JSHA vs FLHA – Part 3

We have learned about JSHA’s and the hierarchy of controls used to make them. Now let’s get into what’s expected from the employee. FLHA stands for Field Level Hazard Assessment. This is to be completed by the worker. It’s pretty self-explanatory, it’s to be filled out at field level, meaning right where you are working. A fab tent, the high line or a ditch, they all have specific hazards that only apply to them. A FLHA ensures that all workers know the hazards involved in their task. They have been a part of identifying hazards that directly affect them. They also need to know the steps to eliminate or mitigate each of those hazards. They can then add the additional hazards that they have identified at the field level, also outlining the controls needed to eliminate or reduce the hazard. These need to be filled out every time a factor in the task changes. A new worker joins the task or the job location changes. Even if everything’s the same as yesterday, you still need to do one every morning before you start and go over it after each break. There are always changes, weather changes, night/day crews in the area, other companies coming through, there are endless possibilities of what you may have missed. Also, it never hurts to go over the hazards again and stay fresh. 

No matter what these forms are called, it is imperative that they are done. Will it be the highlight of your day? Probably not. But getting injured at work doesn’t sound like a skip in the park either. The 15 (boring) minutes you may spend filling one out, will give you a better understanding of exactly what is needed of you and your co-workers so everyone makes it home safe… Every night. If you work for an employer that is not doing this, You need to speak up, it’s for your own safety and bottom line… It’s legislated.

To learn even more about this topic head to our site and take our ABCS Hazard Assessment training course. It will provide you with some great tools for your safety belt and best of all… it’s free for limited time!

JSHA vs FLHA – Part 2

I know you have been patiently waiting to learn all about the hierarchy of controls… so let’s jump right back in. The hierarchy of controls are 4 possible ways to eliminate or lessen the hazard. The first is always elimination. Is it possible to completely remove that hazard from the equation? Most times this is not an option. The second is engineering controls. An example of this would be constructing a safe walkway for pedestrians and workers next to an area using a EWP. The third step is administrative. This would be changing how a task is done. You can do this by reworking a safe job procedure to include steps to mitigate the hazard. An example of this would be how to conduct a task with motorized equipment that must be done in a congestion work area where a separate walkway is not possible. In this case they would use the proper steps to identify and acknowledge pedestrians and a plan to proceed safely with the task at hand. The last resort is PPE. Is it reasonable to make all workers and pedestrians wear PPE? Workers, yes of course. Pedestrians… absolutely not. Using these 4 controls an employer will find the safest and most effective way to get the job done. Now going back to the ever so riveting legislation, it’s also stated that “An employer must involve affected workers in the hazard assessment and in the control or elimination of the hazards identified.” And so FLHA was born. I’ll see you back here tomorrow to learn about FLHA’S and finish up.

To learn even more about this topic head to our site and take our ABCS Hazard Assessment training course. It will provide you with some great tools for your safety belt and best of all… it’s free for limited time!

JSHA vs FLHA – Part 1

Sometimes with all the safety talk going on, I forget that not everyone always knows what I’m talking about. I bring JSHA’s and FLHA’s up a lot. They’re one of the most valuable tools in the safety industry. Then it dawned on me… Some people might not know what I’m talking about. This is a terrifying thought but a real one. I worked on one site where there was a quick pre-work talk… mostly instructions for the day but no FLHA. When I asked about doing one, everyone looked at me like I had two heads. This wasn’t THAT long ago. So, sadly there may be some of you new to industry working on a site like this as well. For those workers and well… everyone, let’s take a few days to focus on one of the most important tools in your belt. 

JSHA and FLHA are not different names for the same thing. They each have their own purpose. JSHA stands for Job Site Hazard Analysis (keep in mind there are many names for both of these such as JSA, JHA and so on) This is completed by an employer for the entire site. If we want to get super technical here, the legislation in Alberta OH&S Code, Part 2, Section 7.1 states, “An employer must assess a work site and identify existing and potential hazards before work begins at the work site or prior to the construction of a new work site.” Section 7.2  further states, “An employer must prepare a report of the results of a hazard assessment and the methods used to control or eliminate the hazards identified.” This site wide hazard assessment can be viewed as the Job Site Hazard Assessment, or JSHA. They will use the hierarchy of controls to determine what is safe and practicable for each task. Come back tomorrow and we will go over the hierarchy of controls and all things JSHA and FLHA.

To learn even more about this topic head to our site and take our ABCS Hazard Assessment training course. It will provide you with some great tools for your safety belt and best of all… it’s free for limited time!

Spring Break and School Zones

With spring break right around the corner, parents everywhere are getting ready to bunker down and be the live entertainment for two weeks straight. 🥴 Which means lots of outings and afternoons at the park. So even though school zones during spring break are treated the same as Christmas and summer break… Meaning you can drive the regular speed limit, not the 30 kms enforced during school hours (This varies from city to city. Some of Alberta is 7:30 AM-9 PM. British Columbia is usually 9 AM-5 PM.)  With that being said, speed limits are always the maximum recommended speed. With good weather, exhausted parents and most schools having parks; you need to still be on the lookout for kids. Sometimes they forget to look both ways, or assume that you see them, or they can dart out after a toy, either way they can come out of nowhere! So do the speed that makes you feel comfortable. If there is a herd of kids playing in a school park, by all means do 30 kms, even if it’s after school hours. Don’t worry about the person behind you getting road rage for the two minutes you’re going slow. If you hit a child… They won’t have to live with the guilt, you will. If you happen to be the person behind, calm down. Also don’t even think of passing! It’s incredibly dangerous and super illegal. Don’t mix up school zone signs and playground signs. There are no days exempt from these zones. It’s always the posted speed limit, every day from dusk till dawn or 7:30 AM to 9 Pm . If there is no posted speed limit with the playground sign, then the speed doesn’t change… But be cautious. Never speed through these areas (or anywhere). The 30 seconds you might gain by speeding isn’t worth a lifetime of pain for the families involved. Us parents like to joke about these little turkeys, but if something ever happened to them… Life would be over for us. So whether you’re a parent or not, please drive safely.

Boss vs Leader – Part 2

So, we have already gone over how a leader puts in the time for their team and to educate themselves. Another big difference between a boss and a leader, is communication. Anyone can bark orders and live by the “do as I say” mentality, but to actually take the time to ask your crew for input and hear their questions can go a long way. Remember, your crew is working right in the hub of it all and may have safety concerns you would have never thought of. Yes, there will be times when you will need to flex your authority, but this can be done with constructive feedback. Always include your staff and be fair. An employee that feels heard and treated fairly is less likely to “stick it to the man” aka cut corners aka cause an incident. 

Lastly, inspire your workers.  Excite and encourage your team. Safety doesn’t have to be boring. You can do anything from rewarding good safety behavior to reflecting on your own trials and tribulations with safety. You will be teaching your workers as well as getting to know them. Have discussions on everything from improvements to grievances. Make sure your team feels heard! That small difference can really change the safety culture on your crew… and when that changes for the better, everyone wins.

Sadly most workers dread seeing the “white hats” on site. But you know who can change that? You.. over there, with the white hat on. You can change that! Don’t just be a “boss”, challenge yourself to lead your crew. All it takes is a little bit of time, some communication and a whole lot of inspiration. Be the “white hat” everyone is happy to see. A good leader equals a happy crew which equals a safe crew! 

 

Boss vs Leader – Part 1

So you wear a white hat, have a company truck and an office space in a trailer; you are officially a “boss.” No matter if you are a foreman for a 3 person crew or a project manager for a huge site, you still have big responsibilities. The biggest responsibility that falls on your shoulders is to ensure your workers go home safe every night. Yes, of course there are deadlines, budgets and paperwork; all of that means nothing if the people who work under you, are having incidents, injuries or even worse! So what can you do to keep these people safe? You can be a leader! How is that different from a boss and how does this affect safety? Well let’s get into that. 

 

A boss knows the job and dictates what should be done, how it should be done and when it should be done, throwing a “do it safely” at the end of instructions. Which will probably get the job done… but will the end result be a good one? Will everyone involved leave unscathed?🤷 A leader will put in the time, communicate with and inspire workers to do their best and do it safely. I think you can break it down into those three categories… Time, communication and inspiration. 

 

When I say “putting the time in” I don’t mean punch your time card for 10 hours a day and poof! I mean go to site and spend time with your crew. Get to know them and their safety concerns. Take time out of your office or truck and head to the front lines, get your hands dirty and show your crew you’re part of the team. Also spend some time educating yourself. You are in charge of how up-to-date you are with safety standards and innovations. Remember, you have other workers’ well-being laying right on your shoulders, so keep current. 

 

Come back on Monday and we will finish up the last two keys to being a great leader. 

 

Check out Our YouTube Channel

When it comes to workplace safety, there is a lot to remember. I know it can be overwhelming, especially when you’ve had the same job day-in and day-out and all of a sudden you are expected to do something totally out of your comfort zone. Always ask questions, get clarity.  There are lots of people who want to help you….Like us! 

 

Obviously we offer many of the safety training courses you need, but also little helpers along the way. Say you’ve been fitting in a fab tent on site for the past 8 months but today needed for a tough fit up on the high line. You need to suit up, fill out a FLHA or JSA and a rescue plan. Great….. 😬 How do you don a harness again? What’s the formula for fall clearance for retractable restraint, oh wait is this a shock absorbing lanyard! That feeling of uncertainty can be daunting… I mean this could possibly be your life. So ask questions, get comfortable with what your task is. You can do this by heading to our YouTube channel. We go over some of the basics, everything from donning and doffing your harness, fall clearance calculations to basic hand signals. Obviously we are aware that you don’t have your phone on you, while on site to click on our YouTube channel (right?).  So ask your foreman if you can take a few minutes in the lunch trailer to get refreshed with what you’re doing. So, go over our videos, ask your safety crew, do whatever is necessary to feel confident in your safety while completing a task.

Now here’s my shameless plug😜… visit our ABCS YouTube channel, …and don’t forget to subscribe! Also checkout theABCS Safety Training Course Catalogue It has most of the courses you will be required to take in industry.

Hazard Assessment Process Now Online

We are excited to announce we are now offering the ABCS Hazard Assessment Process Training Course. This course will provide you with a better understanding of the hazard assessment process using both legislation and real life examples, making it very relatable. This 6 module course goes over safe work practices and procedures, the 4 steps of hazard assessment, how to calculate frequency and severity, the hierarchy of controls and so much more. With a certificate of completion… It also looks great on a resume. This is a great course for those green workers, it really goes over everything to make you more confident in your role regarding job-site hazard assessment. Also a perfect refresher for those who have been doing this for years and might be missing a step or two and of course everyone in between. Go to our website and check it out. You can do it on any device… Even a cell phone, while in jammies on a Sunday morning. You’re welcome. 😜 

 

Happy New Year!

It’s the end of the year… The time when we can chalk up all our mistakes to a “bad year”, make resolutions to hope this new year is better than the last and really take a look at our future. However, when it comes to safety, a mistake won’t go away with the clock striking midnight. An incident at work could leave you struggling for years. So when you choose your resolutions this year, make your safety a priority on the list… And stick with it all year. It’s more realistic than cutting carbs or chocolate out of your diet, I can vouch for that one. Seriously though, your safety at work is something you should always be trying to improve. Now, eat as much chocolate and carbs as you can before midnight and have an incredible New Year!

Rigging and Overhead Crane Operations

Who doesn’t love a good sale, especially at Christmas time. For the month of December we are offering our in-house rigging and overhead crane operations combo course for $280. (Regular $350). Offered weekly on Mondays at our Edmonton training facility. This 10 hour course will provide you with the skills needed to safely and proficiently […]