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COVID -19 IN THE WORKPLACE, FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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Be sure to make sure you have COVID – 19 Safety protocols in place at your worksite. Worksites can be outside, in the cab of equipment or a logging truck as well as inside an office.

There is a large amount of information from the news and on the internet. Public Health Orders issued by the Chief Medical Officer for the Province must be adhered to and police and bylaw officers have the authority to enforce them through fines.

There are many different scenarios around how COVID rules apply. For instance, if a worker tests positive for COVID and has been in contact with workers, then there needs to be a 14 day quarantine put in place for all workers who were in contact.

Other scenarios are less clear. For example, a workers daughter was exposed to someone at school who tested positive. The daughter showed up at the worksite without knowing she was exposed. She shows no symptoms but she was still in contact with other worker in the workplace. What’s the protocol?

In this instance, the daughter couldn’t get a test because she had no symptoms but was still required to self isolate along with her mom who wasn’t allowed to come to work. What about all the other staff who were in the building?

So we need to be cognizant of this and management needs to make a decision. Should everyone self quarantine for 14 days as well?

Make sure you are clear on the rules around COVID-19 at your worksite.

National Safety Code Compliance Tips

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What is the National Safety Code?

The National Safety Code (NSC) program establishes management and performance requirements for commercial carriers and establish’s minimum safety standards for commercial vehicles and drivers. 

Who enforces the National Safety Code?

The Commercial Vehicle Safety & Enforcement program, (CVSE) a division of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, enforces the National Safety Code. These are the people you see on the side of the road with the flashy lights.

They aren’t the police, they don’t carry a side arm but they can write you a tremendous amount of fines in one shot.

What is an NSC audit?

Too many infractions against against your NSC certificate will trigger an audit. The rationale behind the NSC program is that carriers are responsible for mechanical maintenance of their commercial vehicles and the actions of drivers over which they exercise control.

What are the majority of infractions?

Most problems occur from

  • Log book/Hours of service violations,
  • poor preventative maintenance programs and
  • a non functioning Safety Program.

Would your business pass an NSC Audit?

Don’t take a chance on loosing your NSC certificate. Have us look at what your company is doing, and how we can assist you to be more efficient and keep you out of hot water with CVSE.

  • We can provide your company with a functioning safety program, Vehicle Maintenance and employee training tracking software, and provide training in Hours of Service and Log book documentation.

Where do the audits happen?

Most times you are required to bring your files containing log books, vehicle maintenance records and driver training records to the CVSE office closest to your place of business. The CVSE could ask for 6 months worth of records for any period of time.

BCFSC Changes Safety Audit Format

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How Has Safety Audit System Changed?

The BC Forest Safety Council has changed the way safety audits are submitted. I have highlighted some of the changes to the submission that I have found.

The new version:

  • Has categories of audit submissions on one form
  • Removed the scoring summary
  • No longer requires you to disclose where you keep your files.
  • Does not require you to explain how the supervisor is qualified
  • Does not require you to submit basic Safety Rules
  • Safety Orientations are submitted for new workers only.
  • Has less policy required in your submission.

Safety audit requirements include documenting safety meetings and inspections

What I like About New Safety Audit Process

The BC Forest Safety Council is listening to Industry and working to streamline the safety audits.

The older audits were organized by elements with letters, A,B,C etc. The old audit has basically been pulled apart and  rebuilt in a different format using elements with numbers, 1,2,3, etc. A 10% reduction in submission documents.

What I Don’t Like About New Safety Audit Process

The BC Safety council has indicated in its explanation of the new safety audit version that the supervisors and owners of forest companies should be conducting safety site inspections themselves, including hazard assessments and any other site related inspections.

According to BCFSC, third party inspections are not sufficient to be submitted with the safety audit.

Many older logging and silviculture contractors prefer to hire safety contractors to visit their sites and complete the paperwork. The information collected by a third party is still communicated to the owners and workers and kept on file.

Conclusions

Hiring a contractor like Finning to come on a work site site and fix a piece of equipment to keep a business running is essentially like hiring a safety consultant to come onsite to keep the paperwork organized so Safe Certification can be maintained allowing the business  to continue.

The BCFSC is working to make it easier for companies to gather information and submit their own audits. I do think that safety consultants provide a valuable service in helping keep companies on track by providing safety advice and site visits which helps owners and supervisors run their business safely and efficiently.

What does the SAFE Companies program mean?

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The letters SAFE stand for Safety Accord Forestry Enterprise.

The Safe Companies program was an initiative developed by the BC forest sector to address safety in the forest industry. It was designed to provide assistance for companies in improving their safety performance and to evaluate company safety programs using industry recognized audit protocols.

Since the inception of this program, the types and sizes of companies that can be evaluated using one of three different audit tools has changed.  

  • BASE audit (Basic Audit Safety Evaluation)  is for companies that have 20 or more workers, 
  • SEBASE audit (Small Employer BASE)  is for companies that have between 6 and 19 workers, 
  • ISEBASE audit (Independent Small Employer BASE) is for companies between 2 -5 persons and 
  • Independent Owner Operator (IOO)  program is for independent owner operators of 1 person companies.

More companies are becoming SAFE CERTIFIED!

I have been getting alot of enquiries lately from companies who are Individual Owner Operator mechanics and crane companies for example who want to become certified because they feel they may be loosing out on work to other companies that are safe certified.

It’s a great idea to get the designation regardless because it makes sense to continuously be looking at your safety practices and think how you can  improve on them. I am always looking at better ways of conducting my business as well as yours more effectively and efficiently.

I get satisfaction from seeing workers wanting to talk about safety concerns at safety meetings and genuinely contributing to the companies overall safety program.

How Can You Generate More business? Become SAFE CERTIFIED

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Safe Certification Opens Up More Opportunities

First Nations Communities and Partnerships become SAFE CERTIFIED

I have been working closely with First Nations Communities throughout BC with the 5 -Pack Fire Crew submissions. Many of the communities or the General Partnerships are Safe Certified through the BC Forest Safety Council or are working towards it.

What Does Safe Certification Do For You?

Companies or Communities who are Safe Certified have an elevated status as a company that cares about its employees by promoting a safe environment. A company that attracts a workforce with a focus on going to work and coming home at the end of the day.

It also allows you to bid on contracts for most Major Licensee’s, BC Timber Sales and Forests For Tomorrow. I have seen firsthand the successes that follow Safe Certification. When I started working for Anaham Band in 2008, I was asked to look for economic opportunities for the community to get more people to work. I started looking at what was out there for forestry work and although there were lots of contracts to bid on,  Anaham wasn’t Safe Certified and therefore not eligible to bid.

The Band had two companies registered as businesses, so I looked at them both and decided to register Klatassine Resources Ltd. Our first big planting job was a direct award through the Forests For Tomorrow program and we received our certification number days before we started. When we got the Certificate in the mail, I framed it and hung it up in the main office to let everyone see. I was starting to see a change in the crews and how they viewed themselves.

Work Opportunities Pour In

Silviculture workers identifying Danger Trees

I started phoning West Fraser and Tolko looking for opportunities. Once they realized we were Safe Certified, the work started pouring in. We were awarded contracts for Mistletoe Eradication, Beetle Probing, Tree Planting, Grass Seeding deactivated roads, Road construction and Logging Services Contracts. We went from a 3 to 4 truckload/day logging company to well over 12 truckloads/day. The workers were happy to have safety meetings and talk about their safety concerns.

We bid on contracts along with other companies, sometimes successfully sometimes not, but regardless of the outcome at least we were eligible to bid!

I started to put decals on our company vehicles and proudly displayed the Safe Certified Logo on. I enjoyed watching our vehicles run around town.  The other nearby First Nations communities have jumped on board and are getting Safe Certified as well.

An effective safety program improves your business.