Tracks and Treads - Finning Canada

The Finning Focus
Zero Sum Game
Management at every company
WANTS TO REPORT HIGHER EARNINGS,
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY,
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G
iven its around-the-clock mining operations
and high volume of workrelated
travel, Fort McMurray is a place that
sees a lot of people spending a lot of time in
vehicles. Not surprisingly, it’s also a place in
which people spend a lot of time on their
cellphones, two-way radios, PDAs and
BlackBerrys while on the road.
That’s why the Regional Municipality of
Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray
and 10 other communities, launched a
“Stop Then Talk” safe-driving campaign in
the summer. With the support of Finning
(Canada) and the Alberta Motor Association,
the municipality made it mandatory
for employees using municipal vehicles to
pull over safely before using a communications
device.
Policies such as this one – and a similar
one Finning (Canada) implemented more
than a year ago – are a sea change in safety
culture. A few years ago, being “unplugged”
on the road meant being inefficient. Today,
it means being smart. With an increasing
number of companies adopting such safety
policies, staying plugged in on the road is
more likely to get you kicked out the door
than patted on the back.
Experts say that the distraction caused by
By Brent Davis
devices such as cellphones slows reaction by
up to 50%. That’s a level comparable to impaired
drivers. How would you feel about a
company that permitted employees to drive
under the influence
It’s difficult to untangle ethics and technology.
But leading companies are stepping
up, looking for innovative ways to safeguard
employees as well as the communities in
which they operate. This may be our most
important corporate responsibility. After all,
we don’t work for work’s sake but to enjoy
life – our families, our friends, our hobbies,
our vacations. That’s why we need to choose
safety, at work and at home, every day.
Safety is a core value that influences everything
we do at Finning. We’re working
hard to develop consistent practices that
encourage our people to put safety first.
Finning’s recently improved job hazard
analysis (JHA) is a prime example. JHA is a
process whereby risks are recognized before
starting a task: steps include hazard identification,
assessment and control to help
prevent work-related injuries, illnesses,
damage to property and environment, and
near misses. It is a tool proven to prevent
injuries, and, as of June 20, it’s a mandatory
part of doing business at Finning.
JHA is a key Finning initiative to eliminate
workplace injuries in an era that
worships speed and technology. In 1994, we
reported 168 lost-time injuries (LTIs). This
statistic caused us to re-evaluate the safety
of our workplace. We implemented company-wide
conference calls, executive health
and safety meetings, branch calls, incident
reporting and daily learning sessions. Each
brought greater safety awareness, and, as a
result, we have seen the number of workplace
injuries reduced. In 2007, our number
of LTIs fell to 11. Ultimately, with the help
of the JHA process, we aim to report zero, a
number that’s the least sought-after when
it comes to earnings, but the most soughtafter
when it comes to safety.
Back in 1985 when I worked in the
Victoria warehouse, I didn’t always put
safety first. But I should have. When I think
about the near-misses I had, I wish I’d had
access to the policies and programs Finning
offers today. More importantly, I wish that
everyone who has safety programs and tools
at hand takes advantage of them. As much
as rigorous policies and controls can mean
more paperwork and more time, they’re
a means to make sure that work is just the
beginning of life, not the end.
tracks & treads • Fall 2008 www.finning.ca