Bishop’s among three Estrie enterprises honoured for safety innovation
The Committee on Labor Standards, Equity, Health and Safety (CNESST) has crowned three regional recipients of the occupational health and safety Grands Prix at a ceremony held in Sherbrooke.
Two companies and a public body have distinguished themselves by their achievements in the Innovation category.
Moules Industriels - Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
Workers handled hardening boxes, which could reach temperatures of 1000° C. by hand. Extremely hot and heavy loads could result in burns and injuries to the back. The instability of this practice also entailed the risk of the box spilling and burning employees. In response, workers created an electrically driven wind tunnel table with a rolling tray to remove the boxes and a guide to facilitate the perfect alignment of the table and oven. They now use the table to take out the box from the oven, then to cool it nearby. This makes it possible to handle the boxes safely, reduces noise, the time needed for cooling, and the electricity costs.
Artopex - Tec Innovation inc. –
Large Business When chairs came off the production line, they were fully assembled for inspection. For semi-assembled packing, employees had to fold their backs flat for partial disassembly, making some chairs difficult to handle due to their shape and approximately 32 kg (70 lbs) weight. The chairs were then laid flat on the back of a special box, which required a torsional movement of the pelvis and required great strain on the lower back. To help employees perform the disassembly and packaging without injuring themselves, the company introduced two innovations: a chair rocker to place them at a height suited to the task of disassembly and a manipulator of semi-assembled chairs to place them correctly in the boxes without effort. Thus, the complete system eliminates the risk of injury.
Bishop's University: Public Body
The sanitary pumping station was one of the most at risk areas on the Bishop's campus. Access to the well posed a risk of falling several feet. Often, during urgent maintenance calls, workers or subcontractors underestimated the risk of falling and worked without securing the site with handrails or a harness. In order to avoid working with a harness or to install permanent anchor points, welders created a tailor-made railing system that is stored on site. They also designed a grid to cover the access hole, which eliminates the risk of falling when installing the guardrails.
The CNESST also wishes to acknowledge the eight other companies and organizations that were selected as finalists:
• Ball Advanced Technologies from Aluminum Canada Inc.; • Bombardier Recreational Products; • Domtar inc. - Windsor Plant; • Department of Transportation, Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification; • Multibois FL inc .; • American Biltrite products; • Soucy Techno inc .; • City of Sherbrooke - Ecocentres. The occupational health and safety Grands Prix are awarded each year by the CNESST in all regions of Quebec. They aim at recognizing approaches and projects implemented by employers and workers that help prevent accidents at work and occupational diseases. These awards highlight people who care about health and safety in their workplaces.
In addition to being crowned in the Estrie, the winners will compete for the National of Workplace Health and Safety Grand Prix, which will be held in Quebec City in the spring of 2018.
Videos illustrating the winning achievements can be viewed on the CNESST website at cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/remisesregionales.
The CNESST provides employers and workers with a single entry point and integrated expertise in labor standards, pay equity, and occupational health and safety. Its governance structure is parity. Its mission is to manage the Fund, which is fully self-funded, of which it is the trustee. For more information, visit cnesst.gouv.qc.ca, on Facebook (facebook.com/cnesst), Twitter (twitter.com/cnesst), and Linkedin (linkedin.com/company/cnesst ).