The Tri-County Health & Safety Program
An Intermunicipal Initiative to Improve
The Health & Safety of Municipal Employees

Municipalities have a moral obligation based on the concepts that carry the quality of life for each other.  Society expects people in authority to protect their subordinates from harm.  On the workplace, this means that owners have the responsibility to take appropriate measures to protect their workers from illness or injury.  Workers, in turn, are responsible for cooperating with safety measures to safeguard themselves and their fellow workers.

No matter how high the level of commitment or how complete and appropriate the safety manual, a safety program cannot have an impact if the policies and procedures are not implemented in every area of operations and then constantly monitored to ensure compliance.

The changes to Alberta's Health and Safety Legislation have placed greater responsibility and accountability on the shoulders of employers of all types and sizes.  Failure to comply with the legislation may result in prosecution under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, with fines of up to $500,000 for the first offence and $1,000,000 for the second.  The introduction of Bill C-45 of the Criminal Code of Canada, imposes a legal duty on all those who direct work, including employers, to take reasonable measures to protect employee and public safety.  Wanton or reckless disregard of this duty causing death or bodily harm may result in a charge of criminal negligence.

Smaller municipalities are not always in the position to devote the funds required to employ a full-time Health & Safety professional to develop, implement and maintain their Health and Safety Program.  This task is often arbitrarily unloaded on someone in one of the physical work areas, such as a Public Works Foreman or an employee in the Human Resources department due to the work done on the WCB Claims.  Although this person may not have any of the training required to develop a health and safety program, they will be tasked with developing a comprehensive program that will ensure legislative compliance, establish a healthier and safer work environment and create worker acquiescence.

The program may commence with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm, a lot of documentation created, initiatives implemented, and safety awareness may increase.  However, all too often forward momentum will stall, as the person charged with this task, must shift their priorities back to their key position.

Safety starts at the top.  Management commitment, leadership, and genuine, visible involvement lead to an improvement in safety attitudes throughout the organization.  Such an improvement in attitudes assures the success of a safety program with resulting savings in human and financial resources.

By having a fully functioning Health and Safety Management System, the Tri-County Health and Safety Program, a shared program between the Counties of Wetaskiwin, Beaver and Camrose, these municipalities are in a position of demonstrating due diligence and compliance with legislation.

The Tri-County Health and Safety Initiative was implemented by first obtaining the services of Golder Associates to develop a Municipal Health and Safety Program for each of the three participating municipalities, based on the Provincial Partners' In Injury Reduction Program (PIR or Partnerships) standard.  A Joint Health and Safety Officer was then employed to implement and maintain the Program.  Once completed, the three participating municipalities registered in the PIR Program, had their programs audited by external peer auditors, each municipality successfully receiving a Certificate of Recognition (COR). 

The Partners' In Injury Reduction Program is a joint venture between the Workers' Compensation Board, Alberta Human Resources and Employment and the many provincial safety associations; the Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association for Alberta's municipalities.  The PIR Program was implemented to assist municipalities with developing their health and safety programs, as well as earning special financial incentives.  With the successful completion and implementation of a health and safety program and obtaining the COR, municipalities are eligible to receive a WCB premium rebate.

The personal safety and health of each employee in the Tri-County Health and Safety Initiative between Beaver County, County of Wetaskiwin and County of Camrose is of primary importance.  The prevention of occupationally induced injuries and illness is a high priority for management and by providing leadership, resources and direction, creates a healthier and safer work environment for all staff, contractors and the general public.

Together the municipalities maintain a health and safety program that conforms to the best practices of municipal operations.  To be successful, such a program must start with the proper attitudes toward injury and illness prevention on the part of both the management and the employees.  Only through a cooperative effort can a safety program be established.  Together our objective is a health and safety program that will reduce the number of injuries to an absolute minimum.  Our goal is zero accidents and injuries.

In order to achieve our goal of zero accidents and injuries, we have engaged in the Tri-County Health and Safety Initiative, administered by a shared Health and Safety Officer.  This Officer is based out the County of Camrose Administration building because of its central location.   The Tri-County Health and Safety Officer responsibilities include ensuring compliance with all applicable Provincial and Federal legislation, implementation and maintenance of the Counties' Health and Safety Program documentation, as well as assist the Counties in obtaining their COR and maintaining their programs to the Partnerships' Program standard.

The Occupational Health & Safety Code details a host of essential corporate health and safety system elements that must be developed and maintained by employers, including thorough hazard assessments, working alone, workplace violence prevention, working at heights, fall arrest equipment, emergency response and confined space, just to name a few.  The Tri-County Health and Safety Initiative allow the Counties to create a safer and healthier work environment, control the bottom dollar and maintain municipal leadership.  A clear measure of the success of this project will be the ongoing regional cooperation between the Counties of Camrose, Wetaskiwin and Beaver and offering the best service we can to our employees and residents.

For more information, please contact:
Linnet Henderson, CRSP, RMHSA
Tri-County Health & Safety Officer
780-672-4446