#MeetAMember – CSAM: The construction industry’s premier and trusted source for safety & health

The Construction Safety Association of Manitoba (CSAM) is a non-profit run by the construction industry for the construction industry to keep you prepared with the safety tools, resources, and training you need to prevent stop work orders, improvement orders, and injuries.

But CSAM doesn’t issue stop work orders or improvement orders — that’s done by Workplace Safety and Health Officers.

“As your premier and trusted source for safety and health, CSAM is here to help you find practical solutions to make YOUR workplace safer.” says CSAM Executive Director Sean Scott.

In 2021, Manitoba construction companies saw more than 300 stop work orders and more than 1400 time-loss injuries. CSAM wants to work with you to reduce those numbers. Less lost time means you can spend more time getting the job done AND less money on fines, administration, or recovery.

“Safety is good for business,” says Scott. “Strong safety practices can save time, money, and lives.”

Less incidents in your industry rate code also means less downtime, as well as lower Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba premiums. Plus, if your business becomes COR® or SECOR® Certified, you will receive a 15 per cent rebate on those premiums.

“Safety is a legislated responsibility, but it’s also an investment in your business,” says Scott. “A strong safety culture improves morale and productivity because workers can feel confident and supported in their work.”

In simplified terms, safety can be broken down into three basic principles:

• Identify hazards that workers are likely to encounter.
• Communicate the hazards to your workers.
• Control the identified hazards to reduce the risk of an incident occurring.

CSAM can help with the framework it takes to follow through on these principles. CSAM’s safety advisors can assist you every step of the way, whether you need to prepare safe job procedures for tasks like working at heights, or if you need guidance with respect to implementing a safety program.

“We have a huge collection of resources and templates that our advisors and client services team can tailor directly to the tasks on your jobsites,” Scott explains. “Whatever you need in terms of workplace safety and health, CSAM is here to help.”

For example, CSAM’s available templates include the following:

• Safety program and policies
• Safe job procedures
• Inspection, orientation, and hazard assessment checklists

Learn more about how strong safety procedures are a win for EVERYONE. Speak to your regional safety advisor by calling 204-775-3171 in Winnipeg or 204-728-3456 in Brandon.