TRUCKING SAFETY COUNCIL OF BC

Newsletter

May, 2012

Vol 3 Issue 5

This month’ssafety topic:

Health & Safety Committees

Last year, 142 workers in British Columbia never made it home at the end of the day. They died of illness and injury resulting from their jobs. The second highest industry for workplace fatali-

ties was transportation-related services, in which 24 workers lost their lives. All of these deaths were preventable.

“These aren’t numbers and statistics — these are real human be-ings with families and friends who love them and who suffer greatly for their loss,” said George Morfitt, chairman of WorkSafeBC’s board of directors.

Saturday, April 28, marked the National Day of Mourning, a day to commemorate workers who were killed, injured or suffered an illness

Day of Mourning

New SafetyVideo Released

Page 2

What is a safety committee?

Page 4

By Leasa Hachey

death seven years ago of her only son in a Surrey condominium construction project. While on the job, 19-year-old Nicholas Lachnit fell three floors and suffered catastrophic brain injuries. The building contractor, who was later handed a small fine, hadn’t erected proper

To mark the solemn occasion the Olympic Cauldron was lit and words were spoken from behind a wreath-laden podium.

Jim Sinclair, a leading critic of the province’s record on workplace safety, remarked on the over 100,000 workers who were injured in B.C. last year, calling for more prosecutors to follow through when police recommend charges against employers who put workers in danger.

“It’s so clear that this isn’t about an individual. This is about a col-lective responsibility, and about the pain that we all feel when we lose somebody that we care about,” Sinclair said.

Rose Lachnit described the “completely stupid and unnecessary”

because of their job. A ceremony was held on Friday, April 27 in Vancouver at Jack Poole Plaza and included presentations by representatives from WorkSafeBC, the B.C. Federation of Labour and the Business Council of B.C., as well as those personally affected by workplace fatalities and injuries.

Roses are left at the base of plaques commemorating those who lost their lives in workplace incidents in 2011, many of them in the transportation industry.

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“My biggest fear,” said Lachnit, “is my son died in vain.”Following the speakers and a moment of silent remembrance, the

crowd of over 300 people walked in silence, laying single long-stemmed red roses below the glass plaques along WorkSafeBC’s Line of Work, symbols of remembrance for those lost or injured on the job.

Other Day of Mourning ceremonies were held all over the prov-ince. Messages of condolence for the families of fallen workers can be posted online at www.dayofmourning.bc.ca.

Manual Handling Videos

The manual handling of objects and loads is a major source of overexertion and injuries in the trucking industry. These inju-ries cost the industry a significant amount of money each year. In an effort to help engage workers in proper manual han-dling techniques and reduce the risk of injuries, we have created a series of six instructional videos specific for the transportation industry that will focus on moving and lifting safely. Our second, third and fourth videos in the series have now been released.

Created with support from the Association of Canadian Ergonomists (www.ace-ergocanada.ca) and funded by Chiropractic British Columbia (www.bcchiro.com), these vid-eos are an important supplement to the training employers must provide their workers to help reduce the risk of muscu-loskeletal injuries. The videos provide practical information on how to safely lift, carry, push and pull loads using the best and safest handling methods for the conditions.

The videos are available on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/SafetyDrivenBC (click the photo to watch the first one). They can also be provided on DVD if needed. For more information on the video series or to request a DVD by mail, please contact us at info@safetydriven.ca.

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Stay tuned for the release of our final two videos in the series.

In the news.....

http://www.theprovince.com/cars/Down+earth+idea+winner/6434380/story.html

http://www.theprov-ince.com/jobs/Trucking+safety+video+gets+chiropractic+group+backing/6356243/story.html

http://www.safety-reporter.com/articleview/12578-bctruck-ing-industry-launches-moving-and-lifting-safety-campaign

Click on a page to read

Three New Videos Now Available

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TRUCKING SAFETYCOUNCIL OF BC

Trucking Safety Council of BC210 - 20111 93A AvenueLangley, BC V1M 4A9

Tel: 604-888-2242Toll Free: 1-877-414-8001Fax: 604-888-2243info@safetydriven.ca

Visit our website for more in-formation on this issue’s topic:www.safetydriven.ca

John McMahon, Executive Directorjohn@safetydriven.ca

Leasa Hachey, Manager, Communications & Marketingleasa@safetydriven.ca

Andrew Chan, Manager, CORandrew@safetydriven.ca

Earl Galavan, Manager, OHS Programsearl@safetydriven.ca

STAFF

ABOUT US

The Trucking Safety Council of BC was creat-ed to address the high personal and economic costs of work-related injury and death in the trucking industry. The TSCBC is a not-for-prof-it organization that works with management, employees and owner/operators in the B.C. trucking industry to strengthen safety perfor-mance and reduce the number and severity of workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

TRUCKING SAFETY COUNCIL OF BC210 – 20111 93A Avenue Langley, BC V1M 4A9

Fax: 604.888.2243 Email: info@safetydriven.ca

The Road to COR Simplified

With everything you have been doing up to this point there will have been documents and reports created. During the meeting the committee should review all accident investigations and first aid reports since the last meeting. This allows all members of the committee to see what has happened in other areas of the operation.

A good technique is to examine the reports for signs of “clustering”. Look for groups of accidents in the same area of the operation or injuries occurring to similar body areas, such as hands or legs. Even a single first aid report could signal a problem needing further investigation. An alert committee can provide early identification of a problem before it gets serious.

Having the committee review inspection reports ensures they are completed and that the quality of reporting is being maintained. It is good practice to include these reports on the agenda as standard items to ensure they do not get bypassed.

All safety committee meetings should be documented by taking minutes. These provide a record of what was discussed, what recommendations were made and who is responsible for implementing the recommendations. This lets you check at future meetings to see how well your recommendations have been implemented and whether they are having the intended effect.

One of the biggest jobs a committee member will have is to be the person that cares enough to ask questions. Always keep in mind that just talking about safety does not mean you are doing safety. While a committee member has a lot more to do than just talk, safety will be easy to accomplish with an effective team at the helm.

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If you have ever been nominated to sit on a safety committee, you likely asked the question, “What would I have to do?” All too often the activities of the safety committee are described as, “Meet once a month and talk about safety.” But in order to be truly effective, the committee should be doing much more than just talk.

Every worker in B.C. has the legal right to participate in workplace safety. As a member of the safety committee you are exercising that right. The employer gets the benefit of your knowledge and experience to help detect and control workplace hazards and you get input into workable safety solutions. That is a win-win situation and a safety committee that works with management can be a key element in the workplace safety management system.

As a committee member you will be a contact person for other workers who have concerns. When someone talks to you about a problem, you must assess the risk it poses. If you decide it is urgent, it must be reported immediately. If not urgent, it could wait for the next meeting. In any case, you help communicate issues coming from the front lines.

Regular inspections of the workplace are a requirement and as a committee member you may be asked to be part of the inspection team. The team often has members who are not familiar with all parts of the operation. Encourage questions within the team. A teammate’s new perspective sometimes detects an ongoing problem that experienced members miss. Don’t limit your observations to official inspections; they can also be informal and ongoing.

When there is a serious incident, regardless of whether or not there are injuries, it is supposed to be investigated. A near-miss is a golden opportunity to see what went wrong without having to deal with tragedy. A member of the safety committee who is knowledgeable in the work being done should participate in the investigation along with a member of management. The report that results will be signed by all investigators.

If there is a refusal to work due to an unsafe condition, a committee member may be required to investigate the situation if it is not corrected by the supervisor or employer. The investigation will be done by the supervisor or employer while the committee member is present. If a resolution cannot be reached then WorkSafeBC must be called and an Occupational Safety Officer will be dispatched. It is the committee member’s responsibility to see that the correct procedure is followed.

It is worth noting that work that appears safe in one situation may be unsafe in another. A new or untrained worker may need to refuse to do a job that a trained and experienced worker can do quite safely.

What is a Safety Committee?

By Earl Galavan

Safety Meetings

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Visit our website for more info!

safetydriven.ca/cor

UPCOMING COR TRAINING

Senior Management/ June 26Owner 1pm - 4:30pm

Health & Safety June 27 & 28Management 9am - 4:30pm

Return to Work June 29 9am - 4:30pm

Register Today!

COR is an initiative that rec-ognizes and rewards em-ployers who develop and apply sustainable occupa-tional health and safety pro-grams that meet or exceed the applicable legal require-ments and health and safety regulations.

Following verification by a TSCBC audit, companies will receive up to a 15% rebate on their WorkSafeBC premiums in each year they qualify.

Save Money, Get COR!

Contrary to popular belief, the chance of a truck driver being injured on the job is a lot more likely to happen by getting in and out of the cab or trailer, or in climbing on or tarping a load, than as a result of a collision.

Use these fun simulations on our website to learn the sci-ence behind safety and to reinforce safe procedures in your workplace.

SafetySimulation

Tools and Resources:

Simulations courtesy of TIRES www.keeptruckingsafe.org

www.safetydriven.ca/trucking-injury-prevention

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SAFETY TALKS

Safety Humour

Safety Talks, also known as Tailgate Meetings, Toolbox Talks and Safety Chats, are brief talks (about 5-10 minutes) or meetings about specif-ic safety topics that can highlight hazards and remind workers of the importance of working safely.

Safety Talks are a great mini-training exercise to foster discussion between workers and supervi-sors and are designed to encourage workers to raise safety concerns and make comments.

Safety Talks for various topics are available for download from our website and can be modified by individual workplaces. www.safetydriven.ca/trucking-safety-resources/safety-talks

Last month the TSCBC held its Annual General Meeting and Safety Conference in Coquitlam with a great turnout from

company representatives within the trucking and transportation industry, as well as repre-sentatives from governmental and non-gov-ernmental organizations.

In keeping with the theme “Shifting Attitudes: Engaging People and Driving Safety in the Workplace”, the conference featured guest speakers who lectured on topics relevant to engaging employees in health and safety pro-grams and policies in the workplace.

Niall Berry, OHS and Corporate Security Manager at FortisBC, demonstrated how a company of more than 2000 employees man-ages its diverse safety program needs. Berry gave an overview of the safety programs, systems and communications programs that are in place and working for FortisBC.

John Horn, Associate Director of Career Services at UBC, spoke about generational and cultural differences and challenges in the workplace. Horn identified the differences between workforce generations and cultures and gave tips on how to achieve the best safety outcomes from each.

Keynote speaker and award-winning em-ployee engagement communicator Ryan Williams captivated the audience with his presentation on successful safety leadership in the workplace and how management can lead by example. Williams explained how to engage employees in changing their own safety habits, and showed how managers can create and contribute to an environment that makes employees feel passionate about safety and committed to their company's safety objectives.

Two break-out sessions followed the keynote, including an introduction to the COR program for the small employer. WorkSafeBC Occupa-tional Safety Officers Mike Tasker and Darren Beattie delivered an animated discussion sur-rounding supervisor safety, including subjects such as safety requirements, due dilligence and effective supervision in trucking.

Conference guests were enthusiastic about what they learned from the speakers. One conference participant noted, “I found that the information provided and the knowledge of the speakers was extremely interesting and useful.” Another said, "It was very interesting to hear how a large company like FortisBC manages their safety. It was also interesting to learn about communicating and what is important to impart to employees."

If you have any suggestions for topics or ideas for our next annual safety conference, please let us know by sending us an email to info@safetydriven.ca.

2012

S H I F T I N G AT T I T U D E SAGM

Engaging People and Driving Safety in the Workplace

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Our posters are another way to communi-cate your safety messages at your work-place. They are available on our website (click on the photos on this page or go to the link at the bottom) and can be down-loaded and printed in your office or taken to a commercial printer. A limited supply of large, glossy printed posters are also avail-able for pickup from the TSCBC offices.

Hang these posters in high visibility, high traffic locations so they are seen by all staff. They can also be used as discussion points at future safety meetings.

If you have suggestions or requests for future posters, please contact us.

Safety Posters

SAFETY POSTER TOPICS:

• Fatigue• Hazards• Know Your Rights• Safety Communication• Workplace Violence• Lifting & Carrying• Working Alone

www.safetydriven.ca/trucking-safety-posters

Contact us today and let us know what you think about the services and resources we offer or what priorities you think we should focus on.

We are here for the trucking industry and want to focus our efforts on topics that matter to you.

Send us an email to info@safetydriven.ca or use our contact form on our website:

Let us know how we’re doing!

www.safetydriven.ca/contact

Next month’s safety

topic...Supervisors

& Safety

SUBSCRIBE TO THIS NEWSLETTER

To subscribe to this newsletter visit www.safetydriven.ca/get_newsletter or simply send an email with “sub-scribe” in the subject line to info@safetydriven.ca.

Let us know if you’d prefer your newsletter faxed or mailed.

To learn more about the Council and our programs, visit our website:

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Have you visited our website yet?

Interactive Hazard Identification

The best thing you can do to prevent injuries on the job is to stay alert and look out for hazards that could cause injuries. Sometimes this can be hard to do, especially if you are used to doing a certain job and everything you see in your work environment becomes second nature. This tool is meant to remind you that every day there are hazards that need to be avoided or fixed. Have a look at the workplace pictures and try to see if you can find all of the hazards.http://safetydriven.ca/trucking-injury-prevention

Forms and TemplatesVarious forms and templates are provided to assist companies with the implementation of safety policies and procedures and in meeting regulatory requirements and TSCBC Certificate of Recognition audit standards. The templates are ge-neric in nature and should be reviewed and modified to ensure they address the specific operating conditions and risks of the company. More are added weekly.http://safetydriven.ca/trucking-safety-forms-templates

Safety Alerts and Bulletins

These WorkSafeBC posters provide important safety messages for you and your workers. At the time each poster was originally produced, it reflected the current WorkSafeBC requirements. In all cases, today’s OHS Regulation and require-ments must be applied to the situation shown in each poster.http://safetydriven.ca/safety-alerts-bulletins

We are constantly adding information and resources to the Trucking Safety Council website. Please check back often to see what new and interesting con-tent we have added!

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