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.
Issue link: https://digital.thesafetymag.com/i/358607
18 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com A Day in the Life… y 18 18 Can d adian Occupa pati tion onal al Saf afet ety ww ww www.co co cos- s-mag.com Right: A jumbo drill used at Redpath's Lalor Mine Project Bottom right: Spicer (second from right) chats with site leaders (L-R) Bob Forsyth, safety supervisor; Robin Forsythe, supervisor; Mark Sloan, project superintendent IT'S A MAN'S By Mari-Len De Guzman R oberta Spicer travels to some of the most inherently hazardous workplaces in the world. As the health and safety superintendent for mining contractor and engineering fi rm Redpath, Spicer conducts health and safety training and site safety audits at the company's various mine projects across North America. She also visits Redpath's projects in Mongolia and Indonesia. Redpath is headquartered in North Bay, Ont., but Spicer spends most of her working days telecommuting from her home offi ce in Bedford, N.S. She visits anywhere from six to 12 mine projects in a year. Spicer's recent work assignment takes her to northern Manitoba — where Canadian Occupational Safety catches up with her. She is conducting a safety inspection at Redpath's Lalor Mine project in Snow Lake, a small mining town about 700 kilometres north of Winnipeg. She is also meeting with workers, supervisors and superintendents to present and promote the company's new Fatality Prevention Program, which includes a set of fatal risk elimination protocols and Redpath's 10 Cardinal Rules. Spicer tells COS the work involved in any given site visit begins long before she arrives at the mine. "Before I go, I co-ordinate with other audit team members and other superintendents from projects around Canada. I make sure that we have our orientation schedule before we get there; plan a schedule, when we are on surface and when we are underground; the types of things that we are going to be looking for," explains Spicer. She reviews injury rates, close-call reports, equipment damage reports, and uses these data to look for any trends for the particular project she is scheduled to visit. She also looks for any outstanding issues pertaining to safety or training. Every site visit Spicer does allows her to share her knowledge and expertise on safe work practices with workers and supervisors on site and they, in turn, take advantage of the opportunity to use her as a resource for the short period she is on site. With a bachelor's degree in psychology, a bachelor's degree in health promotion and a certifi cation as a Canadian Registered Safety Professional, Spicer is confi dent she has the essential skills necessary to be eff ective at her job. world wor Photos: G. Bruce Reid