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Going beyond the blame game What should this employer have done instead? “When this kind of close call occurs, where clearly something more serious could have resulted,” Roch says, “the incident should be reported, analyzed, and acted on — without assigning blame. “For example, say an incident is reported in which an employee named Tom was repairing a piece of equipment without locking out. It shouldn’t stop at Tom. Management and supervisors should be asking, ‘why didn’t Tom lock out?’ and trying to determine management’s influence in Tom making that decision,” Roch says. “A sound reporting culture goes beyond the last act before an incident occurs. The company as a whole has contributed to that unsafe act. And, if all that happens is the worker is blamed, people will stop reporting.” Roch says that means employees must receive the support and resources they need to make those reports. And it means actively encouraging employees to be on the alert for any indications that suggest systems or processes are not working as smoothly as they ought to be. Progressive employers lead the charge Some industries are already taking matters into their own hands. A group of leaders in the B.C. manufacturing industry is working with the non-profit FIOSA-MIOSA Safety Alliance on a project expected to ramp up commitment to workplace health and safety at a senior level. So far, 46 CEOs have signed on to the Alliance’s new B.C. Safety Charter. The premise behind the charter is that effective health and safety management is critical to a company’s long-term success, profitability, and sustainability. And, part of that commitment to health and safety involves developing a strong reporting culture. Sandra Oldfield, who runs the Tinhorn Creek winery in B.C.’s Interior, is one of the charter’s inaugural signatories. Oldfield says 10 “If you find yourself saying, ‘it’s only a matter of time before somebody gets hurt,’ it’s a strong indication that something needs to be done.” —Ray Roch, director of the Fire Inspection and Prevention Initiative March / April 2013 WorkSafe Magazine her company’s commitment to reporting mishaps and near-misses is key to addressing health and safety oversights. Recently, in fact, she asked FIOSA-MIOSA to examine this issue as it conducted a “safety-gap analysis” on her operation. “I was confident we had a great health and safety program,” she says. “But we weren’t even close.” The 10-month analysis detected 800 potential hazards in the vineyard and wine cellar, where employees face complex issues associated with pesticide handling and working in and around large tanks, heavy barrels, and confined spaces. “With the association’s help, we’ve since redone the program to the ‘nth degree,’ with new, built-in systems for better reporting,” she says. “Now employees are expected to speak up about risky behaviours or near-misses.” What’s more, Oldfield is promising incentives for regular reporting. Recently, she offered a free bottle of wine to take home, for employees who catch her appearing to do anything unsafe — and who call her on it. “I want to hear about the hazards, no matter what, or who, is involved.” The company is reaping the rewards. “During the process, we’ve seen our premiums go down,” she says. “But the biggest savings are from rejigging our operations so that we’re more efficient. Looking at safety forces you to communicate, to get rid of overlaps, and to streamline. This revamped health and safety program is actually saving us tens of thousands of dollars.” Beyond lip service In order to reap the benefits of improved health and safety, however, Roch says supervisors and management teams need to demonstrate that they really care about safety — and that means welcoming employees who report problems and minor incidents on a day-to-day basis. “It means putting safety alongside production in terms of priorities. So, if I need 45 widgets by 4:30 p.m., and that’s a tall order, I have to ask myself, ‘how do my employees fulfill that order safely?’ There has to be an explicit reference to safety. I can’t just assume employees know I care about their safety; I have to
show I care by discussing how they can complete the task safely.” Roch’s group is developing a workbook for supervisors and management to help them do just that. “If we can change supervisors’ behaviour, they can then influence workers and the culture of safety at their workplace,” Roch says. He expects the workbook to be ready for distribution by this fall. In the meantime — as companies such as Tinhorn have learned — it’s worth asking the question, ‘is my company as safe as I think it is?’ If you don’t have a strong reporting culture, Roch says, the answer is, “no, it’s not.” And business case aside, there’s an even more compelling reason to make reporting a priority. “You don’t want to be one of those people whose ‘aha’ moment comes too late — with the phone call informing you of the death of one of your employees. As an employer, that’s one report you never want to hear.” What do we mean by “serious injuries?” In 2008, WorkSafeBC developed a measure to track the province’s most serious workplace injuries. The serious injury rate was designed to monitor the effectiveness of WorkSafeBC’s prevention programs and strategies. According to that measure, serious injuries are those that result in 28 days or more of lost wages, or in health care costs equivalent to 28 days without wages. Ray Roch, director of the Fire Inspection and Prevention Initiative, puts it another way: “Serious injuries are life-altering or life-threatening, and they result in a serious medical diagnosis,” he says. “Amputations, spinal cord injuries, head injuries, third-degree burns, back strains, electric shocks, and similarly traumatic events are among those we deem most serious.” Recent WorkSafeBC statistics show that overexertion accounts for the highest percentage of serious injury claims, at 45 percent, followed by falls on the same level, at 14 percent, and falls from elevation, at 12 percent. Almost one in three claims is a serious injury, and serious injury claims account for 85 percent of all claim costs. Solutions That Fit Total Safety has the people, programs and processes to help mitigate risks during critical operations. Our skilled safety professionals have expertise in designing custom solutions that fit your specific needs, ensure safe operations, and protect your people and assets. Look to our dependable safety and compliance solutions to create the ideal working environment for your workers worldwide. SM Compliance Systems Safety Personnel Continued on page 25 Professional Services 604.292.4700 | TotalSafety.com WorkSafe Magazine March / April 2013 11
Page 1 and 2: Fair warning A true commitment to s
Page 3 and 4: 20 Features March / April Volume 13
Page 5 and 6: What’s wrong: you tell us Merv ha
Page 7 and 8: The act of lighting a cigarette is
Page 9: The following article is part one o
Page 13 and 14: First and foremost, develop and coo
Page 15 and 16: At left, BME biomedical engineer De
Page 17 and 18: WorkSafeBC UPDATE Fresh thinking ea
Page 19 and 20: Another runner-up, the mechanical e
Page 21 and 22: Faller Bill Boardman (kneeling) lea
Page 23 and 24: Sarwan Singh Bhango, a forklift ope
Page 25 and 26: Continued from page 11 Fair warning
Page 27 and 28: Penalties Administrative penalties
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Page 31 and 32: 499692 B.C. Limited / Subway Sandwi
Page 33 and 34: The safety solution that saves live

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