Canadian Occupational Safety

January/February 2020

Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine is the premier workplace health and safety publication in Canada. We cover a wide range of topics ranging from office to heavy industry, and from general safety management to specific workplace hazards.

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25 2020 JANUARY/FEBRUARY BLACKLINE SAFETY INTRODUCES NEW DATA SCIENCE OFFERING Blackline Vision, a new program by Calgary-based Blackline Safety, bundles data science consulting with custom data design services and integration. Together, Blackline Vision helps businesses achieve a deeper understanding of their operations and safety programs, supporting data-driven decision-making. With Blackline Vision, businesses can study movement patterns in order to optimize workflows; understand factors that affect productivity during intensive maintenance and construction projects; understand the relationship between incidents and recency of employee training programs; and gain a more detailed view of regulatory compliance by factoring employee vacation and sick leave. Blackline Vision also provides clients with the opportunity to leverage the large volumes of data generated by Blackline's G7 line of connected safety wearables. Each employee-worn monitor continuously streams data to the Black - line Safety cloud, with the option of automating emergency response and evacuation management. "Our new Blackline Vision program goes even further, supporting digital transformation programs with custom reporting and dashboarding, through to complex integration with learning management systems, scheduling systems, weather data, project management software and much more," said Sean Stinson, vice-president of sales and product management. PRODUCTS & SERVICES SIMULATOR TECHNOLOGY TEACHES ADVANCED DOZER TECHNIQUES Montreal-based CM Labs Simulations announced an update to its Dozer Training Pack that includes all-new training exercises and teaching tools, as well as new high-precision earthmoving simula- tion technology. The updated Dozer Training Pack teaches complex levelling and grading techniques. This is made possible thanks to new earthmov- ing simulation techniques that capture blade and dirt interactions to within one inch of precision. Once seated in the simulator, operators have the same feeling of moving soil as they would on real equip- ment, said CM Labs. "This realism engages trainees in a learning experience that trans- lates directly into work site skills," said Lisa Barbieri, CM Labs' vice-president of marketing and customer experience. "To learn real operating skills, you need real-life conditions… If it doesn't look right, the training won't feel right either." The new exercises include production dozing, access road creation and material spreading as well as how to operate in a complex work environment. The training also integrates a real-time grade quality sensor that tracks key metrics such as height, slope and standard deviation. With instant feedback, operators can adjust on the fly, as they would in real-life operations. Training exercises come complete with on-screen tips, best-practice hints and performance indicators that enable trainees to learn at their own pace or as part of an instructor-led training curriculum. When the Dozer Training Pack is paired with CM Labs' Instructor Operating Sta - tion, trainers can set conditions that include inclement weather and night- time operations. MASTERCHECK APP IMPROVES FORKLIFT SAFETY PRACTICES Various occupational health and safety acts across Canada make it clear that a forklift inspection must be completed before every shift to ensure the safe operation of the machinery. The newly released MasterCheck app is designed to automate the process of required forklift inspections, and to provide the supervisor with important operational insights. Operators can now complete the inspections quickly and virtually on their mobile device or tablet and easily send a record of that inspection to their supervisor. The forklift inspection is saved in the cloud and on the device for the operator's own records. Once the inspection is sent, the supervisor can receive a notification that all inspections are complete. In addition, operators can complete and send repair reports, incident reports and near-miss reports. The operator can also include photos with the report. "The app makes the process so much easier for both the operator and the supervisor that we expect a much higher level of compliance to this very important law," said app creator Gary Wilson. HONEYWELL CONNECTS HEADSETS TO THE CLOUD Honeywell has announced a new smart hearing solution that combines cloud- based software and connected headsets to monitor sound in real time and analyze patterns to help companies protect workers from noise-induced hearing loss. The VeriShield Smart Hearing Solution comprises a protective headset that reduces background noises to safe levels, allowing workers to communicate more clearly and easily. The headset continuously collects and transmits noise-related data to Honeywell Safety Suite, a cloud-based service that automates and streamlines the collection and reporting of safety data. Supervisors and workers can monitor and view noise exposure data — including noise peaks, patterns and unusual occurrences — on their smartphone or mobile computer using the Honeywell VeriShield app. "The VeriShield Smart Hearing Solution can motivate workers to take part in preserving their hearing because they can 'see' the hidden hazard," said Graham Robinson, president of Honeywell Industrial Safety. "In addition, safety managers will be armed with information that gives them a clear understanding of the challenges they face before designing a hearing conservation program and issuing hearing protection." Honeywell's software allows a safety manager to remotely monitor noise levels and worker exposure across multiple teams. The software also provides new insights into noise exposure, enabling managers to view and log noise levels and patterns on a visual dashboard. Honeywell notes the software can automatically generate records that help companies meet compliance regulations and reduce timely administrative procedures. Additional protections include visual and audible alerts that notify workers when they are nearing or surpassing their daily dose limits. The headset also includes fit testing that will notify the user or safety manager if the device is not properly fitted or worn correctly.

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