Canadian Occupational Safety

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 23 Mandatory entry-level training would help to decrease injury rates among construction workers, says Bruce Lippy, director of safety research at CPWR — The Center for Construc- tion Research and Training in Silver Spring, Md. But, in addition to making sure the training is of a high-quality, Lippy cautions not to over-estimate the effectiveness of worker training in preventing injuries. It's important to remember, within the hierarchy of controls, training is an administrative control, down towards the middle of the hierarchy. While it is a neces- sary measure, one that serves to raise worker awareness of proper proced- ures and the employer's responsibility to maintain a safe workplace, it doesn't take the place of measures that allow for human error. "I can train you to a job that is inherently dangerous. But if I put controls in place, such as automatic shut-off switches, I take the require- ment off your back to absolutely pay attention every time you do that task — or you could lose a finger or fall. Then, we bump it up quite a notch on the hierarchy of controls. And training does not get us there," he says. Moreover, the effectiveness of train- ing can be undermined by a poorly designed job, Lippy says. In such a situation, no matter how well a worker is trained, there is still a high risk. For example, in one fatal incident, workers were required to climb a ladder to get to a switch on a piece of equipment whenever it jammed, and then climb back down. "They would do that four, five times a day, every day. Eventually, a worker fell to his death. That's the kind of thing training is not going to get us past," Lippy says. CLAC has had experience with mandatory entry-level training across the country for workers in various industries, including construction, and these foundational courses have been very successful, says de Raaf. The union supports entry-level train- ing but also believes training has to become a part of the routine for con- struction workers. "We have been a proponent of offer- ing training to workers before they set foot on site, or as soon as reasonably possible, whether that's specific to the job site itself, to the company's poli- cies and procedures or to the industry in general. But we are also a propon- ent of continual training," he says. "Construction changes day to day, new hazards occur from day to day, so it's about arming (workers) with the knowledge that they can identify hazards and, if they aren't comfortable with that work, to inform their super- visor and to work with their employer to eliminate or limit those hazards." Supervisors play an important role in reenforcing the lessons learned during training and in reminding workers that safety is important to the company, says Lippy. Training super- visors on how to manage others and champion safety is a key element in effective worker training. "It's been our experience if you don't reach those front-line supervi- sors, the foremen on a construction job site, it doesn't matter how much training you get down to the folks in the field. The supervisors can nix it all by just focusing on operations and production," he says. Lippy's research has found injuries are most common in small construc- tion companies. In Ontario, the majority of construction firms are small businesses, with 45 per cent of construction workers employed by businesses with fewer than 20 workers. Not only is it hard for governments and safety organizations to reach small companies, but they also have to change the mindset of the company owners, Lippy says. "An owner may have done well as a carpenter, for example, but it has not been part of the process of getting to where he or she is to actually have formal safety training. And as they add employees, there's no culture there to say, 'I want my employees to go through the same training I did.'" he says. NEW MEASURES The major initiative the Ontario Min- istry of Labour is currently working on is an accreditation program. An accreditation standard will recognize employers who use health and safety management systems, says Cunning- ham, adding that research shows companies that effectively use these systems achieve better health and safety performance than their industry peers. "It engages and empowers people at every level of a company. Even a front-line worker is empowered and can show leadership by demonstrating their own health and safety practices and also making sure that everyone working around him or her is doing the right thing," he says. To further encourage strong safety performance, in January 2020, the WSIB will introduce a new employer classification system, new rate-setting process and new experience-rating program. Safe companies will have lower premiums. The new system will be much more responsive to a com- pany's safety performance than the current one, Cunningham says. "Under the current program, if you're a safe company, you might get a rebate two years down the road. Under the new system, no rebates or sur- charges, but you would get a change in your rate the following year." In December, the government passed legislation that triples the maximum fine against corporations to $1.5 mil- lion per charge and quadruples the maximum fine against individuals (such as supervisors and directors) to $100,000 per charge. One problem with using financial penalties to encourage compliance, Lippy says, is that large fines represent small amounts to big companies. It is often more effective to publicize the infraction. "A press release saying: 'This com- pany had a worker die on its site and we have cited them for this, this and this (infraction).' The money isn't the thing; it's the damage to the reputa- tion. That has an effect," he says. The Ontario Ministry of Labour seems to acknowledge that despite all of its recent measures, construction industry safety is not where it needs to be. In December, the government announced a review of the effective- ness of the working at heights training. "In order to continue ensuring the safety of workers, the government needs to assess the effectiveness of the training and make improvements to the standards where necessary," the Ministry of Labour said in a release. The government is currently run- ning a series of campaigns, including supervisor awareness and account- ability, residential projects and ladder safety. Spokesperson Janet Deline said the ministry's goal now is to continue carrying out measures that are underway and see whether they do, in fact, reduce injuries on construction work sites. "We have rolled out a large number of initiatives in the last couple years," she says. "And we need to focus on implementing those and on assess- ing their effectiveness before we take many more steps." Linda Johnson is a freelance journalist based in Toronto. NOTE-TAKING SOLUTIONS FOR OH&S PROFESSIONALS FROM TRIFORM Occupational health and safety requires continual attention in every workplace. Employers and employees alike must be vigilant in properly investigating and reporting workplace incidents. To help you document your work, we have developed a collection of products ranging from Supervisors' Notebooks, Members' OH&S Notebooks, and Workplace Incident Notebooks to Carrying Cases. Each notebook contains information on: • Incidents that must be reported to the Board • Incidents that require an investigation and a report • How the investigation should be conducted • Who should be involved • What information is needed to complete the report • Duty to preserve the scene of the accident We also specialize in making custom notebooks with custom content and stamping. © 2018 Thomson Reuters Canada Limited 00250EH-91622-NP For more information, contact Triform Specialist Caroline Becker directly at 416.649.8968, or email books@triform.com. To order online or get an instant quote Visit www.triform.com Triform

• Cover