Construction Safety
Nova Scotia
Who we are
• Established in 1994
• Not-For-Profit & Industry Funded
Who we are
• Mission
– We commit to achieve a positive occupational
health and safety culture within the Nova Scotia
construction industry through the provision of
quality, accessible and affordable services.
Who we are
• Vision
– Together, construction workers and employers
will make the Nova Scotia construction industry
the safest in Canada.
Who we represent
• For the industry, by the industry
• 6000 member firms / 30,000 employees
• Member SIC
– 3551
– 4001 to 4499
History - 1993
• 1224 lost time injuries
• Average of 3.11 lost time injuries per
$1million in payroll
• One SIC paying $38 per $100 assessable
payroll
Today
• 532 lost time injuries
• Average of 0.47 lost time injuries per
$1million in payroll
• Average assessment rate of $3.65
Lost time injuries & payroll 1994-2016
1,300
$1,200
$1,132
1,200
$1,100
1,186
1,100
$1,000
Time-loss WCB Claims
$900
900
$800
800
$700
700
$600
600
532
$500
500
400
$400
$394
300
$300
Assessable Payroll in Millions
1,000
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
Time Loss injuries per $1 million in
payroll, 1994-2016
Time-loss WCB claims per million dollars of assessable paryoll
3.50
3.01
3.00
2.50
2.00
1.84
1.51
1.43
1.50
1.25
1.12
1.03
0.90
1.00
0.77
0.64
0.58
0.48
0.47
0.50
-
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
How did we get there?
• Believing in the ‘Power to Make a Difference’
• Offered OH&S training from the beginning
– Assessed industry needs from there
Certificate of Recognition
• Required for tendering
• 26,000 people trained in 1996
• COR Firms do 25% better than non-COR
certified firms
Lost Time Plateau
• Lost time accidents stagnant for three years
• What was next
– Strategic plan - Towards Zero
– Safety Mentoring Program
Safety Mentoring Program
• Offering assistance to members who need to
rebuild their safety programs
• No additional cost
• 1 on 1 consulting
Safety Mentoring Program
• Successful for Industry
– Lost Time Claims 2009: 671
– Lost Time Claims 2016: 532
• Successful for companies
– Example:
• Firm with 11 TLC goes to Zero = $100,000 in assessable
savings
Target Zero
• The goal to achieve zero accidents in the
construction industry by 2020
– Will be achieved through engagement, training
and advice
– Partnership with DOLAE and WCB
Where do we go from here?
• Currently not enough
• Three pillars of Towards Zero goals:
– Member services
– Injury Reduction
– Safety Culture
What is Safety Culture?
• “Deeply held but often unspoken safety-related
beliefs, attitudes, and values that interact with
an organization’s systems, practices, people, and
leadership to establish norms about how things
are done in the organization. Safety culture is a
subset of and clearly influenced by,
organizational culture. Organizations often have
multiple cultures or subcultures, and this may
be particularly true in construction.”
(NIOSH/CPWR, 2013, p.14)
Addressing future Safety Culture
• Construction Entry Level Training
– Targeting the future workers
– Goal: Every youth CELT certified before working
in construction
CELT
• video
Youth initiative
• Youth Engagement
• Making CELT available to all high school
students
• Making CELT a pre-requisite before entering a
construction jobsite
Addressing current Safety Culture
• Construction Safety Culture
– Four year research project
– Understand current safety culture for
organizations and industry
– Interventions toolbox for improving safety
culture
Construction Safety Culture
• Survey created and validated
– 5 Safety experts consulted
– Validated with 223 construction employees
• Firm recruitment – culture analysis
• www.ConstructionSafetyCulture.ca
Who has a power to make a
difference?
• The industry has the power to make a
difference.
• An employer has the power to make a
difference.
• A worker has the power to make a difference.
• I have the power to make a difference.
• You have the power to make a difference.
Questions?