safe installation of drilled shafts, he says, the ADSC Western
Canadian chapter decided to use it as a basis for a Canadian
standard.
“Our safety committee went through the ANSI standard,
comparing it to our federal regulations to ensure that we
would be in compliance,” he said. “Then we went to the CSA
Canadian Standards Association to see whether we could
build this spec.”
The CSA process requires a workshop that comes with
a price tag of $25,000, which will be shared by the ADSC’s
Eastern and Western Canadian chapters. The next step,
formalizing the standard, would require a further industry
investment of a figure between $125,000 and $250,000.
“This country is getting smaller by the day as companies
get larger,” said Sharp. “It’s a benefit to have a standard that’s
recognized and built by the industry to protect the public, the
people working on the site, the environment and the owners;
it’s a win-win for everybody.”
COVER FEATURE
Building a safety culture
While these new additions to the safety toolkit are being
developed, many companies already perform to high standards
in building a culture of safety. But in order to achieve
this, safety has to be a priority at the highest level, and it must
be integrated into every facet of the company.
“If safety is not supported from the very top, it will not
happen in any organization; if it is strongly supported, you
cannot help but win,” said Bell. Top-down support isn’t just a
budgetary matter, he adds, but must include “the true commitment
from the person. If the president walks onto the site
without the vest and the glasses and the PPE personal protective
equipment, he’s just shot the safety manager in the foot.”
Belair agrees, and Keller Canada mandates safety throughout
the entire organization.
“One of the things that Keller Canada does is demonstrate
a commitment, leadership and effective participation to
ensure the successful implementation of our occupational
“Best practices
after accidents
are based around
lessons learned.
After an event,
the circumstances
of the event are
investigated.”
– Paul Belair, MBA, BASc,
CRSP, CHSE,
Keller Canada
PHOTO COURTESY OF KELLER CANADA
PILING CANADA 21