Service companies in Canada might be discouraged to learn that another subcontractor pre-qualification service/website has arrived on the scene.  PICS Auditing from Irvine, California has been in business for a while, but has only recently appeared on the radar North of the border when Suncor started using its service.

Like ISNetworld RAVS, they are trying to offer a more comprehensive pre-qualification than simply the registry of insurance documents and questions required by ComplyWorks.  Rumor has it that the PICS staff conduct video conferences with a subcontractor safety representative, and ask the person to hold up policies and records to the screen as a way of demonstrating compliance.  This seems at first glance to be yet another redundancy with the COR safety audits, which are performed in person.  PICS claims to be popular though:

They claim to be "preferred" by 81% of contractors (presumably over ISNetworld?)  I wonder if the number would be so high if they asked the contractor if they felt the PICS audit was useful if they had already passed their COR audit.

Regardless of whether the industry needs 3 subcontractor management systems in addition to COR audits, the fact remains that these subcontractors need to manage their safety programs and produce the compliance reports that these audits, reviews or questionnaires ask for.   Please call or email us if you would like an explanation of how an online safety management system like SafetySync can help you satisfy the requirements of these subcontractor audits, reviews and questionnaires.

Not according to Alberta Auditor General Merwan Saher in an April 2010 report.

“Half of those employers that persistently fail to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act also continue to hold a valid Certificate of Recognition, and continue to have elevated injury rates among their workers,” Saher wrote.

We run into this issue all the time when selling our online safety management system.  Executives believe that because they scored well on their most recent COR Audit, that they are compliant with regulations and insulated from possible litigation.  Only after an accident and subsequent investigation does it come to light that the typical safety program had deficiencies and that supervisors, executives and directors are potentially liable.

The reality is that safety audits are only snapshots, and compliance with safety regulations requires incredible diligence and constant attention.  A formal electronic system like SafetySync not only makes your COR audits go smoother, but helps ensure your safety program receives the constant attention your stakeholders (of which the Government is only one) expect.  Anyone telling you a Certificate of Recognition means that your safety program is adequate, is probably giving you bad advice.

Our online safety management system has always made available to each of our customers a unique portal sign-in page that can be customized with your logo, color scheme and a safety slogan.  At the request of our clients, we've added the ability to add a photo (or any other image) to the left side of the login page.


Ideal photos for the login page might include equipment, high-profile projects, key personnel, or a group shot of your entire crew.  You may even want to get creative and upload some vintage photos or Darwin award shots.  You can even keep the login page interesting by changing the photo occasionally.


The image and other customized settings can be accessed by our Premium plan clients in the Administrator Portal, under "Company", then "Profile".    

I'm often amazed at the number of safety records that are generated by the typical company.  In many organizations, the safety department rivals accounting for the sheer number of records they generate.  Inspections, checklists, meeting minutes, ERP drills, etc.  Some must be submitted for each location in the company.  Intervals can vary too (monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.).  So how do safety departments keep track of which forms have been submitted on time (or are coming due)?  Some companies have an administrator compile spreadsheets with all records submitted, but this is extremely time consuming.

SafetySync has added a feature to the software that makes form tracking easy...

Simply navigate to the screen for the Location (office, shop, department, etc.) that you wish to "require" forms to be submitted.  All forms that you've entered into the system will appear in the list.  By default, the frequency setting will be "Only as required", but an administrator can change this to "Monthly", "Quarterly", or "Annually".


As completed forms (which we call records) are submitted by fax, email, upload, etc, and approved, the forms status will update automatically.  The software flags the forms that are coming due or past due for that location.

Audit time can be stressful.  Like most safety managers you might be anxious about whether you have reviewed every element of a safety protocol, and whether you have  the systems in place or documentation to prove due diligence.  Or you could have the system in place, but may be lacking the "link" between each audit bullet (for some standards there are over 100 bullets) and the processes and records that satisfy the requirements. 

We have recently introduced a new SafetySync component that we call "Audit Preparation and Review".  This tool offers administrators the ability to select any number of standards (such as Enform Certificate of Recognition - COR or CSA Z1000) which they would like to prepare for and achieve.

Unlike other audit review software on the market, this SafetySync component is designed for safety managers and administrators for internal purposes only.  Essentially, it is meant to help organizations perform better on their external audits, and to perform internal audits in the interim.

Each audit protocol allows administrators to drill down to the bullet level (such as Enform COR 2010 D1.b in the example below).

For each bullet, you can:

1. Enter notes (what systems you have in place, progress being made, plans, explanations, etc.)
2. Update the status (as either "Compliant", "Not Applicable" or "Deficient")
3. Link to web pages (such as policies, training videos, certificates, compliance reports) in either SafetySync or other online systems
4. Upload documents (such as spreadsheets, Word or PDF documents) in the event you do not have an online system in place

Once you have all the appropriate links or documents in place to satisfy the bullet, change the status to "Compliant" (it will track the date and user for each entry).  Keep doing this for each subsequent bullet until you have every one covered, meaning you've either completed the internal audit, or you are ready for a 3rd party auditor to come in and check your work.

If you look up "system" in a dictionary, the term "correlation" is a term that is often used to describe it.  Safety management is made up of many components, but they only become a system when they work together.

Software is a great way to help link these components.  The SafetySync system allow administrators to upload policies, which employees must acknowledge.  It also allows administrators to upload forms, which employees can complete and submit as records (with deficiencies and action items if applicable).   However, it is not uncommon for an inspection policy to reference an inspection checklist, or for a hazard management policy to reference a hazard ID report.

Simply link the two in SafetySync, and the relevant form(s) will appear at the bottom of the policy.  Employees can click on the link to open the Word, Excel, or PDF form.

When we do demonstrations of our safety Forms and Recordkeeping component, we often get asked about what data gets stored with each record, and what reports (or queries) can be run later.  This post is meant to explain the functionality that is within our software, what we have in the works, and what functionality is NOT available in the system that you will need to look elsewhere to compliment the Safety Management System.



The SafetySync recordkeeping module allows you to store the following information (and thus later query):

1. Record Type (from list of Forms)
2. Date
3. Filled In By (from list of Employees)
4. Job # (a simple text field)
5. Location (from a list of Locations in the system or "Other"-which allows text to be entered)
6. Deficiencies (problem discovered, corrective action required, priority level, assignment, due date)

We are currently working on functionality that will also allow you to track (and later query):

7. Equipment # (from a list of Assets/Equipment)

The sorts of reports you can therefore run in the system would include:

• A list of Emergency Drills that were performed in the Edmonton last month (with links to the source record)
• A list of Hazard IDs that had one or more deficiencies discovered by Joe Blow (with links)
• A list of all Safety Meetings performed on job # 12345
• A list of all Inspections that were done on Tank A
• A list of all records that had deficiencies with the string "trip hazard" in them
• A list of all records that had priority levels that were "Critical"
• Etc...

What our forms and recordkeeping system cannot do, is delve into the data that is contained within each record:

• A list of Inspections that identified a pressure reading of 120psi on Pump B
• A list of Safety Meetings which Bob, Joanne and Dave attended
• A list of Emergency Drills that were completed in 2 minutes or less
• And so on...

In order to accomplish the latter, we highly recommend a field data capturing system, along the lines of what Spira Data Corp. offers with their Spira Mobile product.  I have worked with this product in the past and it is extremely flexible and robust, allowing companies to manage accounting, inventory, payroll (and yes even safety data).  Each form in Spira is no longer a piece of paper or an Excel spreadsheet, but an actual data capture tool that later synchronizes all the fields on the form to a database back end.  You can then query and report on any or all the fields on the form.  The form will take longer to build than a simple spreadsheet, but it will populate back-end systems like those used for invoicing and payroll.

The other advantage of Spira Mobile, is that it allows you to easily take the forms "offline" when there is no Internet connection available.  With our software you may occasionally have to print paper copies of certain forms or save them on the hard drive of a laptop or handheld, to be completed and later emailed, faxed or uploaded back to SafetySync.  Spira Mobile takes care of the synchronization automatically.

Spira comes at a cost, but if an organization spends enough time compiling and reporting on data captured in the field, it can be a huge time saver.  Many implementations can pay for themselves in less than a year.  Field data capture for work orders (or field tickets as they are sometimes called) is their specialization.  The return on investment for the forms that initiate the invoicing process are largest because they can significantly shorten your billing cycle (thereby improving your cash flow), and because lost forms or re-keying mistakes can cost the company revenue.  Unfortunately, capturing data on safety forms does not have these same benefits, so the business case is somewhat harder to justify.

If you like the data-capturing functionality offered by the Spira Mobile product, and would like to integrate it with the rest of your safety management system in SafetySync, contact our customer support, or the folks at Spira.

  Check out my most recent editorial in Worksite News.

I am often frustrated by the secondary priority that safety takes in some organizations, despite government regulations and internal policies that state otherwise.

The article explains what I feel is behind the seemingly illogical procrastination of safety initiatives.  Dr. Stephen Covey explains in his book "First Things First" that most people, including safety professionals, have an "urgency addition" that prevents us from doing the things that are truly important.  I also briefly discuss W. Edwards Demings belief that "the majority of problems in organizations are with systems, not people."

If you're looking to increase the importance of safety in your organization, you may want to read the article.  If my perspective on the issue intruiges you, you may want to pick up Covey's book, then implement your OHSMS accordingly. 

On April 17, 2009, Workplace Health and Safety released the 2009 revisions to Alberta's OHS Code.  Employers have until July 1, 2009 to comply with the new requirements before they become enforceable.

Part 9 of the OHS Code, which deals with Fall Protection, was the subject of some of the most significant revisions.  There are several new requirements in Part 9 dealing with work positioning, leading edge fall protection systems, equipment compatibility, fixed ladders, fall protection on vehicles and loads and procedures in place of fall protection equipment.  Further, some of the revisions expand employer responsibility with respect to fall protection plans and fall protection training.  In particular, subsection 141(2) now provides a prescriptive list of 10 topics that must be covered in fall protection training sessions.  According to Jason Laurie, the primary architect of these revisions, most fall protection training in Alberta falls short of complying with these new requirements.  

Enforcement of Alberta's OHS laws has increased almost ten-fold since 2005 when there were only 12 prosecutions resulting in $554,050 in fines.  In 2008 there were 22 prosecutions resulting in $5,083,000.  It has never been more important to ensure that your organization is complying with the minimum requirements of Alberta's OHS laws in order to avoid the costs associated with work-related incidents.  To further amplify how strictly Alberta's OHS laws are being enforced, on April 21, 2009 Workplace Health and Safety laid a total of 53 charges against three companies stemming from the deaths of two foreign workers at an oilsands project in northern Alberta.

It all boils down to implementing and maintaining an effective OHS management system that demonstrates due diligence and complies with the minimum requirements of Alberta's OHS laws.

Does your organization have one?

The Oil & Gas Inquirer recently had an excellent arcticle (Service Firms Plead for a Coordinated Safety Registry System) that highlights the controversy surrounding contractor registries, with a particular focus on ISNetworld.

Some of the more unflattering comments were:

    "...we're not really sure if there is a positive impact on the industry's safety performance."
    "It's an ongoing irritant to the contracting community."
          -  Wally Baer, President and CEO of Enform

    "You just don't need it here."
    "There is no value-added.  I don't think it assists the operator a whit in determining what is a safe rig."
          -  Don Herring, President of CAODC

    "ISNetworld is driving a proprietary standard that does not seem to support openness or data sharing..."
          -  Cal Fairbanks, President and CEO of Canadian HSE Registry

Personally, I feel that ISNetworld^TM is being judged on its ability to deliver improved safety performance, which isn't entirely justified.  Contractor registries really only do one thing well: manage risk for prime contractors.  I mean really... how can a registry improve safety when the workers play absolutely no part in getting a company green-lighted in ISNetworld?  All the work is being done by each company's safety department (or increasingly by consultants) to write new policies that satisfy RAVS^TM protocols.

By forcing contracting companies to write and submit more comprehensive safety policies, the prime contractors have satisfied their due diligence requirement.  What service companies may not realize is that the process exposes their companies to increased risk.  The sub-contracting firms must now adhere to the standard levels they've set for themselves in the policies.  This means service companies must properly communicate policies to employees, provide comprehensive awareness training, and so on.  If (and only if) the service companies do their part, and implement better safety management systems, will safety performance actually improve.

This is where Enform and their Certificate of Recognition can come in.  They actually send auditors to the service companies to review records and interview employees.  The COR process could either point out that the policy binders are simply collecting dust, or they could collect reports from a Safety Management System that demonstrates compliance.  This transformation is likely coming soon, so its probably best to invest in a Safety Management System like SAFETYSYNC and be prepared.