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
20 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com "When they have a resource like me that arrives on site, automatically, their ears are open and they're really intrigued with anything that they can do better on site," Spicer says. e fact she's usually the only woman in the room when she goes out to various mine sites and conducts health and safety training, has never been an issue for her or for the workers she interacts with. e most trouble she's had to deal with perhaps was the lack of a women's change room in many of the mine proj- ects — but that's an easy fi x. An empty offi ce would most o en suffi ce. "It is a male-dominated industry, but in choosing this industry (as a profession) that defi nitely was not a consideration. I was always taught if you want to do something, you go ahead and do it. No matter what gender you are," Spicer says. Safety indoctrination Redpath is a contractor for Toronto- based mining fi rm Hudbay Minerals Inc. At the Lalor Mine project, Redpath provides drilling and construction work underground for Hudbay Minerals. In a typical project, Redpath will be working alongside its client company — as is the case at the Lalor Mine. Any visitor to the mine, whether just staying on surface or going underground, must go through safety indoctrination provided by the site safety supervisor at Hudbay Minerals. It's essentially a safety crash course that tells every visitor all they need to know about the safety hazards in and around the site, what to do in an emergency and wearing personal protective equipment, among other things. A respirator fi t test is also mandatory. Spicer, our photographer Bruce Reid, and I go through the safety indoctrination. Even though she had sat through many of these safety indoctrinations in her eight years as a safety professional in the mining industry, Spicer fi nds it important to go through them every time she visits a new mine — or one she has not been at for a long time — as new hazards, such as environmental or from new or diff erent equipment, may be at play. With the orientation done, our group proceeds to Redpath's offi ce trailer a few hundred metres down the road to meet the Redpath crew. Engaging the leaders Her visits are o en pre-announced so people at the site are aware of when and what business Spicer will be performing at the site. is not only allows site staff to prepare for anything that may be required during the visit for an effi cient fl ow of process, it also adds a layer of security for Spicer who o en has to travel alone to remote locations, where the roads are typically deserted and communication signals weak. Site supervisors at the destination site are aware of the time she is supposed to arrive, so they would know to look for her in case she fails to arrive on schedule and has not been in contact with them. It's a risk that is part of her job as a travelling safety resource for Redpath, Spicer says, but it's one that she is man- aging with proper work protocols. She has countless stories to tell about her travel experiences, and fortunately, none of them had put her in any par- ticular danger. Once on site, she immediately engages staff and supervisors in a conversation. It is apparent Spicer has developed rapport with the supervisors and managers at Redpath. She says developing a positive rela- tionship with site leaders is important. "I am on site a couple of times a year, but throughout the duration of the project, the safety message or the safety leadership has to come from the people who are there everyday," Spicer explains. "Our role is to make sure they have the tools they need, in terms of safety tools and resources and knowledge, so they can pass that on to the workers." is strategy is also important when introducing new procedures or pro- grams to the workers. Getting buy-in from the supervisors and managers at the site is the fi rst step in getting workers to sign on to any new corpo- rate program or procedure, for it is the supervisors who will ensure eff ective implementation and compliance. Part of Spicer's conversation with the supervisors and managers pertains to the new Fatality Prevention Program, the subject of her presentation when she meets with the workers the next day at their morning huddle. She will take the supervisors through her presenta- tion — before it gets presented to the entire team — and makes plans for them to lead the presentation to the workers. Going under Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the most important tool for anyone entering a mine — whether to work or visit. From hard hats to safety boots, every piece of PPE has a role to play in saving a life or limb. Taking pointers from Spicer, I put on the PPE required to enter the under- ground mine — hard hat, cap lamp, ear plugs, earmuff s, safety glasses, high-vis- ibility coverall, safety gloves, respirator mask, utility belt and a very heavy, yet essential, pair of safety boots. Several minutes later our group is at the mouth of a cave in a truck that would take us more than 900 metres below the ground to the Redpath work location. Spicer is doing some initial site inspections and we're coming along for the ride. As a fi rst-timer down an underground A Day in the Life… y Bob Forsyth, Lalor Projects safety supervisor (left) and Mark Sloan, Lalor Lateral Development Project superintendent inspects the area of the mine where drilling is being conducted. Top: Entrance to the Lalor Mine. Left: Spicer discusses Redpath's new Fatality Prevention Program with site leaders (L-R) Ray Blanchard, Ryan Jessup, Bob Forsythe and Mark Sloan. Top and Right: Spicer discusses the Five-Point Safety System card with Rick Leaman, jumbo drill operator. The Five-Point Safety System card includes a checklist for workers to ensure they are aware of the hazards around their work environment.