AM Safety Ltd.

02/13/2025

AM Safety offers thousands of online courses, including Ground Disturbance, Confined Space and Fall Protection.

01/24/2025

COR & Secor Support - Worksite Safety Support - Expert Safety Management - Safety Manuals - Site Inspections - Incident Investigations - Visit us today www.amsafety.ca

11/12/2024

Whether you're a startup company looking to establish a strong foundation or a growing business, we are your trusted partner in developing a robust safety strategy.

04/06/2023

Safety meeting topic of the week: Fire Extinguisher Inspections - Portable fire extinguishers are often times our first line of defense against small fires and chances are you aren't too far from one right now. Like any lifesaving equipment you want to ensure that it is operable at all times so it will work when you need it most. With proper inspection, testing and maintenance (ITM) protocols fire extinguishers can be long lasting, reliable options for combating a small fire early on. This blog will address the NFPA 10, Standard on the Installation or Portable Fire Extinguishers requirements that help ensure your extinguisher is ready.

The requirements are broken down into three different sections on inspection, maintenance and testing. In each section there is information on what needs to be done (Procedures), who is allowed to perform the work (Qualifications), how often each step needs to be done (Frequency) and how to document the work (Recordkeeping).

Inspection Procedures

Performing an inspection is the easiest thing you can do to ensure your extinguisher can be used reliably and effectively in an emergency. At a minimum, inspection needs to consist of the following steps:

- Make sure it is located in its designated place
- Make sure the extinguisher is visible or that there is signage indicating where the extinguisher is located
- Make sure you can easily access the extinguisher
- Ensure the pressure gauge is in the operable range or position
- Make sure it is full, this can be done by just lifting the extinguisher or you can weigh it
- For wheeled extinguishers, make sure the condition of tires, wheels, carriage, hose, and nozzle are acceptable
- For nonrechargeable extinguishers, operate the push-to-test pressure indicators

03/30/2023

Safety meeting topic of the week. Warmer weather means motorcycles are back on the road.

Motorcycle riders often travel in the left portion of their lane. This helps make them more visible to other road users. It does not mean they will be turning left.

Sometimes a motorcycle's turn signals can be hard to see. Watch the rider for clues. If the rider does a shoulder check, he or she may be intending to change lanes or turn.

When turning left, watch for oncoming motorcycles. They can be hard to see, especially in heavy traffic, at night or at dusk. It may also be difficult to judge the speed of the motorcycle.

Here are some tips to help you drive safely when there are motorcycles on the road:

Never share a lane with a motorcycle rider. A motorcycle rider needs the whole lane to travel safely.
Be aware that motorcycle riders will often move within their lane to avoid road hazards like pot holes and to maintain a space cushion from other vehicles.

When you are following someone riding a motorcycle, allow extra space between your vehicle and the motorcycle because motorcycles can stop very quickly.

Be aware that poor weather and road conditions and road hazards could make the motorcycle rider lose control.

03/16/2023

Safety Meeting Topic of the Week.

Recordable Injuries – Why Employees Should Care

All injuries need to be reported, no matter how small. Not only does it protect you, but it also protects the company as a whole by possibly preventing a first-aid injury from developing into a recordable injury.

This safety talk looks at recordable injuries and the impact not reporting injuries can have.

What is a Recordable Injury?
OHS has guidelines that dictate what work-related injuries must be recorded. Severe injuries that are work-related are almost always considered a recordable injury. Some examples include injuries that result in days away from work, injuries that result in restricted duty, loss of consciousness, and death.

Recordable injuries are a negative mark on a company’s safety record.

Why Should Employees Care About Recordable Injuries

Companies, such as insurance companies or large contractors who are bidding out work, look at rates like the TRIF (Total Recordable Incident Frequency), which quantify the rate of workplace injuries at a company.

In the case of insurance companies, they base the costs of premiums and insurability of companies applying for insurance coverage largely on these numbers.

These rates can also be a significant factor in being awarded future projects from larger companies. If a bidding company has too high of an incident rate, then these companies won’t even allow the subcontractor to bid on the work. It is deemed too much of a liability for the company that is awarding the work, no matter how low the bid.

A high rate of recordable injuries has very real negative business impacts.

For example, the more money the company spends on insurance, or the loss of money from a lack of work, can cause the employees to be laid off, not receive bonuses, or receive less of the other perks that may be offered.

The goal of safety efforts is to prevent incidents and injuries in the first place, but when an injury does occur, employees need to understand that they need to report it immediately.

03/09/2023

Safety Meeting Topic of the Week

Hierarchy of Controls Safety Talk
There are multiple safeguards to control any single hazard. Each level of these safeguards serves to protect employees. Some safeguards or controls are more effective than others. The hierarchy of controls outlines the controls used to mitigate a hazard from most effective to least effective.

The hierarchy can have additional or fewer levels of controls listed depending on the reference you are looking at. The hierarchy we will discuss is listed as elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE in our example.

Hierarchy of Controls Example
To better understand the hierarchy of controls, we will provide a real-world example. The example: A painter will apply a paint with a high level of VOCs to a metal surface in a factory.

Elimination: Eliminate the hazard. Paint example: The process can be outsourced or completed by an automated process to take the painter out of the situation.

Substitution: Substitute a more hazardous process or chemical with a less hazardous one. Paint example: Use paint with a lower VOC content to protect the painter. There is almost always a less hazardous option when dealing with chemicals.

Engineering: Engineer out hazards. For example- equipment guards, physical barriers, isolation, ventilation systems, etc., are examples are engineering controls. Paint example: Apply the paint in a paint booth with a proper ventilation system. This will help protect the painter as well as other employees in the factory.

Administrative: Administrative controls are things such as job training, job rotation, breaks, company policies, etc. Paint example: Train the painter to safely complete the task. Another example- use job rotations or breaks to limit the painter’s exposure to the paint.

PPE: Personal protective equipment covers items such as gloves, respirators, steel-toe shoes, safety glasses, and earplugs. Paint example: Provide a respirator that will protect the painter from the fumes of the paint. Also, provide goggles to protect the eyes and some type of coveralls to protect the skin.

We should always strive to eliminate as many hazards as possible. If elimination is not possible, then other controls lower on the hierarchy should be implemented to protect employees. PPE is always a last resort and should never be looked at as a primary control for a hazard. The more safeguards in place for a hazard, the least likely an incident will occur. Always verify controls are in place and never just assume that they are.

Discussion points:
-Provide some examples of controls and where they would fall on the hierarchy of controls.

-Are we relying on a less effective safeguard instead of eliminating the hazard or implementing an engineering control during a work task onsite?

03/08/2023

Changes in First aid – Part 11 of the Occupational Health and Safety Code effective March 31st 2023

First aid training First aid training for workers must now meet CSA Standard Z1210-17 (First aid training for the workplace – Curriculum and quality management for training agencies). Here’s how this change affects training providers and work site parties.

Work site parties Workplace first aiders are not required to get new certificates or complete new first aid training before their valid first aid certificate’s expiry date.

First aid kits First aid kits must now meet CSA Standard Z1220-17 (First aid kits for the workplace). By Director Order, Alberta OHS has permitted employers to use applicable CSA standard kits since May 2022. However, if you are a prime contractor or employer with an Alberta Type P, No. 2 or No. 3 first aid kit at your work site, you may have to add additional items in order for your kit to meet the new standards. To help with this, you can use the tables at the end of this resource.



These tables compare the previous and current kit requirements. It may also be helpful to understand that the CSA standard organizes first aid kits as follows:

• There are three types of CSA standard kits:

- Type 1 kits are for personal use.

- Type 2 are for basic first aid in low and medium risk environments.

- Type 3 are for intermediate first aid in higher risk environments.

• Type 2 and Type 3 CSA standard kits come in three sizes. If your work site requires either a Type 2 or 3 kit, you have to figure out what size is required:

- Small kits are for two to 25 workers per shift.

03/08/2023

Great day to complete home building safety inspections for one of our clients.

03/07/2023

Noise Exposure - OHS Code Changes – Effective March 31 2023



Noise exposure assessment The threshold for conducting a noise exposure assessment is reduced from 85 decibels (dBA) to 82 dBA to ensure noise is assessed before the occupational exposure limit is exceeded. The noise exposure assessment must be conducted in accordance with the updated CSA Standard Z107.56-18, Measurement of noise exposure



Fit testing of hearing protection A new requirement has been added for employers to ensure workers are fit tested for the hearing protection devices they use and wear. Fit testing of the devices must meet the updated CSA Standard Z94.2-14 (R2019), Hearing Protection Devices – Performance, Selection, Care, and Use. This change is intended to prevent noise induced hearing loss. The effectiveness of hearing protection is greatly reduced if the equipment does not fit correctly or is not inserted or worn correctly.

10/25/2022

Industry accepted online safety courses are available at AM Safety. PCST, Ground Disturbance 2, Fall Protection, Confined Space and many more.

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