Birchcliff Energy's Ryan Sloan talks about the company's award-winning health and safety program
Natural gas-producer Birchcliff Energy is one of the 2021 excellence awardees in the Best Health, Safety and Environment Management Program at Canada’s Safest Employers Awards. In this interview, Ryan Sloan, health and safety manager at Birchcliff Energy, tells Canadian Occupational Safety’s Maia Foulis about the company’s winning COVID-19 response.
Sloan says that like most organizations, Birchcliff Energy has made a shift to the safety culture in terms of how it manages its interactions and all aspects of the business. Employees use technology to continue having engaging conversations via Webex and Zoom, he says. The company also considers new ways to support the team members in the field and in Calgary, so it provides those in the field with online – including mental health – training. Sloan says this is an opportunity for the company to continue developing a positive safety culture even during the pandemic.
“Birchcliff has a highly engaged workforce leadership team, and a mature and healthy safety culture [that enables managing] interactions and processes that support the culture,” says Sloan.
He believes that other organizations can establish a strong safety program by having a leadership team that supports the organization’s needs. This responsibility goes beyond showing catchy slogans or rewards programs, but more importantly, having resources such as qualified and educated health and safety professionals. Gathering feedback and supporting educational training programs for the workforce while encouraging participation is also critical to align the goals and values of workers and management.
To improve their safety programs, Sloan says that other companies have to focus on effective communication from the leadership and workers’ perspectives. For him, being a good safety leader means setting a positive example at work and at home, as well as being humble and learning new ideas and skill sets.
