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Nine Medicine Hat companies have been recognized by the province for exceptional records in workplace health and safety in 2007.
TENILLE TELLMAN
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Nine Medicine Hat companies have been recognized by the province for exceptional records in workplace health and safety in 2007. The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Council recognized 697 employers as Alberta’s Best Safety Performers for holding health and safety at the forefront and having performance records to prove it. BFI Canada Inc. in Medicine Hat received the award for the second year because of their corporate-driven safety program which includes monthly topics and in-house awards to keep occupational health and safety a priority for employees. “It certainly goes a long way with vendors, with outside contractors,” district manager Lois Rissling said of the award. A better track record means better business for the company because no matter what the industry is, safety has become a top priority, she added. Employee contribution and participation is the main reason Canadian Fertilizers Ltd. has been recognized for their safety, according to general manager Russ Holowachuk. “We’re proud of our performance and as a general manager, I’m certainly proud of all the employees that put the effort in and take the time to work safely.” The company took home the award in 2004 and has also received awards for environmental compliance efforts. This July marked 12-months without a recordable incident resulting in an employee going off-site for medical attention, which Holowachuk says is a huge milestone in the company’s history. First-time award winner Darrell Dietz, owner of Dietz Construction Ltd. says his company has built on health and safety with partners and employees. They regularly hold toolbox meetings and hazard assessments before jobs and stress to employees “nothing is so urgent that it has to be done right away without stepping back and thinking about what you’re doing and the process to do it,” said Dietz. It’s hard to overlook the old construction mentality where speed was everything, but working to retain existing staff and providing mentorship opportunities for new employees has successfully assisted in keeping accidents and incidents down. “I think it really is more of a mindset, a culture,” Dietz added. “You can implement all the steps and kill them with paperwork, but the actual guys that are in the field just have to come up with that mentality to double-check and be sure of what they’re doing.” Medicine Hat manufacturing facility Criterion Catalysts & Technologies was recognized by the province for the third consecutive year. General manager Rick Redmond also believes safety must be a culture and following the Hearts and Minds framework, his company tries to be proactive. “Safety is no different than integrity or honest, it’s just a core value,” said Redmond. This mentality has resulted in eight years without a lost time incident involving an employee or contractor at their site. This week marks five years without a recordable incident involving a contractor, and it has been eight years without a recordable injury to an employee. “It’s something that we’re very, very proud of.” The company also strives to give back by hosting safety seminars for contractors and participating in community events to raise awareness locally, he added. Also named as winners in the Medicine Hat area was Alberta Pipe & Wire Inc., Cox Crane Services Ltd., Medicine Hat Power Tongs (1978) Ltd., Rick Holdings Ltd., and Sabine CO2 Logistics Inc. The provincial awards program began in 2003 when 350 recipients were recognized. The criteria has been revised over the years and details about Best Safety Performers Awards winners is available at www.worksafely.org. |
