Safety Policy

Normandeau Roofing Ltd. is committed to providing complete support in order to develop and maintain a safety program that will ensure the utmost safety for its employees and the surrounding environment.

Accidental loss can be controlled through good management in combination with active employee involvement. Safety is the direct responsibility of all managers, supervisors and employees.

Normandeau Roofing Ltd. accepts the responsibility for leadership of the safety and health program, for its effectiveness and improvement, and for providing the safeguards required to ensure safe conditions. Health and safety shall not be sacrificed for the sake of expediency or production.

Employees are responsible for cooperating with all aspects of the safety and health program, including compliance with all the rules and regulations, and for continually practicing safety while performing their duties.

Through conscientious contribution and continuous support, we can and will, improve our safety performance and assure a healthier and more secure future for all concerned.



Safety Co-ordinator

The Safety Coordinator is responsible for having a complete overview of the Safety Program, evaluating its effectiveness and spearheading its direction. The CEO will appoint the Safety Co-ordinator.

Some of the Safety Co-ordinator duties include:

  • Completing basic training courses in occupational safety and health and other related training courses.
  • Developing, implementing, and maintaining the company safety policy.
  • Incident investigation and analysis.
  • Initiating the evaluation and purchasing of Personal Protective Equipment.
  • Activities related to the Workplace Hazardous Materials Identification System (WHMIS).
  • Assisting with Workers Compensation Board correspondence.
  • Scheduling and co-chairing Safety Meetings 4 times a year to promote safety and health issues and discuss areas of concern.
  • Reporting directly to the CEO.
  • Keeping a log of activities and associated documents. i.e. Certificates.
  • Log activities to show hours spent.
  • Update Safety & Loss Prevention Program Manual as needed.
  • Administer WHMIS sheets.
  • Present binder to workers and management. Ensure supervisors get a copy of complete manual and all employees get a copy of abbreviated format.
  • Keep up to date on changes in legislation and inform others.
  • Distribute program packages for supervisors for jobsites.
    e.g.) list of to-do’s – new forms, required postings.

Provide additional copies of all forms on site. (Forms in supervisor’s manuals need to stay in their manuals).



Safety Committee'

The Company Safety Committee is comprised of at least four members; two members representing the employees, and two members representing management. The Safety Co-ordinator will call the meeting and set the agenda. The committee has two co-chairpersons, one chair representing employees, one chair representing management. The co-chairpersons shall alternate the function of chairing the meetings of the committee and shall participate fully in the deliberations and decisions of the committee. (The number of management members on the safety committee cannot be more than the number of employee members).

The Safety Committee convenes on a quarterly basis and has the following responsibilities:

  • Implementation of Safe Work Concepts.
  • Evaluation of safety performance of all divisions of the company.
  • Review of incident and accident reports.
  • Investigation of serious incidents.
  • Review of safety inspections.
  • Review of "Tool Box Meeting" minutes.
  • Addressing any concerns or recommendations arising from the workplace.
  • Deciding on safety topics to be used during Tool Box Meetings.
  • Keeping up to date on any changes in Legislation and passing along any such information.
  • When Normandeau Roofing Ltd. is the prime contractor on a project site a safety committee will be established for that site if there are more than 20 workers and the job is expected to last in excess of 90 days.

The Safety representative at each site will be the site supervisor.



Safety Rules

  1. All unsafe acts/conditions and accidents including "near miss" incidents are to be reported to the appropriate authority immediately e.g. worker to Supervisor, Supervisor to Safety Co-ordinator, Safety Co-ordinator to Safety Committee/CEO.
  2. CSA approved safety footwear is to be worn 100% of the time while on the job site.
  3. CSA approved hardhats shall be in the immediate work area and shall be worn when working with heavy equipment, when there is overhead work involved and when deemed necessary by the supervisor on site.
  4. Safety eyewear shall be in the immediate work area and shall be worn when working with equipment that produces flying debris and when deemed necessary by the supervisor on site.
  5. Approved hearing protection shall be on an employee's person 100% of the time and shall be worn when working with/around power equipment or during any such time that there is the potential for hearing impairment.
  6. Clothing shall be approved for all duties being performed. Long pants and a t-shirt are the minimum requirements to be worn at all times. Muscle shirts are not permitted. Long sleeve shirts must be worn when working with hot asphalt. Clothing should not be made of synthetic fabrics and should be close fitting and in good condition. Torn and tattered clothing and clothing in need of repair will not be tolerated. Employees will be asked to leave the job site and return when they have the appropriate outerwear.
  7. Smoking will not be permitted while working and smoking will only be allowed in designated areas. "Strike Anywhere" matches are not permitted.
  8. Running is not permitted anywhere, except in the case of extreme emergency.
  9. Explosives/powder actuated tools shall be used only by persons who have been instructed and trained in their safe use.
  10. Compressed gas cylinders shall be secured in an upright position.
  11. Welding and burning operations shall be carried out only by authorized personnel with the appropriate individual protective equipment.
  12. Tools will only be used for their intended use. Any tool that is found to be in need of repair shall be tagged with the "lockout" tag and not used until the repairs have been performed.
  13. Possession or use on the jobsite of intoxicating beverages or unauthorized drugs is strictly forbidden and constitutes grounds for immediate dismissal.
  14. Riding on equipment is prohibited; no person shall ride any equipment which is not specifically designed to do so.
  15. Horseplay, fighting, gambling, any possession of firearms is strictly forbidden on the jobsite and constitute grounds for immediate dismissal.
  16. All personnel shall maintain good housekeeping practices.
  17. All employees shall follow the "Safe Work Procedures" as outlined.
  18. Theft, vandalism or any other abuse or misuse of company property is prohibited and is grounds for immediate dismissal.
  19. All equipment must be signed in/out of the office and the Safety Co-ordinator must be notified when equipment is transferred from one jobsite to another.

Failure to comply with the above rules will result in disciplinary action as outlined by the guidelines in Section 4.0 Safety Rules, and/or as decided upon by the Safety Committee.



Personal Protecive Equipment

The policy on the following page details both the company’s and the employee’s responsibilities in regards to Personal Protective Equipment (P.P.E.)

General P.P.E. includes CSA approved hard hats, CSA approved safety footwear, safety eyewear and hearing protection. These P.P.E. are mandatory on all sites. The employees must supply their own safety footwear, hard hats, safety glasses and clothing. The company will supply hearing protection.

General P.P.E. should conform to the most current CSA standards and applicable legislation. A copy of these standards are available at the office.

As well as general P.P.E., certain specific P.P.E. may also be needed from time to time. These may include safety harnesses, special eye protection etc. The supervisor will make the company aware of when such equipment is necessary and the company will provide this equipment for the workers. The supervisor will make certain that the worker is familiar with the proper techniques involved in using the equipment. Information sheets will be available in the “Safe Work Practices” section.



Planned Safety Inspections

Safety Inspections are an excellent, pro-active way of identifying any possible hazards in the workplace before they become incidents.

Informal inspections should be ongoing. By being constantly aware of the possibility of an accident, and in dealing with possible hazards as they arise, both supervisors and workers are conducting informal inspections.

Formal inspections will be carried out on a regular basis with all reports being forwarded to the office:

  • Formal inspections will be completed by the site supervisor or Safety Co-ordinator when a job lasts one week or more in order to rectify any concerns as soon as possible.
  • For lengthy jobs, inspections will be done once a month by the Safety Co-ordinator. The site supervisor will conduct the monthly inspection for rural jobs.
  • Apart from formal and informal safety inspections, a Hazard Assessment and a Construction Safety Checklist will be conducted prior to starting work on every new jobsite.


The safety committee will review any unresolved concerns.

All machinery tools/equipment and vehicles will be serviced and maintained as required. An Equipment Maintenance Program binder containing service records/inspections and manuals for tools/equipment of $200 or more as well as all vehicles will be kept in the office. (See Section 11).



General Safe Work Practices and Safe Job Procedures

Safe work practices are ways of controlling hazards and doing jobs within a minimal risk to people and property. Safe job procedures are written step-by-step descriptions of how to do a job from start to finish. Safe work practices and job procedures have been developed and must be implemented.

To reduce risks, this section contains a set of safe work practices and job procedures as categorized in the table of contents.

It is important that management and all employees understand the safe work practices and job procedures and support and comply with them. Safe work practices and safe job procedures can be introduced/reviewed as Tool Box Talk topics. Supervisors will ensure that safe work practices and job procedures are followed on site.

It is the Supervisor’s responsibility to provide training from this manual if requested by an employee, or if he sees that the employee requires it.

It is the employee’s responsibility to be familiar with the proper operating procedures on any tools or equipment in his use, and if not familiar, to ask.

The Safety Co-ordinator will create and update safe work practices and job procedures as required.



Incident Reporting and Investigation

Purpose

To investigate incidents so that causes can be determined and corrective actions can be implemented to prevent recurrence.

Policy

Normandeau Roofing Ltd. will fully investigate the following types of incidents:

  • Accidents that result in personal injury or occupational illness requiring medical aid;
  • Accidents that result in fire/explosion;
  • Accidents that cause property/equipment damage or interrupt operation with potential loss exceeding $500.00;
  • Accidents that result in environmental damage;
  • Near miss incidents that have the potential to result in the 4 examples above;
  • All incidents that, by regulation, must be reported to the Workplace Safety and Health Division or other regulatory agencies.

Responsibilities

  • All employees shall report all incidents to their immediate supervisor.
  • Supervisors shall conduct initial investigations and submit their reports to the Safety Co-ordinator within 24 hours.
  • The Safety Co-ordinator shall determine the need for and, if necessary, conduct detailed investigations. The Safety Co-ordinator shall also determine causes, recommend corrective action, and report to the CEO.

The CEO shall review and sign all Safety Co-ordinator’s reports, determine corrective action to be taken and ensure that such action is implemented. Incidents/investigations will be reviewed at safety meetings.



Safety Training

Purpose

The Purpose of this policy is to provide for general and specialized safety and related training throughout all levels of the organization.

Policy

The company will provide and ensure that all employees participate in the following safety training:

  • Safety orientations for all new hires on the first day of employment conducted by a member of the management team;
  • Review safety orientations annually for all employees;
  • Job specific and on-site training as required e.g.) WHMIS;
  • Jobsite orientations for all employees conducted by site supervisors at the commencement of new jobs.

All orientation and training will be documented and when appropriate, kept in employees’ personnel files.

In addition, safety meetings (Tool Box Talks) involving employees will be held weekly, initiated by site supervisors. Tool Box Talks Minutes will be posted at the respective jobsite and copies will also be forwarded to the Safety Co-ordinator and to the office (project file).

When Normandeau Roofing Ltd. is the primary contractor, Normandeau Roofing Ltd.’s supervisors will conduct a subcontractor orientation at the commencement of the job with the subcontractor’s on-site supervisors. Subcontractors will sign the orientation and comply with Normandeau Roofing Ltd.’s Safety and Loss Prevention Program Manual. Subcontractors will be required to conduct their own “Tool Box Talks” or participate in Normandeau Roofing Ltd.’s weekly “Tool Box Talks”.



Emergency Planning and Procedures

Supervisors will coordinate emergency procedures and address fire-fighting requirements at each jobsite. Supervisors will review specific evacuation plans and location of all emergency equipment and communication devices when they do the jobsite orientation with all employees at the commencement of a job. Normandeau Roofing Ltd. is committed to being able to:

  • Provide first aid to the injured.
  • Provide transportation to a medical facility.
  • Conduct an initial attack on a fire.
  • Promptly summon outside agencies for assistance with the above matters as necessary.

In order to ensure the above:

  • All employees will be trained in fire extinguisher use.
  • All Supervisors will be trained in First Aid and CPR and each jobsite will have the required number of trained first aid personnel in accordance with WSH legislation.
  • Communication devices and transportation will be readily available at each jobsite. Emergency contact numbers will be posted.
  • Adequate first aid supplies and fire extinguishers will be available and maintained at each site. Fire extinguishers will be inspected and maintained by professionals annually.
  • Documentation of first-aid treatment will be recorded on the enclosed First Aid and Treatment Record.

Whenever possible, Supervisors will be responsible for administering initial first-aid and fire fighting requirements.

The Supervisor will also be responsible for investigating and planning emergency procedures to be followed on jobsites where a peculiar hazard could result in a site emergency.



Legislation

Normandeau Roofing Ltd. will follow and comply with the Work Place Safety and Health Act and Regulations. Employees will be familiar with legislations and have access to Work Place Safety and Health Regulations. Normandeau Roofing Ltd.’s master Safety Manual, kept in the office, will contain all regulations. Normandeau Roofing Ltd. will provide employees with access to the most current, applicable Workplace Safety and Health legislation and applicable standards.

Note: A company-wide hearing conservation program will be in place.

Machinery and equipment lockout procedures and information regarding the subject of workers working alone is included in Section 7.0 of this manual: Safe Work Practices and Safe Job Procedures.

Crane Operator Policy

Crane operators utilizing equipment with a capacity to hoist over 7300kg must be certified under the apprenticeship branch, not including overhead crane operators.

All crane operators must use a logbook and it must be kept updated.

When Normandeau Roofing Ltd. subcontracts work to a company and use of a crane is required, Normandeau Roofing Ltd. will enforce the above legislation. The crane operator will need to produce a copy/proof of certification prior to working on site.

Hearing Protection Policy

Purpose: Ensure that hearing protection is used where required to reduce the amount of noise employees are exposed to in the workplace.

Policy: It is the policy of this Company and mandatory that every employee or sub-trade employed by Normandeau Roofing Ltd. wear hearing protection where continuous noise levels exceed regulation, heavy equipment/machinery is being used and in marked/designated areas.

It is the responsibility of all personnel to use hearing protection when deemed necessary, and as each job may dictate.

It is the responsibility of the individual to assure that hearing protection is chosen for the noise level amount and is job specific.

It is the responsibility of every Supervisor to ensure employees working in high noise level areas are instructed in the purpose of the hearing protection procedure. As well are properly trained in the proper use of the procedures and any personnel protection equipment that they may need to use.

It is the responsibility of every Normandeau Roofing Ltd. employee working in high noise level areas to wear the designated hearing protection provided and to comply with legislation, rules and policies. It is also the employee’s responsibility to become educated in the proper use and care of the provided hearing protection and report any non-compliance or hazardous noise to the Supervisor or Safety Representative.

Normandeau Roofing Ltd. will conduct the necessary dosimeter testing. When results are available, we will comply with regulations to implement a hearing protection policy.

At this point, Normandeau Roofing Ltd. is committed to organizing and paying for audiometric testing for all new employees not later than 70 days after a worker first comes to the workplace and all employees will be tested annually.

WHMIS

Normandeau Roofing Ltd. is committed to providing WHMIS training to all employees who work with or who are in close proximity of controlled products.

All MSD sheets for controlled products will be current (within 3 years), appropriate to the control product in terms of general and brand name. The MSD sheets will be readily available on jobsites and in vehicles when controlled products are being transported.

MSD sheets will be kept on file for 30 years in the office. Each supervisor will have an MSDS manual on site.

When Normandeau Roofing Ltd. hires a Sub-Contractor, the Sub-Contractor is responsible for supplying Normandeau Roofing Ltd. with the appropriate MSD sheets as well as indicating the quantity of each controlled product.

When Normandeau Roofing Ltd. is sub-contracted to do work, Normandeau Roofing Ltd. will supply