The Canadian economy has slowed down from where
things were a year or two ago. While Saskatchewan has
fairer better than many of its provincial counterparts,
companies are thinking about how to stay afloat in these changing
times. Has your company given any thought to the future? Are you
ready for when the markets turn around? Will your business have
that competitive edge? When the economy improves, it will be time
to hit the ground running. Here are several things your company can
do to prepare.
Safety management system
Do you have one and/or are you Certificate of Recognition (COR)
certified? If not, the Heavy Construction Safety Association of
Saskatchewan (HCSAS) will be able to assist you with this. You will
need a safety management program to be competitive in the bid-ding
process. Make sure to set a safe example.
Return to work (RTW) program
Do you have a fully functioning RTW program? Do your staff and
management know that is? Are they trained on the program, ex-pectations
and responsibilities? Most companies may have a “prac-tice”
when it comes to return to work but no documented formal
program. The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013 requires that all em-ployers
in Saskatchewan have a RTW program in place. This is not
a binder laying on desk somewhere; it is a fully functioning plan
with all stakeholders knowledgeable in the process and their re-spective
responsibilities. It is also extremely important that all of
your staff are trained on this program and given refreshers on a reg-ular
basis. For example, go over expectations and the program in
orientation, have it posted and speak to it in toolbox meetings as a
topic. Documentation throughout the process is crucial. Managing
INJURY SOLUTIONS
any injury claim, no matter what the source, is essential to the
well-being of your employees and company. This is a must that can-not
be left to the insurer.
Absenteeism and off-site injuries
Do you have measures in place to deal with absenteeism and
off-site injuries, if they should happen? A good RTW program can
eliminate the Monday/Friday frequent flyers. It also works well
with other types of injuries that may not have occurred at work
and that can take a person away from the workplace. These types
of injuries still impact your bottom line through sick time and
short or long-term disability programs. If you’re stuck for ideas,
canvass your staff for jobs and tasks that could be done for ac-commodated
or modified work duties. They will usually have some
great ideas.
Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB)
cost statements
Have you looked closely at all of your WCB cost statements? If there
are any costs on them that you know nothing about or payments re-lated
to older claims, do you know what they are for? Do you know
who to ask for these answers? If you do not ask questions, these can
come back and haunt you later. Unknown costs can eliminate you
from the potential to bid on large projects and increase your pre-mium
rates.
Association benefits
Get to know what your membership with the Saskatchewan Heavy
Construction Association or a safety association such as the HCSAS,
can offer you, your staff and your company overall.
The Improve-
Your-Business
Checklist
How to keep your
company competitive in
a downturn economy
By Tracy Slywka, Injury Solutions Canada Inc.
BLOOMUA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
saskheavy.ca | Quarter 3 2016 | Think BIG 53
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