincing for him. It just hasn’t been done this way before, but he’s supportive and excited about working with people to provide positive reinforcement. “Some of the things we see on the road are inexcusable,” MacLennan says, noting speeding and texting while driving as his main concerns. “I personally was pleased to see penalties for distracted driving strengthened by the province, and am hopeful the new levels help.” Law enforcement and photo radar cannot be everywhere, though, and MacLennan says that we shouldn’t need either to make motorists slow down. “I want to see the stats and know we are constantly reminding people that one of the easiest things to do in life when you’re driving is to slow down, and this campaign is a really important reminder of that.” Similar to the campaigns of previous years, six speed signs that blink a driver’s speed collected data in high-traffic construction zones around Alberta. The signs collected real-time data that is posted online at vowtoslowdown.ca/ stats. The data includes the percentage of people speeding through construction zones, how much over the speed limit they were going, what times of day had the most and fewest speeders, and more. “Fort McMurray and the QEII Highway, Edmonton to Red Deer locations, were hot spots last year because of the traffic volume and the length of the projects,” Harris-Jensen says. “Quite often, the contractors – unless it’s a really enormous project – really try their best to get in and get out within a few weeks so they’re not inconveniencing people for months at a time.” PIRCS launches its road safety campaign each year just before the May long weekend and wraps things up by Thanksgiving. This year, it launched on May 18 with Edmonton city councillor Ed Gibbons as one of the first people to take the pledge alongside many of the campaign’s construction safety partners, including Harris-Jensen.

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“DESPITE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND THE UPS AND DOWNS FOR THE ECONOMY IN ALBERTA, EVERYBODY HAS STUCK TO THE CAMPAIGN THROUGH ALL OF THESE YEARS, AND I KNOW THAT OUR WORKFORCE IS GRATEFUL AND FEELS GOOD ABOUT HAVING THAT SUPPORT.” “It’s so great to see a group come together and be so committed and so single-minded in its goal of eliminating collisions, injuries and fatalities in construction zones,” Harris-Jensen says. “Despite economic challenges and the ups and downs for the economy in Alberta, everybody has stuck to the campaign through all of these years, and I know that our workforce is grateful and feels good about having that support.”

- Heidi Harris-Jensen, Director of External Affairs, ARHCA

ROAD CONSTRUCTION STATS FOR 2015, ACCORDING TO THE SPEED SIGNS PIRCS posted around the province: • 60 per cent of speeders exceeded the posted construction speed limit by 1-10 km/h; 27 per cent by 11-20 km/h; 10 per cent by 21-30 km/h. • The highest number of speeders (60 per cent) in construction zones were found between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. • The most speeders in construction zones were found in Fort McMurray (69 per cent); QEII southbound from Edmonton to Red Deer was 56 per cent and Calgary was 26 per cent Source: http://vowtoslowdown.ca/stats

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION PLANS A great alternative for maintaining Certificates of Recognition

EARLIER THIS YEAR, YOUR ALBERTA Construction Safety Association introduced COR Action Plans as a valuable and effective alternative method for companies to maintain their Certificates of Recognition (COR) while continuing to enhance their safety program. Action Plans map out a measurable process to addressing gaps identified in previous audits of a company’s safety program, while not losing focus on the greater corporate and safety objectives. This self-scoring, holistic approach improves a company’s health and safety management system by strengthening its alignment to, and understanding of, the company’s critical corporate objectives. Some employers may also find it more valuable to focus their internal resources on addressing action items raised by previous COR audits or to develop and complete specific health and safety initiatives. In our inaugural year of implementing COR Action Plans, we received a total of 128 applications from our member companies. Throughout the year, we have been developing and providing new resources and materials to assist these companies in the implementation of their Action Plan objectives. If your company didn’t apply this year but is considering doing an Action Plan in the future, keep an eye open for announcements regarding the 2017 application process.

APPLICATION PROCESS For an employer to be considered for approval to perform an Action Plan in lieu of a maintenance audit, they must:

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

IN THE ZONE

• Hold a valid Certificate of Recognition (COR); • Have completed a full three-year COR audit cycle; • Have achieved an 85 per cent or higher overall audit score in their last certification audit; and • Submit their action plan application using the action plan form to ACSA by March 31 of the calendar year in which the maintenance audit is required.

THE ACTION PLAN SHOULD CONSIST

By Martin Muyomba, MBA, HSA Senior COR Audit Review Analyst, Alberta Construction Safety Association

of five to 10 objectives. These objectives: • Must be based on audit recommendations from previous COR audits; • May also include corporate health and safety initiatives that may be outside the scope of the COR audit; • Must be completed by November 30 of the calendar year; • Must be assigned milestones or significant activities, persons responsible, and deliverables that will sufficiently demonstrate completion of the objective and individual milestones or activities; and • Are each assigned a percentage value for final scoring. The ACSA will only approve an employer and its Action Plan following a review of its application based on the requirements shown above. Once approved, the employer can start to implement the Action Plan, using the template to track their success. Upon completion of the Plan, the employer will be required to submit the self-scored Action Plan report by simply emailing the Action Plan form and all promised objective deliverables

(evidence included) to the ACSA by November 30 of the maintenance year. Following this, if the ACSA requires the employer to address any deficiencies or for additional information to be identified, the employer will have until December 31 to complete these tasks. Completing an Action Plan in lieu of a maintenance audit may be used by an ACSA certified auditor towards the maintenance of auditor certification, provided the auditors were involved in all steps of the Action Plan process, signed off on the final report, and the final action plan submission meets ACSA’s quality assurance standards.

Alberta Construction Safety Association

WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE HERE TO HELP Your ACSA is here to help you through the process and ensure your Action Plan will benefit you and your workers. A reviewer from our COR Department team will review the supplied deliverables to ensure that you have provided sufficient evidence of the completion of the milestones. During the review process, we might get in touch with you and ask you to make some tweaks or additions. We will provide you with follow-up correspondence prior to each deadline to help you stay on track. The follow-up is intended to help you by ensuring timely and accurate submissions.

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Our Quality Assurance Review of your Action Plan report will include feedback on your success in completing the plan and its deliverables. The review may include an opportunity to address any deficiencies or provide additional information if the final score falls below 80 per cent. Once the review is completed and you have addressed any deficiencies or requests, we will notify you (the employer) and any applicable governing bodies of your successful maintenance of COR. We then archive the completed audit report for at least one year.

IN CLOSING The intention of the ACSAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s COR Action Plans is to provide you with an alternative, objective-based method for maintaining your COR. The Action Plan program provides you with the opportunity to set your own objectives on a meaningful platform that will provide you and your employees with greater safety benefits. For further information, visit our COR Action Plans page on our website at www. youracsa.ca. Should you have any further questions, please contact our COR Reviewer Department by email at cor@ youracsa.ca or by phone at 1-800-661ACSA (2272).

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

Alberta Construction Safety Association

AIMING FOR ZERO

Injury-free workplaces are possible, says safety expert, if companies have belief and learn from “near-hits”

VOICE OF EXPERIENCE By Martin Dover

Tim Cassidy, Quinn Contracting Ltd.

WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY EXPERTISE, it’s hard to beat Tim Cassidy’s more than 22 years of experience in health and safety. It’s invaluable in his role as HSE trainer at Blackfalds-based Quinn Contracting Ltd., a company that performs plant maintenance and turnaround services for oil and gas companies. After starting out as an apprentice carpenter at PCL Construction in 1978, he was hired on as a maintenance carpenter at Quinn Contracting Ltd. in 1989, then moved into the safety side of things in 1994. Over the years, the company itself has earned a reputation as one of the most safety-focused in the business, celebrating one million consecutive injury-free working hours in October 2013 and then again in October 2014. Cassidy has also been actively involved with the Alberta Construction Safety Association’s Parkland Regional Safety Committee for more than 15 years, having served as chairperson twice. We asked him to share some tips about how to work towards a zero-incident or, as he suggests, a zero-injury workplace.

Q: First of all, is a zero-incident workplace the goal that companies should be working towards? A: That’s a very interesting question for safety people. There are companies that are looking for a zero-incident workplace. The thought might be, though, maybe we should start with a zero-injury workplace first, and then get to zero incidents. And then

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that would come down to what you defined an incident as.

Q: How would you define an incident? A: There are many definitions but this is the one that’s easy for me to remember: An incident is an unplanned event that did or could have resulted in a loss. So maybe it’s an unplanned event that results in a loss of productivity or a minor injury like a papercut. We don’t want people to get hurt, so maybe let’s go zero-injury before we go zero-incident. The other thought is that, when we investigate an incident, we use the abbreviation PEME. This stands for: People, Equipment, Material and the Environment. So when we’re looking at incidents, we’re of course always looking at people first. We don’t want losses to people, then no loss to the equipment and then no damage to the material and then no damage to the environment. That’s kind of a hierarchy that you can look at when investigating an incident. The definition that I gave you of an incident also opens it up for this idea of a “near-hit” – an unplanned event that could have resulted in a loss.

Q: If we’re looking at the goal being a zero-injury workplace, do you think that’s achievable for companies? A: I do. I have to believe that as a safety guy. I’ll give you the example of something you can use in your own life. Did you cut your finger today? No? Good. Guess what? You got through

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

the whole day without an injury. Did you cut your finger yesterday? No? There you go – see, so it is possible. And, I mean, that’s a very simplistic example that I’m giving you, but we work a second and minute and hour and day and nobody gets hurt. Zero is possible. We can do it. It’s something we have to strive towards. And part of that striving is recognizing what an incident is – that gives you the “nearhits.” So if we investigate incidents or “near-hits” that could have resulted in a loss but didn’t, then we can learn to be better at our tasks. This learning will make us and our company better.

Q: What are some other steps that companies can take to provide a safer environment for employees and get them closer to becoming zeroinjury workplaces? A: Well, it starts at the top. It starts with the company’s culture, so you’ve got to have a company that believes that we can actually get to zero injuries. That’s what our goal is. We don’t want anybody to get hurt, but along the way you have to have a company that is mature enough to recognize that, when there is an incident or a mistake or however you want to look at it or a close call or a “just about,” well, what steps can we do to improve our systems, our supervision, our knowledge, our training, to eliminate those incidents? If you work for a company that establishes the culture and the environment that says, “It’s OK to say we made a mistake and let’s learn from it and move forward,” then you’re winning. When things happen that are near-hits and everybody says, “Whoa, that was close … Don’t tell the boss,” then it can happen tomorrow somewhere else! If they say, “Hey, look what just happened here,” and we take the time to investigate it and find out what happened, then we can communicate it to people and get it fixed so it doesn’t

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

“THERE ARE COMPANIES THAT ARE LOOKING FOR A ZERO-INCIDENT WORKPLACE. THE THOUGHT MIGHT BE, THOUGH, MAYBE WE SHOULD START WITH A ZERO-INJURY WORKPLACE FIRST, AND THEN GET TO ZERO INCIDENTS.”

happen again. You’ve got to have that culture. These are really easy words to say but really hard to do. There are old slogans out there like, “Reporting is rewarding.” Well, is it? Or is it punishment? There’s this fine line so you have to be cautious. Is it about discipline? Because if it is, then you can drive incident reporting underground.

Q: What are statistics telling us about safety in the workplace these days? Is it getting better? Are people adopting these types of cultures? Are they making it safer? A: That’s a really tough one to say right now. Statistically, there’s an improvement in the fatality rates in the past year. But the question that safety people like myself ask is: Is that because we’re getting better or is that because we’re not working as much? So, yes, more people went home last

year and that’s a good thing. You can’t go wrong with that. But is that because we’re improving our safety culture and we’re reporting those near-hits before they become serious injuries, or is it just because we’re not doing as much work? And here’s the big one: Has this work environment – the economy in Alberta – has this changed your company’s safety culture? Have you established an environment where it’s OK to make a mistake and we learn from it and move on? Or are you afraid to report because you might lose your job? That then goes back to, “What’s your culture and your company?” Overall in my history in construction, we know we’re getting better. When I look at when I started as an apprentice carpenter in 1978 and I look at where we’re at now – it’s night and day. So this whole idea of zero-injury is certainly possible.

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CHANGING LANES

Making Alberta’s roads safer requires drivers to not only put their cell phones down but also to change their mindsets AS THE CANADIAN AUTOMOBILE Association notes, drivers engaged in distracted behaviour, such as text messaging, are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near-crash compared to motorists who keep their eyes on the road. In fact, driver distraction is a factor in four million motor vehicle crashes in North America every year. From a purely economic standpoint, these types of mishaps cost Canadians about $10 billion annually in health care and lost productivity. Yet, ask drivers if they’re responsible behind the wheel – as Debbie Hammond, executive director for the Coalition for a Safer 63 and 881, has done on numerous occasions – and most will say they are. “While cell phone use and other habits are the cause of collisions and fatalities, the real root of the problem lies in behaviour, fortified by the propensity of young people to think taking risks on the road is OK,” she says. Hammond’s organization is dedicated to making Highways 63 and 881 – the busiest routes in and out of the northern Alberta oil sands and the scene of dozens of fatalities in recent years – safer for motorists. She recalls being at a noisy bar with a trucker who had just downed three scotches and was heading back to his rig. “I suggested he could take a cab instead, and suddenly you could have heard a pin drop,” she says, “so misplaced pride also compels some drivers to do the wrong thing.” Underscoring the bad behaviour is the common belief that one’s skills and road knowledge more than compensate for distraction and even inebriation. This begs the question: Just how knowledgeable are Albertans about the rules of the road? Several years ago, the University of

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ROAD RULES By Robin Brunet Illustration: Heff O’Reilly

“THE REAL ROOT OF THE PROBLEM LIES IN BEHAVIOUR, FORTIFIED BY THE PROPENSITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO THINK TAKING RISKS ON THE ROAD IS OK.” – Debbie Hammond, executive director, Coalition for a Safer 63 and 881

Calgary decided to find out, as there had been very little documented about the knowledge level of the typical Albertan motorist. Its Alberta Drivers’ Knowledge of Road Rules test measured the acumen of 2,394 drivers with at least 10 years of driving experience via an online survey and exam, and the outcome was alarming: only 11.4 per cent passed the test, which consisted of 30 multiple choice questions. The test – which also found that risky driving behaviour tends to decrease with age – went a long way in explaining why, in 2005 alone, 466 road users were killed and 24,504 injured in Alberta, making the province one of the poorer performers in Canada relative to the country’s average. Some of the mishaps that have plagued Highways 63 and 881 are due to the fact that long stretches of the thoroughfares are single lane. Hammond’s organization is accordingly calling for certain sections to be twinned. However, she stresses that this is only part of the solution; the other part is to help drivers identify their dangerous driving habits and offer them safe alternatives. To that end, she and her members (who range from industry groups and regional municipalities to safety organizations) are using a variety of different media. “Originally, we focused on the work sites but have since

included residential communities, where youth risk-taking has proven to be most prevalent,” Hammond says. “We give lectures, go to schools, provide written material – in short, we try to be a physical and constant presence because putting up a poster simply isn’t good enough.” As well-intentioned as cell phone bans and tough drunk driving laws may be, the mindset of drivers is a tough thing to change. But Hammond is determined to make a difference, and more than 4,000 Albertans have pledged on her website to be safer drivers by abiding the following rules: • not travelling alone unless necessary; • not getting behind the wheel if alcohol or drugs have been consumed; • not driving while tired; • respecting the speed limit; • passing another vehicle only when it is safe to do so; • not using mobile devices; and • ensuring one’s vehicle is in safe working order. Hammond concludes: “Every action taken means more safety for the driver and other motorists. I got involved in this cause simply because the statistics chilled me, and judging from the number of pledge-takers to date, a lot of other people share my concern.”

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

SPEAKING UP

Mental health is a big issue in the workplace â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially in male-dominated professions like construction

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

Alberta Construction Safety Association

FAST FACTS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH, it turns out that men and women can’t claim an even playing field. “Men are different from women in this way,” says Dr. JianLi Wang, a researcher and professor at the University of Calgary. “They are reluctant to share their emotional experiences with their family, or employers or co-workers.” For years, Wang has been studying mental health in the workplace. A professor in the U of C’s department of psychiatry, he is keenly aware of the mental health challenges that arise in the workplace – and especially in male-dominated fields like construction. Construction is unique: “Even in Alberta, it’s even more unique now if you think about the boom and bust cycle,” says Ione Challborn, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Edmonton Region. “Job security is a big issue, so whether you have a job or you don’t, or you’re worried about losing one, there’s a high degree of stress and anxiety.” Pair that with the industry’s relatively higher rates of addiction and on-the-job injury, and you’ve got a field primed for mental health issues. “The industry is highly male-dominated, which often corresponds with not wanting to talk about problems,” says Challborn. “But the age most at risk for suicide is middle-aged men.” Wang believes that the most important steps that businesses within the construction industry can take are to raise awareness, and through that, create an environment where people can openly discuss their problems. “We had an employer who said that it was pretty easy to see who was going through emotional issues, but that everyone had different coping strategies,” he says. “Not everyone is proactive.” “So many employers have been very rigorous about developing physical safety standards,” adds Challborn. “To be able to develop the same compre-

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hensive mental health programs would be leading edge.”

IF YOU’RE AN EMPLOYER, THE TRICK

ON THE MOVE is to keep your eyes open. “If you notice By Martin Dover Illustration: Andrew Wedman

someone having reduced productivity or job performance, there may be something going on there,” says Wang. “If their interests are not there anymore, that’s a sign to talk to them and find out what’s going on.” All of this relies on a strong workplace foundation, he adds. “From our experience in talking to men in the workplace, it depends on your personal relationship with them. They’ll only disclose to a person they trust.” Wang mentions some successful initiatives that he has seen companies take on – buddy programs, for instance, which match senior workers with new employees. “They might have a regular meeting or coffee break, even just once a month, to talk about what’s happening in their lives. This can help to solve issues beforehand.” Challborn agrees: “You have to promote a culture of asking people how they are doing, not just what they are doing ... to get away from that traditional, male way of just sucking it up.” Wang and his team are working to develop a risk prediction algorithm – basically a website that members of the general public can use to monitor and determine their own personal risk of developing major depression in the future. It’ll be open access, available to all, and will incorporate his broader findings in terms of anxiety and workplace depression triggers and evidence-based solutions for handling specific incidents. Depression affects everyone, no matter their position or stature in the workplace, and early prevention is something that Wang and Challborn both agree on. “Whenever you feel so much stress, talk to people and don’t hold it internally,” says Wang.

WHO IS AFFECTED? • 20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime. • Mental illness affects people of all ages, educational and income levels, and cultures. • Approximately 8% of adults will experience major depression at some time in their lives.

HOW COMMON IS IT? • Schizophrenia affects 1% of the Canadian population. • Anxiety disorders affect 5% of the household population, causing mild to severe impairment. • Suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15- to 24-year-olds and 16% among 25- to 44-year-olds. • The mortality rate due to suicide among men is four times the rate among women.

WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC COST? • Including health care costs, impacts on productivity, and reductions in quality-of-life, the economic cost to Canada of mental illness was about $42 billion per year in 2011. Source: http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/sites/default/files/MHCC_Report_Base_Case_FINAL_ENG_0_0.pdf

• An additional $6.3 billion was spent on uninsured mental health services and time off work for depression and distress that was not treated by the health care system. Challborn suggests employers download and review the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s health and safety standards, which can help improve productivity, financial performance and employee retention. Download for free at: www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/ English/national-standard Source: cmha.ca

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

SAFETY FIRST

Whitney Allen took an unlikely path toward becoming a role model in the field of health and safety

FOR WHITNEY ALLEN, EVERY WORKday looks different, but the goal is always the same: make sure every worker gets home safe and in good health. “My whole purpose at the end of the day is to make sure that people aren’t experiencing any injury or tragedy at work that would prevent them from living their lives,” she says. “Work is just a way to pay for people’s lives, and I want to make sure they can get back to them.” And that’s just what Allen does in her role as the health, safety and environment manager for Standard Scaffold and Installation. Allen has been with Standard for the past two-and-a-half years, but she has been in the health and safety field for almost a decade. She splits her time between the company’s sites and her office. She talks with crews and supervisors on different projects. She makes sure each employee is working in a safe environment. She develops new policies and procedures, and makes sure current ones are working as they should. “I am also the vicechair for the Edmonton Regional Safety Committee,” says Allen. “And we have projects on the go that we’re working on, so that takes up some of my time during the day as well.” Though being a health, safety and environment manager can be a downright stressful job, sending workers home safe at the end of the day makes it all worthwhile. “It is a very active and busy position because you’re always looking for continuous improvement,” she says. “How do

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

ROLE MODELS By Willow White Photo by Jared Kelleigh

“MY WHOLE PURPOSE AT THE END OF THE DAY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE AREN’T EXPERIENCING ANY INJURY OR TRAGEDY AT WORK THAT WOULD PREVENT THEM FROM LIVING THEIR LIVES.”

we make things better? What needs to be changed? Are things working? Are we creating any barriers for our workforce?” Allen grew up in Cranbrook, British Columbia, but completed her university education in Lethbridge. She didn’t always plan on working in health and safety; rather, she completed a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. “I had intended on going back to school,” she says. But she needed a job in the meantime and ended up in health and safety. “I was a medic on the rigs when I was in university. We were starting health and safety programs for some of the companies we were working with. So, after school, I already had some experience and it was just a natural progression for a job.” Allen wound up pursuing more education in the field, including getting her National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO) designation and the Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) certification. “There are other designations I can get,” says Allen. “But in Canada the CRSP is widely recognized.” Though it’s not always easy to be a woman in a traditionally male job, Allen says things are shifting. “The industry has changed so much in the past years. The mentality that it wasn’t always open to women in the industry is changing a lot,” she says. “There is a more inclusive mentality in the industry now.” Allen is eager to encourage women to work in health and

safety, and in the construction industry as a whole. Though the industry remains male-dominated, Allen says things are increasingly balanced. “Health and safety, more so than general trades, has seen a significant increase in gender equality over the last number of years.” She encourages women to not be afraid to take on positions in the industry. “Of course, there will still be challenges,” she says. “But it is what we do about those

Alberta Construction Safety Association

challenges that matters.” Having taken up the challenge herself, Allen is confident that more women will continue to thrive in roles like hers. Allen doesn’t necessarily see herself in the same job forever. “I’d like to get more into the operations side of things, and I do think that coming from a health and safety background is relevant to the operations side of the company,” she says. “Everything I’ve done this far is applicable to those positions.” And as a natural leader, there’s no doubt that Allen will go far.

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WHAT IS A NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION SAFETY OFFICER? The National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO) designation program started with the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) and is administered through local provincial safety associations across Canada. The NCSO designation indicates that the individual has knowledge in various construction-related health and safety management skills and principles, and at least three years’ experience in the construction field. When a person completes this program, they are ready to begin the career-long process of becoming a leader in construction safety, and joining our community of more than 13,000 NCSOs across the province. Your ACSA is dedicated to continuing to build this community of safety leaders. For more information about the NCSO program, visit youracsa.ca.

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

TIPS FOR A GREENER WORK SITE Environmental responsibility starts as soon as a project does TODAY’S CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES are always looking for ways to reduce their footprints on the environment, and they’re doing so for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s because they’re seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification on a project, trying to lower their overall carbon emissions or simply aiming to be a better corporate citizen, companies are paying more attention to their impact on the planet. “The conversation around LEED and sustainable buildings, and how that influences design and construction, has been a 20-plus-year-old conversation, so we’re definitely happy to see that it’s becoming more mainstream,” says Vivian Manasc, senior principal at Edmonton’s Manasc Isaac Architects. “I think it’s a really critical consideration.” One of the areas where there’s lots of room for improvement is on the work site itself. From waste diversion to protecting natural habitats to minimizing pollution, there are many factors that come into play to create a work site that’s better for the environment. “Certainly the biggest impact is construction waste,” says Manasc. “There’s a lot that can be done around separating waste at source.” The Canada Green Building Council, which administers the LEED program in Canada, estimates that 35 per cent of landfill waste in the country comes from construction and demolition activities. In Alberta, the most recent estimates put that number at about 20 to 25 per cent. While many municipalities have recycling options, not all companies take

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

GOING GREEN By Kim Tannas

“THE CONVERSATION AROUND LEED AND SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS … HAS BEEN A 20-PLUS-YEAR-OLD CONVERSATION, SO WE’RE DEFINITELY HAPPY TO SEE THAT IT’S BECOMING MORE MAINSTREAM. I THINK IT’S A REALLY CRITICAL CONSIDERATION.” – Vivian Manasc, senior principal, Manasc Isaac

advantage of them. For instance, the C&D Facility at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre, which opened in 2012, can process up to 100,000 tonnes of material per year, including wood, concrete, asphalt, drywall, metal, roofing materials and cardboard. You can bring in segregated loads, where you can separate the material yourself for reduced rates, or you can bring in mixed loads and let the facility do the sorting for you. In Calgary, all three City-owned landfills collect construction materials for third-party companies to recycle. Calgary is also home to ECCO Recycling and Energy Corporation, which operates North America’s largest material recycling facility, which collects and processes wood, asphalt shingles, scrap metal, cardboard, paper, plastics, drywall and aggregates like concrete and gravel. Other considerations include how sites affect their immediate environments – “Everything from mud on the street to how much runoff there is from sites to erosion sedimentation … to how noise is managed on the site and how materials are moved in and out of the site,” says Manasc. “In the long term, there are considerations in terms of the actual building materials that are used,” she adds. In the past few years, a lot of research has been done to create a “red list” of building materials that are toxic to human health. “Certainly we’ve all become aware, for example, of asbestos,” says Manasc. “It used to be a common building material, but it’s gone now because of its

environmental and health impact. But things like vinyl eventually will also go the way of asbestos because it’s a highly toxic material. It’s very prevalent, but it will eventually be removed from construction materials inventory.”

MARC BREAULT, PRESIDENT OF St. Albert-based Paradox Access Solutions, points to new technologies as a way to improve your environmental performance. “Back in 2004, I started this company in my basement, and one of the things that I saw was this need for educating the industry on how you can [have a successful business] without destroying the earth.” Since then, he has pi-

Alberta Construction Safety Association

cost companies more money. “In fact, it should cost less. I think the investment is in training and education of people, and once you train them well and educate them well, then the actual operation of the site should be more efficient.” While these may be only a few of the measures that companies can take to reduce their footprint on the earth, they are part of an attitude shift that is taking place across the industry. “You have to think about the safety of the planet in the same way as you think about the safety of the people on the planet,” says Manasc.

TOP TIPS FOR GREEN BUILDING SITES

oneered environmentally friendly ways to build access points to various sites for the oil and gas and construction industries. By using a product called Tough Cell (formerly PRS Neoweb), the company can stabilize and reinforce the soil on a construction site. The product forms a 3D honeycomb-like matrix that is then infilled with free-draining aggregates like recycled concrete, sand or gravel and allows workers and machinery to access sites year-round. “Basically, if you’re constructing a building, driving around the building and being kneedeep in mud – and your employees are slogging around in mud – sometimes even the project gets shut down. We build an environment around their project where it’s all-access yearround, rain or shine,” he says, adding that the

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product works in temperature extremes ranging from – 60°C to 60°C. It also allows contractors to build floating roads on top of wetlands areas without introducing any new species or soil that would cross-contaminate the environment. The product provides for less wear and tear on equipment and better fuel efficiency because machinery is not being slogged around in the mud – which is also beneficial for the environment. But do these kinds of green technologies increase costs? Breault says this type of innovation actually reduces costs and improves productivity. “Deliveries show up on time and employees are there all the time and they have entire access to the project,” he notes. Manasc agrees that “going green” shouldn’t

• Separate your construction waste at the source. Landfills and recycling facilities usually either require this to be done before accepting materials or will charge less for segregated loads. • Dedicate time at the end of each work day to cleaning up, so that workers understand it’s part of the job and they don’t feel like they are doing more than a day’s work. • Make sure you’ve planned your project properly to reduce waste. Use standard lengths for things like wiring, pipes, ducting and siding. Plan ceiling heights and roofs in two-foot increments. • Start a reuse pile on the site, collecting materials that can be used for smaller jobs. Scrap lumber can be saved for use as shims or patches. Used items that are being replaced can be saved from the landfill by being sold online or donated to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore if they’re still in good condition. • Do regular inventories of building materials on site to reduce the number of trips to the hardware store, which can cost time and money, as well as carbon emissions from vehicles. • Have a secure, weatherproof area on site where building materials can be stored. Not having to replace materials due to theft or weather damage saves money and time as well as reducing waste. Any unused items can be returned to stores for refunds. Source: norbord.com

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

Alberta Construction Safety Association

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION Company learns valuable lessons after close call involving an epileptic equipment operator HEALTH AND SAFETY CO-ORDINATORS see a lot of different things over their careers, but sometimes specific incidents stick out in their minds. One co-ordinator who has been in the field for more than 10 years relays this story, which remains in her mind because of how easily it could have been prevented: “Our company was working on a project in another province. We were the contractor and we were working with this particular subcontractor. They had a worker with a known health issue: he was known to have convulsive episodes. “One morning when he came in, the whole crew noticed that he was acting quite off, in that he didn’t look quite right. No one, including the foreman, stepped in to ask if he was feeling OK. This was a highly populated construction site, and the supervisor knowingly allowed him to operate heavy equipment. He got onto a large dozer and experienced an episode. The equipment ended up going out of control because they had disabled the braking system that prevents it from moving if your foot slips off. It was disabled because they believed it slowed down production. “The dozer continued to plow through the site and one of my foremen saw it and was able to run and get on to stop it about 10 feet before hitting our site office, where 15 people were working that day. “So, through the investigation we found hat they [the sub-contractor] knowingly put the work-

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STICKY SITUATIONS By Martin Dover

“THE ENTIRE CREW SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN UP WHEN THEY RECOGNIZED THAT HE WASN’T FEELING WELL AND TRIED TO GET HIM SOME MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AT THAT POINT.”

er into this equipment because he was an older gentleman and he had been with the company for a long time. They didn’t feel right putting him on a ground position, even though they recognized that his licence had been suspended. They also noted that, because of his age and seniority, no one wanted to approach him when they recognized he was off that day. “We had to make some very hard calls about how the company was running its safety program. There was quite a bit of disciplinary action that was handed out to the superintendent and foreman of that company. The worker was not able to return to work again due to that particular accident.” RESULTS OF THE REVIEW “We should have looked a bit closer at the certification of the operators – it was our failure that, when we orientated them, we got copies of their certificates but kind of glazed over who was allowed to operate what. The superintendent and the trade should have made alternate arrangements for this particular worker, knowing that he had a history of seizures. The entire crew should have spoken up when they recognized that he wasn’t feeling well and tried to get him some medical assistance at that point. “This was a case of complacency, poor judgment and failing to identify the risk.”

ALL ABOUT EPILEPSY • Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder, the hallmark of which is recurrent, unprovoked seizures. • A seizure is the outward sign of a temporary electrical dysfunction of the controls of the brain. It can be a convulsion, a brief stare, muscle spasms, odd sensations, automatic behaviour or altered consciousness. • Many people with epilepsy have more than one type of seizures, and may have other symptoms of neurological problems as well. • Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder and can affect people of all ages. • 65 million people around the world have epilepsy, including approximately 3 million in the United States and about 211,000 in Canada • The major form of treatment is long-term drug therapy, although these drugs are not a cure and can sometimes have severe side effects. • Brain surgery is only recommended if medication fails and if the seizures are confined to one area of the brain, where tissue can safely be removed without damaging personality or function. Sources: epilepsy.ca, epilepsy.com

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

GOOD NEIGHBOURS By Glenn Cook, with files from Julie-Anne Cleyn Photo: Ted Ostrowski

SAFETY IN THE SKIES

Roofing safety supervisor not just looking out for his employees through his work with Medicine Hat rescue helicopter society

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

Alberta Construction Safety Association

IN HIS DAY JOB, STEVE BROSNIKOFF makes sure his workers are safe high up – he’s the safety supervisor for Plato’s Superior Roofing Ltd. in Medicine Hat. So perhaps it’s fitting that one of his interests outside work also involves heights and keeping people safe and healthy. Brosnikoff is the past chair of the Alberta Construction Safety Association’s Medicine Hat Regional Safety Committee (MHRSC) and also served for a couple of years as a volunteer director on the board of Helicopter Air Lift Operation (HALO), a medical rescue helicopter society serving southeast Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan. The HALO helicopter has been in operation since 2007, flying more than 200 missions in that time to help first responders transport injured people to local and regional emergency health care facilities during daylight hours. “They started the HALO program because STARS [Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society, which operates air ambulances throughout Western Canada] figured it wasn’t worthwhile moneywise to set up down here, and if they did they would maybe be here once a week, maybe,” Brosnikoff recalls. “They would split it between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, and they’d only be here once a week. But there was a definite need due to our terrain down here, with the coulees and rough areas and remote areas, so they decided that they would start this program.” In his time as a director, Brosnikoff says he mainly worked to increase awareness about HALO and to raise funds to keep the helicopter in the sky. The board relies on donations from individuals and corporate sponsors to fund operations, with no funding coming from any level of government. The MHRSC donated $2,500 to sponsor HALO in 2015. It’s stories like that of Edwin Camps

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that illustrate why those efforts are badly needed in that corner of the province. Camps was injured in a farming accident, when the pin from a truck shot up into the tractor where he was sitting and struck him in the neck, breaking it in four places and shattering his jaw. HALO responded and flew Camps to the Lethbridge airport, where they met up with a STARS air ambulance that transported him to Calgary. “He is a walking miracle to this day!” his wife Cayley writes on the HALO website. “Edwin blew the doctors away with his recovery and spent 26 days in the hospital. He has a long road ahead of him but if it [hadn’t] have been for HALO, my husband would not be here to see his son grow up.” The HALO helicopter is a Bell 206L2 LongRanger, which has been outfitted to carry a stretcher, a pilot and two paramedics. It is owned by Les Little, who leases it to the Southern Alberta MedicAir Society for a low rate. It can fly 450 kilometres at a top speed of 193 km/h

before needing to refuel and, due to its lighter weight and the positioning of its air intakes, it can land closer to accident scenes than other helicopters can. “This one can actually land right in the coulee, a couple hundred feet away from where the person has been stabilized, and they can get them really quickly onto the helicopter and back to Medicine Hat or wherever the best, quickest hospital is for them,” Brosnikoff explains. Currently, though, the helicopter doesn’t have the equipment needed to fly at night, but Brosnikoff is hoping fundraising efforts pay off in that area soon. He is also hoping to partner with STARS to keep HALO in the air and keep residents of southeast Alberta safe. “We’d like to become a pilot program of STARS, because they’ve spoken about that. They are in contact with STARS and what they’re doing and how they can better themselves with fundraising and how to make the program better. … It’d be where STARS and HALO would work together,” he says.

Photo: Grenner Veilleux

“THERE WAS A DEFINITE NEED DUE TO OUR TERRAIN DOWN HERE, WITH THE COULEES AND ROUGH AREAS AND REMOTE AREAS, SO THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WOULD START THIS PROGRAM.” – Steve Brosnikoff, past chair, Medicine Hat Regional Safety Committee

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

Alberta Construction Safety Association

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Kavis Reed sets the bar high on the job site and on the football field GROWING UP IN SOUTH CAROLINA, Kavis Reed learned that leadership is a key part of success. As a young man, he saw that hard work, respect and the willingness to serve others could encourage great things, both personally and professionally. He saw his grandfather, a self-taught man, work hard to create a better life for his family by building up those around him. His grandfather’s determination and iron will provided inspiration for young Kavis as he began his journey in life. “He never complained about situations and circumstances – he always saw the silver lining in every cloud,” Reed says of his grandfather. “He believed in serving others because, in doing so, he’d create a bigger footprint, and a legacy. People always remember those who have pulled them along and supported them. He really understood and lived that.” Ultimately, this attitude inspired Reed to set his sights high and work hard to reach his goals. He began playing football, and was eventually scouted to play professionally in the Canadian Football League. After an injury took him off the field as a player, he returned as a coach, determined to use his inspirational leadership style to guide his teams along the path to success. He has also earned his National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO) designation. Now, with over two decades of experience in professional football and on construction sites, Reed still believes that building others is the strongest form of leadership. Alberta Toolbox recently sat down with Reed to find out what qualities make for a

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great leader and uncover the secrets of how leaders can encourage their teams to thrive.

LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP

TB: You’ve been leading professional football teams for over a decade now. How do you define leadership in By Lisa Catterall a team setting like that? Photo: Canadian Press Photos KR: Leadership is about the management of people’s trust. People will follow if they know they can trust you. That’s the definition of leadership I use, because trust is the one key element that is consistent in every relationship you have – on the team, in your family or friends.

TB: So in order to create that trust, what qualities does a leader need to have? KR: There are a few key elements that

LEADERS ALSO NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY AND COURAGE TO STAND UP AND BE SUBJECTED TO RIDICULE. A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO BE LIKED INSTEAD OF BEING RIGHT, WHICH IS A CONSTANT BATTLE IN LEADERSHIP.

make up any leader. The anatomy of a good leader, in my opinion, includes the foresight to be able to read the people you’re working with. Know the people that are under your stewardship – the people that you’re leading – understand who they are and what their needs are. It’s about them and their needs, and a leader has to be sensitive to that. Every day, a leader has to continue to grow. As a parent, every day I have to live to be a better parent. That means I have to do things to advance my parenting skills, from reading different materials to sharing and hearing observations and wisdom from others. By continuing to work towards being better, you encourage others to do the same. Leaders also need to have the ability and courage to stand up and be subjected to ridicule. A lot of people want to be liked instead of being right, which is a constant battle in leadership. Sometimes, it’s a

challenge, but it’s the right thing to be able to stand up for the principle of being right. Finally, it’s about power versus empowerment. If what you’re after is power, that’s not leadership. The way I think of it is, as a coach, it’s not all about me. I want the team to be creative and have ownership in what we do and how we play. Do that, and you’ll find people respond a lot more favourably because you are empowering them and helping them to grow.

TB: So it sounds like true leadership is about giving power, rather than taking it. KR: Absolutely. You’ll leave a far better bigger footprint on this earth through building and serving those around you. What’s inevitable is that we’re all going to die, but we all want to have an impact, to leave a legacy. In a team setting, the way to do that is to build the strength of your team and create the traditions that encourage success. Service is a foundation for that legacy.

TB: What advice would you offer to someone looking to develop their leadership skills? KR: Understand that building those skills is a process. It starts first and foremost with a self-inventory of what you are and what you are capable of doing. When you take that inventory and see who you are, you can start taking action. You don’t walk into a new organization and want to be the vice-president after six months and feel that you deserve it. Try to understand every aspect of the team around you and see where you fit, where your skill set and service is needed. When you start to understand that, that’s when you can truly start to lead.

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

HITTING REFRESH

After 28 years under a ‘temporary’ logo, the ACSA takes a big step forward with a new visual identity

THE LONGEST JOURNEY, TO PARAPHRASE an old proverb, begins with a single step. And the Alberta Construction Safety Association took a big step in August with the unveiling of its new visual identity. At an event on August 12 at the Art Gallery of Alberta, ACSA board members and staff got a sneak peek at the organization’s new logo and branding before it was launched publicly on August 30. And the feedback in the room was overwhelmingly positive. “It was long past time to change the logo we had, understanding that it was to be a temporary logo when it was first released [in 1988]. Every time I drove by the signs on the streets, it just felt old and dated,” said ACSA board of directors chair Stephen King, who works with PCL Construction and represents the Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association on the board. “The new logo, I have to confess, I saw it a month and a half ago, and I love it.” Michael Hogan, ACSA’s leader in strategy for marketing, communications and reputation, said it represented a “leap forward” for the association. “Twenty-eight years later, not only have we evolved into something more, but we’re setting ourselves up for the future,” he said. “This wasn’t just about where we are now; this is about where we’re going to be in 10 years’ time.” The new ACSA logo features two interlocking shapes that can be interpreted in a number of different ways. “We didn’t want to force an interpretation of our brand or who we are onto anyone,” Hogan said. “We wanted our visual identity to be sufficiently interpretive,

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

NEWS AND EVENTS By Glenn Cook

“THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF IT, THAT IT HAS SO MUCH MEANING AND DEPTH.” – Stephen King, ACSA board of directors chair

so that people could put whatever perceptions and whatever feelings on us that they owned.” “That’s the beauty of it, that it has so much meaning and depth,” King added. It also includes a standardized colour palette, with two shades of blue and one each of yellow and red, along with a standard set of fonts. In total, the rebranding took about nine months, a period that Hogan said included lots of hard work, consultations with stakeholders and even a few sleepless nights. Hogan was quick to share the credit for the new brand with the rest of the communications team at the ACSA, including writer and content specialist Alicia Hewitt and marketing assistant Zahra Elmi. “There hasn’t been a waking moment [in the past nine months] that the ACSA’s marketing and communications team hasn’t been thinking about this,” he said. “I know that’s a cliché, but it’s true. Zahra and Alicia have just been amazing in their commitment to the work. If it weren’t for the amazing staff at the ACSA, the association wouldn’t have been able to achieve this.” For Hogan and his team, work will continue on communicating with ACSA members and building a community of safety in the province. And King believes the new identity will be a catalyst for that communication. “This is going to start the momentum to begin the next phase,” he said. “There’s so much more going on behind the scenes, at the board level, the attitude level. This is the beginning; this is the kickoff. It may look like a big step, but it’s the baby step that gets us started.”

Alberta Construction Safety Association

AN UNPROTECTED FLOOR HOLE CAN CHANGE A LIFE THIS LETTER OF APOLOGY WAS WRITTEN and provided by Needoba Construction Ltd, and published in agreement with the Alberta Department of Justice and Occupational Health and Safety. Without a doubt, a worker going off to a job in the morning is expected to return in the afternoon. On August 21, 2012, a tragedy occurred where a worker on our job site did not. It is with a great deal of sadness to all in our small company, Needoba Construction Ltd., that this occurred and we apologize for not being stricter in adherence to recommended safety guidelines and legislation.

important to remind workers to keep their minds on what they are doing and to always be aware of their surroundings. If any worker sees something unsafe, whether it is a condition or distraction, they should always ensure they address it with their supervisor so it can be fixed.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED:

A worker was seriously injured while performing routine tasks on a residential framing site. The worker was moving and placing I-beam floor joists over a second-floor stairway opening of both units of a duplex that was being built, to cover the open hole. While being passed up an I-beam from a worker on the ground, the worker on the second floor stepped backwards and fell through the opening, which had only been partially covered, landing in the basement and receiving serious injuries.

Not only should a contractor be more on top of their game, but the builder should also provide a more safety-oriented work site. Too often framing contractors are pushed to work on unsafe building sites due to perceived schedule constraints. The beginning of a project is the most demanding part of a builder’s schedule. If the builder in this case had prepared the basement area, the worker may not have been as seriously injured as he was. To all framing contractors: Do not be pressured into working in an unsafe work environment! Supervision of young workers by more experienced workers is extremely important. Not everyone’s knowledge or awareness on job sites is the same, and thus we need to ensure we watch out for each other. Mentoring and helping new workers gain the knowledge and experience they need to do the job properly and safely should always be a top priority.

MEASURES TAKEN AFTER THE OFFENCE:

PERSONAL CONSEQUENCES:

Since the incident, the company has ensured that it has done its due diligence by guaranteeing that fall protection measures are constantly in place and are reviewed on a daily basis, if not more often, with all workers on the job site regardless of their duties. Each member of the workforce is instructed to be aware and immediately report any potential danger regarding fall protection. Experienced supervisors of any construction project should be aware that complacency can happen with routine tasks, so it is

It is a devastating experience to have a person seriously injured while under your employ and the sad feeling of remorse lingers forever when any thought of the injured and his family is considered. No one should ever have to contemplate the potential of suffering life-changing injury while at the work site, and younger, inexperienced employees are most at risk.

CIRCUMSTANCES:

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MESSAGE TO THE INDUSTRY: Occupational Health and Safety has guidelines and legislation to prevent falls. It may

seem difficult to adhere to these rules in all circumstances; however, if the time and effort is taken, accidents may be prevented. Young workers especially need to be constantly reminded and guided, as their judgment and risk tolerance may be higher than the company’s tolerance, which can lead to serious injuries occurring. There is a financial burden to all and it cannot be stressed enough that contractors must be diligent in maintaining their WCB coverage. Without this comprehensive insurance, everyone involved would be financially devastated. It is your most important duty as an employer to maintain this coverage for the protection of yourself and for every one of your workers. Be aware that WCB premiums are there for a very good reason and, if you make a mistake, like any great insurer, they are there to protect you. Although Alberta Occupational Health and Safety officers may not be seen at your work sites ensuring the protection of your workers, be aware that they are always in the background, ready to respond and investigate when something goes wrong. OHS provides guidelines to protect the worker. WCB is there to protect you, the employer. No matter what size of a contractor you are, live up to your responsibilities or be prepared to suffer the consequences. John “Jack” Needoba Needoba Construction Ltd. On January 14, 2016, Needoba Construction Ltd. pled guilty to charges that they failed to ensure, as far as it was reasonably practicable to do so, the health and safety of a worker engaged in the work of the employer, contrary to section 2(1)(a) (i) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The resulting sentence to Needoba Construction was a fine of $11,500 and 18 months’ corporate probation.

Fall 2016 Alberta Toolbox

SAFETY CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 3 6 7 8 12 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27

Directive document One who is supervised The ‘S’ in STEL The ‘LO’ in LOTO Type of action following an investigation or inspection Evaluation against a standard The ‘O’ in DOI The ‘F’ in FLHA Replacement of materials for less harmful materials The ‘H’ in IDLH The event that precedes the loss Qualified, trained, and experienced Direct, basic, or root An assigned activity of a worker The ‘R’ in RPE

DOWN 1 2 4 5 7 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 21 23

SOLUTION

Step-by-step process Possess a high potential for serious loss or injury Probability x Severity _________ Improvement Formalized provincial or federal requirement The ‘R’ in COR _________ Response Plan Person who directs another’s work The ‘A’ in H.S.A. Examples of document retention Foreseeability, preventability, and control The ‘I’ in WHMIS Varying from normal, safe condition or practice Substandard condition or practice Potential result of an incident

Alberta Toolbox Fall 2016

Alberta Construction Safety Association

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