In today’s episode of the Dust Safety Science podcast, we’re talking to Bill Laturnus, Manufacturing Safety Senior Safety Advisor at BC Forest Safety Council, about building a culture of safety.
This is the second episode in a two-part series- last week, we talked about lessons for companies. Today, we’re going over lessons for industry associations. We’ll explore the significance of safety culture within associations and industry support groups and the evolution of safety culture in British Columbia. Additionally, we’ll provide insights on initiating the process of cultivating safety culture within a company or industry.. Lastly, we’ll examine the collaborative approach required to effectively engage with regulators and other stakeholders in this endeavor.
How Does Employee Engagement Support Industry Association Cooperation?
Bill explained that the association between the woodworking industry and organizations like MAG, WPAC, CHAG (Coast Harvest Advisory Committee), and TAG (Transportation Advisory Group) plays a significant role in the activities of the BC Forest Safety Council. These partnerships are essential for supporting health and safety initiatives in the forest products, harvesting, and manufacturing sectors.
By fostering strong relationships with focused working groups in each area, the council effectively assists these industries in all aspects of health and safety. Employee engagement and safety culture assume critical roles in this context. Bringing together these individuals allows for the collective establishment of industry-wide standards and practices that prioritize health and safety in all endeavors.
What Were the Driving Forces Behind Developing This Culture?
Bill clarified that the driving force behind this initiative is not the BC Forest Safety Council; rather, they act as facilitators for the aspirations of each group involved, be it MAG, WPAC, CHAG, TAG, or any other affiliated entity. These groups take ownership of the process and actively propel it forward. The success of an association primarily relies on the industry participants who assume responsibility and drive the progress, ultimately turning it into a reality.
When reflecting on the inception of this endeavor, MAG and WPAC can be used as illustrative examples. Initially, with regards to MAG, even before the incidents of sawmill explosions in British Columbia that prompted the combustible dust mitigation and control audit, a small informal group comprising six participants from prominent forest product manufacturing companies in BC would convene. During those early days, they made a significant commitment to prioritize safety over competition. This commitmen resonates deeply with all participating members, fostering a culture of open sharing without reservations.
WPAC adheres to the same principle, explicitly stating their focus on sharing safety rather than competing on it. As an industry group, MAG represents approximately 83% of BC’s sawmills, while WPAC represents 100% of operations in BC, as well as operations across Canada for wood pellet production. The dedicated efforts of these industry representatives who drive the process forward at the industry level yield commendable outcomes.
What Role Did the BC Forest Safety Council Play?
“When I say that we’re more the facilitators, we’re the ones there that help gather the people together and develop resources that the operations or the groups are looking for,” Bill explained. “We are funded as the Health and Safety Association through a levy on their assessment that they pay to WorkSafeBC. So the industry funds us to be a support for industry.”
He added that MAG has a CEO steering committee. This committee brings together the CEOs of all member companies within the MAG Group, convening twice a year. During these meetings, they diligently review the progress and outcomes of the group’s initiatives. These high-level forums provide crucial support and direction to the group, shaping its collective trajectory.
Considering the size of the forest products manufacturing industry, possibly one of the largest in the world, this aspect is of great importance. By coming together, sharing insights, and setting industry-wide directions, the CEOs demonstrate a remarkable commitment to safety. Their willingness to take time out of their hectic schedules to attend these meetings demonstrates their commitment to the cause.
“While we have quarterly meetings and people share what’s going on and everything, it goes much deeper than that,” Bill said. “The MAG group has made the decision that all of their meetings coming out of COVID are now in-person meetings, and the companies are taking turns hosting the meeting. After we have the meeting in the morning, we go through a tour of the operation where we see live demonstrations of those things that they’re doing to improve safety. It goes beyond just talking about it or showing pictures of it. It’s a whole new level of sharing safety that, to me. is really important because it’s building a very strong peer network within the group, where it’s okay for somebody to contact another person in the group and ask for help.”
The BC Forest Safety Council operates a unifying platform known as the Forest Industry Forum, serving as an umbrella term encompassing various groups such as MAG, CHAG, and others. Within this structure, a strong interconnection exists among the BC Forest Safety Council, the industry group, and WorkSafeBC. Notably, Manufacturing holds regular in-person meetings on a quarterly basis, engaging with different departments of WorkSafeBC as part of these gatherings. These meetings provide a valuable opportunity for collaboration and direct interaction between the industry representatives and WorkSafeBC officials.
Representatives from MAG, WPAC, Labor, and Pulp and Paper are included in these meetings. The quarterly gathering serves as a safe space for both groups to engage in candid and constructive discussions about resolving industry issues. It differs from a traditional interaction where a company approaches a regulator with complaints or receives feedback from the regulator regarding their practices. The matters at hand transcend individual companies and encompass broader industry concerns.
An example involves the recent proposed regulation changes regarding combustible dust, where pre-consultation took place due to the BC Forest Safety Council’s affiliation with WorkSafeBC. Each meeting’s agenda includes reviewing relevant regulatory developments and determining the industry’s position. The council actively participates in pre-consultations and WorkSafeBC readily provides information on ongoing matters. WorkSafeBC also values industry feedback and has demonstrated a willingness to make changes based on the concerns raised, extending beyond direct regulations to include aspects like the relationship between officers and site visits. This collaborative partnership between the three groups is pivotal, driven by the shared objective of minimizing injuries within the industry.
How Has This Communication Improved How the Groups Work Together?
Significant improvements have been made in the collaboration between industry officers and site managers. The impetus for these changes stemmed from industry frustration regarding officers’ perceived heavy-handedness and lack of attention to ongoing operational improvements. By expressing concerns in these areas, the industry effectively conveyed the message that they were actively working to address issues.
However, the industry also sought to enhance communication during site visits to ensure officers better understood the progress being made. This involved a shift in approach, where officers would take a brief pause upon arrival at a site, spending around 15 to 20 minutes familiarizing themselves with the operations before proceeding with inspections. This change prioritizes effective communication, knowledge sharing, and understanding. It allows officers to acknowledge that while certain aspects may not be fully resolved, the industry has outlined plans and actions in place to rectify them.
Are All the User Groups Doing These Annual Work Plans?
“Well, for all the groups there, we put together three-year work plans,” Bill said. “We’re actually just at the point where we’re doing a review at our next quarterly meeting for MAG. Our three-year work plan is sort of coming to an end. We’re taking a look at the actions that we set out to do. What have we achieved? What’s still on the books? Do we carry things forward? And what do we want to do for the future three years?”
Having a formalized action plan for the group offers a structured approach during their meetings, shifting the focus from reactive measures to proactive initiatives. With clear objectives and a shared goal in sight, the group finds it easier to assemble working groups and allocate resources for activities such as bow tie risk analysis on high-risk items.
Similarly, WPAC undertakes the task of developing annual and long-term working plans, which are distinct from the plans created for regulatory purposes but share similarities. These plans serve as a guide for utilizing the allocated funds and ensure accountability for their expenditure. By adhering to the plan and maintaining a clear direction, the group maintains consistency and remains on track in their endeavors, emphasizing the significance of having a strategic plan in place.
How Are Meetings With End Users Kept Effective?
“We actually made a little bit of a change to the WPAC,” Bill explained. “We were getting the feeling that what we call the group project level, which is a smaller group that gets together bi-weekly, that we were doing too much of the talking in industry or the people that were participating in the meetings weren’t providing enough input during the meetings. So we’ve shifted a little bit and we’re putting more focus at the beginning of the meeting on an open forum where people share things, and we do that in MAG as well. And it’s actually when you talk to the people that go there, it’s their favorite time of the meetings when somebody stands up and says, ‘This has happened and this is what I did to fix it and it worked great. Or this is what I did to fix it and it’s still not working very well. Can anybody help me with it?’ So we’re hoping to generate more shares from the participants at the beginning of the meeting instead of just one person having a safety share at the end.”
Although this change may reduce the time available for reporting on ongoing projects, the group has implemented measures to address this concern. Meeting packages now include comprehensive documentation that outlines the progress of various projects. This approach ensures that participants have access to the necessary information beforehand, allowing for more active engagement and discussion during the meetings. The primary emphasis is on encouraging the industry group to take ownership of the process, with the BC Forest Safety Council assuming a facilitating role. By actively participating in the meetings and providing valuable input, industry representatives play a crucial role in assessing the effectiveness of ongoing initiatives. This feedback loop enables the group to identify areas that require adjustments, changes, or the provision of additional resources to ensure continuous
Conclusion
To conclude the discussion, Bill said, “You’re not on your own. Don’t try to attempt to do this without taking a look at what’s already out there or seeking help. I get calls from people all the time, saying ‘Hey, you know, can you point me in the right direction to get this resource or some help with this?’ And that’s what our function is – it’s to help point people in a direction or provide them with resources. Maybe we say, ‘Well, no, we don’t have anything, but maybe we should look at that to develop a support for that.’ So don’t hesitate to contact people around you and internationally to get support.”
If you would like to discuss further, leave your thoughts in the comments section below. You can also reach Bill Laturnus directly:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 1-877-741-1060
If you have questions about the contents of this or any other podcast episode, you can go to our ‘Questions from the Community’ page and submit a text message or video recording. We will then bring someone on to answer these questions in a future episode.
Resources mentioned
Dust Safety Science
Combustible Dust Incident Database
Dust Safety Science Podcast
Questions from the Community
Dust Safety Academy
Dust Safety Professionals
Dust Safety Share
Organizations
BC Forest Safety Council
Manufacturing Advisory Group (MAG)
Wood Pellet Association of Canada
Resources
Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC) Safety Committee
Combustible Dust Resources
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