Canadian Occupational Safety

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 27 EMPLOYERS SAFEST 2017 CANADA'S parties, when the entire company hits safety milestones. "These kinds of things absolutely build morale in and around the company and that is extremely important for a healthy culture," says Hassan Hussein, safety manager, who reports directly to Borger. When it comes to annual performance bonuses for field workers, safety is the top consideration. "There are nine factors and safety is worth double than any other single factor," says Borger. "It creates the culture right there." The point system for safety is well defined and communicated. It's tracked by the safety team through ticketing (safety non-compliance) or points rewards (safety compliance). Non-compliance tickets are compiled for assessment to identify trends and areas of opportunity. Borger Group's corporate social responsibility platform focuses on social, environmental and economic factors. Some initiatives include charitable fun- draisers, such as a barbecue for Fort McMurray, Alta., wildfire victims; the Save a Tree program that re-plants trees lost due to construction activities; and a sustainability committee that identifies new environmental opportunities. In 2016, the Borger Unity Crew was formed whereby employees on underuti- lized sites work on community-related initiatives. Workers' valuable skills and knowledge are dedicated to various causes as opportunities arise. The company works closely with the Heavy Equipment Operator program at Olds College in Alberta. Borger Group donates equipment, attends curriculum meetings and is available as an industr y liaison to support program development. Workers at Borger Group are held accountable for health and safety through an "interconnected spider web of things," says Borger, citing checklists, emer- gency response plans and job-specific roles and responsibilities as examples. Perhaps the most pertinent example is the S.O.S. card that every worker has in his pocket. If a worker has any concerns around incident potential, she can hand the card to any leader and the site will be shut down immediately. The site will not restart production until approved by two safety officers and a senior management team member, and a safety stand down has occurred. "We do understand that it's not always fun and games, and as much as we obviously don't like this, we understand the negative reinforcement and that it's extremely important to keep your culture and safety best practices in check," says Hussein. "So we do have these systems in place when our checks and bal- ances are not being followed." Project managers, superintendents and managers at Borger Group are required to complete a minimum of one weekly safety site inspection and hazard assess- ment for every site they are involved in. Borger's management team also contributes to the curriculum design and program creation for Borger University — an in-class and online education and training program. The leadership team facilitates in-class sessions and lunch and learns. Prior to a subcontractor commencing work on a Borger Group site, a member of the leadership team and a safety officer complete a thorough orientation out- lining Borger's safety program, site expectations and requirements, operational policies, environmental responsibilities and cultural accountabilities. Leaders also have an open door policy — and workers are not afraid to use it. "We have this open dialogue with our team members where they are 100 per cent feeling free to interact with us and they discuss whatever concerns or whatever they perhaps foresee as being a potential problem," says Hussein. "If every single individual is willing to come up to the owner or come up to me and express their concerns, then that's something you can't measure. That's what makes our culture so healthy." "We are not always in a controlled environment, so we can face unexpected hazards in our travels," says Guy. "Over the years, our team has developed safe routines for lifting and loading that we share with others, such as health inspec- tors and home visiting nurses." Since many of its workers are in an office, SDHU recognizes sitting as a signifi- cant hazard. In response, it installed two walking work stations that employees can use to take a break from sitting. The organization encourages workers to be active on their lunch breaks by walking or going for a jog. It posts walking maps of routes that are in close proximity to the workplace — there are five different routes ranging from 0.9 to 2.5 kilometres — and shower facilities are available. With 45 different types of jobs among SDHU's 300 employees, sharing safety tips, techniques and reminders helps keep safety top of mind and establishes trust and confidence. Staff also model the road safety policies and procedures that the unit extends to the public. Guy points out that the organization's excellent safety and health track record is due largely to forward-thinking leadership from senior management and front- line workers who are committed to sharing responsibility. "We have a lot of leaders here at the health unit who have successfully started or shared programs," she says. "They are not afraid to be proactive when some- thing needs to be done." A good example of such proactivity is the recently launched psychological health initiative to ensure SDHU is a place where mental health can be discussed and treated without stigma. "We had been noticing increases in EAP (employee assistance program) usage and benefits, as well as medications related to mental health," says human resources officer Sara Polano-Newell. "We subsequently formed a psychological health and wellness committee and are working to integrate this aspect into the organization's overall health, safety and wellness program." Being a public health organization, the majority of SDHU's staff work with clients, making violence and harassment a recognized hazard. As part of their orientation, staff are educated on how to deal with difficult clients. At their manager's discretion, verbal de-escalation training is available for those staff members who would benefit from it as well. This year, SDHU expended its annual OHS week to an OHS month, with vari- ous activities taking place throughout the month of May. "We use internal newsletters and bulletins to disseminate safety messages, advertise events and publicize employee draws," says Polano-Newell. "We stage employee challenges for fitness, random acts of kindness and other interesting activities to inspire them not only to live a safe and healthy life, but also to talk freely about all aspects of it."

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