EYE ON SAFETY

by Grant McMillan

Building Safety into Construction: Ongoing Improvement is Essential

There have been a number of media reports recently focusing on occupational injuries within the construction industry, but the reports do not acknowledge significant positive changes within our safety record over the last ten years. What we need to do now is examine both where we are today and what we need to do to ensure continuous improvement in the future.

First, let's look at the data for the general construction sector of our industry over the past five years. The most reliable source of statistics is WorkSafeBC, and according to its just-released 2006 Annual Report, the Injury Rate for General Construction has held steady at seven wage loss claims per 100 person years worked over the last five years. This may not seem to be much of an accomplishment, but it has taken place while our industry is experiencing its most rapid growth ever, with employment growing from 110,000 to 180,000.

Many of the workers new to construction come from non-traditional construction backgrounds, and some workers whose first language is not English require extra help to overcome the language barrier and ensure that the potential for hazards is communicated effectively. A great many workers have been hired quickly to satisfy the growing pressure to meet construction deadlines in our burgeoning economy. In this environment, training and ongoing supervision become critical.

Yet at the same time, WorkSafeBC records show that the duration of injury - the average time that an injured worker is off on claim - has dropped from 56 to 52 days. This is a noteworthy achievement during a time of rising employment. Simply put, the construction industry, working both with its members and with WorkSafeBC, is doing a much better job of assisting injured workers in returning to work safely and promptly. We need to work now on further reducing this duration or time off work, and plans are underway to introduce a standard Return to Work program, in cooperation with WorkSafeBC and the Construction Safety Association of BC.

In 2006, as has been widely reported, there were 34 deaths within the general construction sector, which includes industrial, commercial and institutional. There is no acceptable number when it comes to fatalities, but to understand the nature of the problem and to solve it, we need to dig deeper into these tragic deaths.

Of the 34 deaths within general construction, 21 were due to diseases caused by asbestos exposure 30-50 years ago - before there was widespread understanding about the dangers of asbestos. Three deaths were the result of motor vehicle accidents, and one was the result of a plane crash.

Unfortunately, some of the injury statistics reported in the media do not consider that when more people are working and therefore exposed to risk, more people are likely to be hurt. However, the number of people injured as a percentage of those working is a more valid way of considering the level of workplace injury. The hard data from WorkSafeBC tells a different story than what has been claimed in popular media.

The injury rate has decreased steadily between 1997 and 2005. (The 2006 rate will be available in about two months).

Construction Employment and Injury Rate

Source: WorkSafeBC.

This is excellent news for those who work in construction - fewer workers are being hurt as measured by a percentage of the number working. With these facts before us, what do we need to do as an industry to further reduce the number of injuries and to achieve a safe and prompt return to work?

The construction industry has already put in place an organization with the specific mandate of reducing our workplace injuries and facilitating return to work. The Construction Safety Association of BC (CSABC) is a non-profit society, governed by a board of directors drawn from a variety of the best managed construction companies in BC. CSABC, which is owned and operated by the construction industry itself, began offering high-quality, standardized safety courses in 2004.

The goals of the CSABC are to reduce worker injuries and to lower WorkSafeBC costs for BC contractors. To achieve these goals, CSABC, in partnership with WorkSafeBC and regional construction associations, offers safety training that leads to a Certificate of Recognition (COR). Over 2,500 construction industry workers, supervisors and owners/managers have taken the courses so far.

One of the essential elements of this training is a half-day interactive worker training program. This computer-based program gives new workers a virtual tour of construction sites, their potential hazards and the safe work practices needed to avoid injury. The program, when combined with a site-specific orientation, provides an excellent introduction for the worker who is new to the site.

Industry partners such as all four regions of the BC Construction Association and the Roofing Contractors' Association of BC offer the full range of CSABC courses, leading to COR certification. Construction companies that meet the qualification requirements then earn an initial five percent rebate on their WorkSafeBC assessments. Last year construction companies in BC earned over $970,000 in COR rebates while learning how to improve their workplace safety. The potential WorkSafeBC rebate will increase to a possible 15 percent maximum by the end of 2007.

All construction companies are eligible to complete COR and earn their rebates. Full information on how to register for COR, what courses are available and how to qualify is available at the CSABC website: www.csabc.ca or by calling Cathy Lange, project coordinator, at: 604.315.3722.

Official Journal of Record for SMACNA-BC