'We've had to learn how to be teachers again'

In 2021, provincial regulations were updated to align with CSA standards, specifically concerning first aid requirements – something which had a massive impact on the health and safety sector.

“We got notification ahead of time that this standard was changing,” says Tricia Pollock, an HSE professional At PCL Construction Management. “So, we sat down and pulled together the CSA standards that the new regulations were going to be measured to.”

This proactive approach allowed PCL to assemble toolkits for project teams, ensuring they understood the new requirements and expectations – meaning Pollock’s team could integrate these changes into their preventative maintenance program quickly.

Operating across Canada, the U.S., and Australia, rapid change is nothing new to PCL, often having to incorporate diverse standards into their safety programs. Innovation, understandably also plays a significant role in PCL's global safety culture. During Safety Week, PCL's partnerships with suppliers showcased new safety products across various project sites.

“We invited everybody from our project sites, so not just our PCL personnel, but our trade partners and all of their workers and gave them an opportunity to walk through and take a look, ask questions and see the products and play with the products,” adds Pollock.

The rapid pace of technological advancement poses both opportunities and challenges for PCL. Pollock points out that staying current requires significant resources and good partnerships. The complexity of risks is also increasing – with Pollock touching on the heightened challenges in urban construction environments.

“Bridges are getting longer and higher. Buildings are getting more detailed and advanced,” she says.

Environmental factors add another layer of complexity. Extreme weather events, once rare, are now more common and severe.

“Saskatchewan, we’re known as being bald, flat prairie, and so wind is always a thing.” Recent tornado warnings and severe storms have necessitated additional planning and precautions. PCL has implemented measures like on-site provision stockpiles and revised materials management practices to mitigate these risks.

PCL’s risk management includes daily weather forecasts and site-specific contingency plans. Pollock described their proactive stance here.

“We have one person on our project team that’s assigned to take a quick look at the day’s forecast and...do we have storm warnings? Do we have potentially some severe wind warnings. This then gets shared out with all of our workers on site to help them plan their day.”

At the core of of PCL’s safety strategy is encouraging workers to speak up about potential hazards.

“People aren’t always comfortable speaking up and saying no, if the message is unclear, or if they don’t understand.” PCL has made it a goal to empower workers to voice concerns, fostering an environment where safety takes precedence over pride or rivalry among trades.

The changing workforce also presents challenges. With many experienced tradespeople retiring, PCL has had to adapt its training approaches.

“We’ve had to learn how to be teachers again,” Pollock adds, noting that the new generation of workers learns differently. Moreover, increasing diversity due to immigration requires translating training materials into multiple languages.

 “You have to be slow to be fast, and you have to be more intentional about things.”