Canadian Occupational Safety

23 2019 JUNE/JULY was definitely not a priority. But when Harshad came on board, I saw his pas- sion for it and I said, 'Why don't we implement something for our own staff as well?'" Rangan recalls. "He has been instrumental in putting all the safety policies in place and guiding us through this process." If they can't hire any safety help, owners might be able to find a man- ager, supervisor or worker who can be a safety advocate. "It's really important to foster that and find someone who has that pas- sion in your organization… That makes your life so much easier," says Kainz. Cost is an often-cited barrier to occu- pational health and safety for small businesses, which is understandable, given the many demands they face, including trying to stay fiscally viable, says Cullen. According to The Impact of Regulatory Costs on Small Firms from the United States' Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy in 2010, businesses with fewer than 20 employees pay about US$250 more per employee for OHS and homeland security regulations than firms with 500 or more employees. From Rangan's perspective, having a health and safety program in place is a much cheaper alternative than not having one. "If there is no safety in place, there is going to be a cost to it one way or another. You are saving money ini- tially by not putting money into safety, but in the long run, you're taking a risk," he says. "By not having a safety program, you're not having a calcu- lated risk, you're just winging it — and that's the most dangerous thing that anybody can do." When trying to get buy-in for safety from his clients, Rangan uses the example of how much a motor vehicle collision costs: the truck is down, a deductible has to be paid, insurance rates go up, the driver is out of work, the cargo might be damaged and the company might lose that client. "A safety program for you per month is going to cost you $5,000. Now, all these (accident-related) costs will be roughly $70,000. How many loads do you have to do to recover this money?" he asks. Additionally, a safety program can reduce turnover and sick days, improve productivity and retain employees, says Cullen. One way to alleviate the costs associated with health and safety for small businesses is to reach out to vendors and suppliers. Many safety suppliers offer free framework docu- ments and product samples, and they often have a wealth of OHS informa- tion that they are keen to share with their loyal customers. Rangan is part of Ontario's Infra- structure Health and Safety Association and various trucking associations, and he regularly draws on the networking opportunities and resources available. These organizations also have regular safety meetings for members, which he attends. "People bring up different issues and we end up learning about the industry, about safety and health," he says. Going in on costs with other small businesses is another way to save money. This is a tactic used in the Northwest Territories where the price tag on OHS training can be steep. A $250 course offered in Edmonton can run a few thousand up North, after a trainer is flown in and their accom- modations paid, Kainz says. Another barrier small businesses face is that health and safety legis- lation is often designed with large, unionized companies in mind. To navigate this barrier, small busi- nesses may need a bit more guidance than others. WSCC's Occupational Health and Safety Program Guide for Small Businesses gets down to the basics of what these companies really need — and it's not a "great, big pro- gram," says Kainz. The agency offers workshops for small businesses where they walk away with a completed health and safety policy. "They need somebody to hold their hand while they write it — 'You're here for the day, let's get this done,'" says Kainz. "It's putting it in baby steps." 5 6 7 Conduct regular job hazard analyses; implement job- specific safe work procedures; have a risk assessment rating for identified hazards. Provide a new worker orientation checklist and have readily available worker training records, such as for WHMIS and supervisor safety training. Safety talks should be written and compiled in a safety talk log book. Maintenance checklists, pre- shift inspection checklists and procedure checklists should be posted. 5. DO YOUR WORKERS HAVE THE TRAINING AND SUPERVISION TO PERFORM THEIR JOBS SAFELY? 6. DO YOU REGULARLY DISCUSS OHS ISSUES WITH YOUR WORKERS? 7. DO YOU REGULARLY CHECK, SERVICE, AND MAINTAIN ALL WORKPLACE EQUIPMENT, MACHINERY AND TOOLS? The concept of health and safety can be quite overwhelming for small busi- ness owners, and they often don't even know where to start, says Judy Kainz, director of prevention services at the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) of the North- west Territories and Nunavut. "They have this per- ception of a 6-inch binder sitting on their shelf," she says. One way to reduce the anxiety is for the business owner to not take it all on them- selves, especially since legislation and regula- tions are constantly changing. "Get your whole group involved; del- egate it," says Kainz. "It doesn't have to be solely the employer's responsibility to build the book — it's everybody's." When Rangan hired Harshad Solanki, he quickly tapped into Solanki's strong health and safety background — he worked as a safety officer in India for over five years. "Before Harshad came on board, I was just like the other owners, I have to say that. I had 10 to 12 staff; this It doesn't have to be solely the employer's responsibility to build the book — it's everybody's.

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