CSA Z462 Puts the Squeeze on Small Electrical Contractors
Dave Smith has been an Industrial Maintenance Electrician since 1975. He has taught maintenance, troubleshooting and safety courses to thousands of electricians in mines, mills, refineries, factories, plants, power stations and offshore platforms throughout North America and the Middle East. Dave is a hands-on guy and teache...
It is well known that 80% of new businesses close their doors within the first five years of operation. Some time ago, a Royal Bank study confirmed this before revealing that, of the survivors, 80% close their doors within the next five years.
This is a 96% attrition rate for small businesses in the first 10 years of operation. Granted, numerous factor play a hand in this conclusion, but a lousy marketplace is a killer—even for established companies—and we are at the beginning of a royal mess. Someone is going to disappear. And now the ante is huge on the health and safety table.
Bill C-45 amended the Criminal Code of Canada several years ago to put health and safety in the crosshairs of the local police. Should they determine that an accident warrants it, they will press charges with no discussion with the Ministry. Once the Ministry becomes engaged, you’ll be fighting two parallel investigations. Just watch your bank account drain now!
CSA Z462 is not legally written in stone but every province has a General Duty Clause: “You shall protect your workers against recognized hazards”. After 28 years of trying to convince people that electricity really is dangerous, I can tell you that electrocution, arc flash and blast—and all the ancillary nasties—have never enjoyed such a high profile.
A small contractor with an irregular work force has a real chore ahead of him, trying to change the human behaviour of a gypsy; even a contractor with a seasoned crew will be challenged when trying to change the habits ingrained after a century of no PPE (personal protective equipment). The complaints will be constant; the gloves are hot, sticky and clammy within minutes of putting them on; a face shield has lots of annoyances; hot, claustrophobic, hard to see through, they fog up, etc.
When you have a recalcitrant workforce that grudgingly wears PPE when they are being observed, but go back to old habits when they are alone, your business and, by extension, all of your hard-earned assets are seriously at risk.
Surviving tough times calls for pork and beans and corn flakes all around, and battening down the financial hatches: if it’s an expense, forgo it; if it’s risk, get it under control.
Uncontrollable electrical workers that do not adopt and follow the safe work practices of CSA Z462 are a risk that you cannot afford. You don’t allow open fires in your shops, do you? Well, not following Z462 is like a bonfire waiting to burst.
Should one of your workers get electrocuted, you will have no defence for not fulfilling your responsibility under the law. Legal retainers run about $10,000, and you won’t get change back. Going to court will cost you another ten grand, and you still won’t be finished. You’ll also quickly discover that—outside of your family and close friends—no one really cares.
I have had some terrible times in running my own business. This will be the fourth ugly downturn I have experienced, but I have my survival planned. Whether this is your first or fourth downturn, you don’t want to go under because of an injury that could have been prevented with safe work practices and PPE.
Z462 is a great shield for defending yourself against accidents and stupidity. To get it moving, you need to get yourself and your crews trained, develop a safety program and hold safety meetings that engage your workers. You cannot avoid spending money on equipment and PPE, so there’s no point in griping about it. You’re already the leader, so become a safety leader, too, and become a champion for the standard.
When someone crosses the line, make sure they understand where that line is and the consequences. If they do it again and again, fire them; they’re lighting matches in your living room, and they just don’t care.
Until next time, be ready, be careful and be safe.