FLRA Story Title Suggestions:
For COAA distribution
By Kerry McArthur
November 12, 1998
Title Suggestions:
- Eliminating Loss Potential on Construction Sites
- How to avoid the Oops Factor
- Identify, assess, Control -- Dealing with Hazards
- COAA Deals with Day-of-the-Job Hazards
These days, just about every large Alberta construction firm has its own custom-built safety program, complete with intensive training workshops and materials for everyone from on-site construction workers to top-level executives.
But what about other construction companies that may not have had the time or resources to develop comparable safety processes? Should these businesses simply copy the programs of larger firms?
Or should they 'wing it' and just try to use common sense in the workplace?
The Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA) has a quick — and very affordable — answer to these questions:
Use their new process for identifying hazards and managing risks on the worksite.
"The Field Level Risk Assessment (FLRA) process was recently developed to provide Alberta (and Alberta-contracted) construction firms with a thorough, practical process to manage hazards and risks on the job site. A process supervisors and workers can use right on the job site to manage the risks of
their work and to make the jobsite a safer place to work," says Sharlene Wilson, member of the COAA safety committee and a health and safety program co-ordinator for TransCanada Pipelines' Energy Transmission Division (formerly NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd.).
"What's more, the program is free of charge to COAA members or anyone else who wants to adopt it. We're convinced FLRA will make an enormous difference to site safety, not just for those in construction but potentially for people working in other industries as well.
The COAA Safety Committee launched its new initiative earlier this year after hearing a disturbing message in a presentation on injury and fatality trends being seen in the construction industry. Don Currie, Managing Director of COAA states: "Alberta is in the midst on some of the best growth years the industry has seen in some time." "As the amount of construction work continues to grow so does the need for experienced and skilled workers." "However, more and more we are seeing younger and less experienced workers entering our workforce". "The frequency of injuries to workers who have worked with a construction employer for less than six months are on the rise."
"One of our key objectives in the COAA Safety Committee is to work to improve Safety performance in the Construction Industry by identifying, developing and promoting within the COAA , consistent and common safety and health practices and models."
"And the number of construction-related deaths investigated over the past two years bears this out: from January 1 to June 19 in 1997, three fatalities were recorded compared to nine fatalities for the same period in 1998."
Recognizing that a comprehensive safety program is important for every construction operator in Alberta, how's a frantically busy manager supposed to carry it through — especially when his workers are busy onsite?
SAFETY — IN SIMPLE STEPS
"The real beauty lies in the simplicity of the Field Level Risk Assessment's three basic steps:
- IDENTIFY the hazards
- ASSESS the risks
- CONTROL the risks
Answers Brian Bishop, leader of the COAA FLRA team and Senior Loss Management Advisor at Syncrude Canada Ltd: "This program relies on two common sense, easy to learn processes.
The first process involves the Supervisor, with the crew examining the plan of work. They will discuss the tasks involved in performing the job, the current working conditions, operating environment changes, etc. Together they will discuss and identify the hazards that exist in doing the work under the conditions present that day; assess the seriousness and the probability of each hazard; and determine the appropriate actions required to control each hazard.
The second process is a mental process which the individual worker will use to examine all aspects of the work at the beginning of , and throughout the job, to identify hazards, assess the risks, and control the risks..
"Image the reduction in injuries and incidents we could expect if all workers followed the mental process all the time!"
The first process Bishop described is supported by a simple form that assists the supervisor and workers through a series of risk-assessment steps. "They're asked first to identify the main job tasks, then to identify the hazards associated to that job task, and assess the risks associated with it." Lastly, they are asked to develop control methods which control the risk of the task to an acceptable level."
The FLRA process makes a point of showing how risk assessment can be done on the spot — in the form of a simple matrix. "The supervisor and worker ask themselves how probable this hazard is in relation to people and property and how serious the consequence would be if the hazard resulted in a loss. A simple process is provided for assess the risk.
The next steps in the phase are to identify methods to control the risk, briefly document the proceedings — and go to work.
The second FRLA process, or mental process is supported by a "memory jogger" card, a laminated wallet-sized card that reminds workers how to identify, assess and control the potential dangers around them."
On one side of the card, a simple flow chart emphasizes five steps of the risk-assessment process: Stop and Think; Look around and identify Hazards; Assess Risks; Control Risks: and Resume Work.
On the other side, the card asks a few suggested questions for its worker: "Do I clearly understand my task? Am I physically and mentally prepared to do the task? What could go wrong?" and asks the worker to assess the risks: "How bad could this be? How likely is this to happen?" Finally, the card notes, "Who should I contact for help? What can I do to control the risk? Are emergency response plans required?"
Bishop notes that a small amount of training is suggested. Recognizing this requirement, COAA, with the help of Capability Connections of Edmonton, has developed and is making available training tools which are comprised of:
- A Manager's information and Implementation Package
- A four-hour Supervisor's Self Study Course
- A two-hour workers Training Course
INDUSTRY STANDARDS
But while the FLRA is clearly a practical and time-saving way for companies to start up their own safety programs, does it necessarily follow that it's also industry-best practice? FLRA process was developed by amalgamating the 'best of the bunch' and rolling it all together in a best practice process."
Says Graham Wilson, another member of the COAA's safety committee and Manager of Corporate Health and Safety at Alberta Power, "FLRA is a superb hands-on risk assessment process because it has 'shopped' among the numerous safety programs of construction corporations, and chosen the most valuable features among them for its own. The program is not just 'industry-standard,' it's the best of industry-standard."
In compiling the FLRA process the COAA committee surveyed numerous Alberta companies.
Wilson suggests that many larger corporations with instituted safety programs will want to adopt some of FLRA's initiatives. "We'll certainly encourage our membership to use it or add ideas from it to their own safety program .
In fact Imperial Oil Resources is looking into the implementation of FLRA in their organization. As identified by Dave Fennel of Imperial "Incident analysis over the past several years has pointed toward a high number of direct causes for incidents as being 'failure to recognize a hazard'. We view the concept of FLRA and especially the pocket card as an excellent approach to addressing this recurring incident cause."
The fact that FLRA will be an 'evergreen' program is another of its strong advantages, he adds. "Our COAA committee monitors safety practices across the construction industry on a regular basis. If one of our members wants to add another step or change something slightly, we can do that. New practices can always be applied to FLRA because we've designed the process to evolve with changing times and standards."
The COAA plans to further develop FLRA in 1998 by adding it to their 'Best Practices' program. Wilson says the Edmonton-based association will issue an annual award for best safety practices to a member company, later adding other incentives to encourage management, supervisors and workers to adopt the Field Level Risk Assessment program.
Steve Proulx states that "the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) is committed to promoting FLRA. We will be looking to see that construction companies in Alberta are aware of FLRA as a best practice. "The Workers' Compensation Board in B.C. and Saskatchewan have also asked to examine FLRA, so we know it's starting to generate some real interest outside the province."
"Those of us who've worked hard to develop FLRA are convinced it will make a real difference, both to reduce losses associated to unmanaged hazards and to improve our industry's bottom line. If the program can save even a few hours of human suffering along the way, it will have been worth it."
Incorporated in 1973, the Construction Owners Association of Alberta promotes construction excellence by working effectively with the construction industry and other stakeholders to the benefit of its membership and Alberta. Its aim to improve the safety performance of the construction industry is one of its highest priorities as an industry association.
To learn more about FLRA, or to obtain program materials, please visit the COAA Website at:
e-mail: coaa-mail@coaa.ab.ca
…or contact COAA at:
1940, Manulife Place
10180 - 101 Street
Edmonton, AB T5J 3S4
Phone: (780) 420-1145 FAX: (780) 425-4623