Results show room for improvement
An inspection campaign on employers in Alberta with forklifts and other powered mobile equipment showed improvements are needed in safety on the devices.
The inspection included 87 employers and 181 inspections and resulted in 214 orders.
“Because we announced the inspections in mid-February and businesses expected to see us, I am disappointed to see forklifts and other equipment not properly maintained and operators not adequately trained,” said Thomas Lukaszuk, minister of employment and immigration. “We’ve made great gains in this province including the lowest lost-time claim rates ever recorded. However, we clearly have our work cut out in some sectors, and this is one of them.”
Among the 214 orders issued by Occupational Health and Safety officers:
•24 related to requirements for proper inspection and maintenance
•20 resulted from failure to conduct a visual inspection prior to operating the equipment
•16 related to hazard assessment requirements
•14 related to worker training, competency and proper supervision to safely operate the equipment.
“If there’s a bright side, we know that this campaign raised significant awareness among companies that operate this type of equipment,” said Lukaszuk. “I understand there was a rush to ensure operators were properly trained, and that companies offering training services still have lineups out the door. But it shouldn’t take a focused inspection campaign to make that happen. That’s the culture we need day in and day out on every worksite in Alberta.”
This was the first focused inspection campaign of 2011 for the province. Upcoming campaigns include focused inspections on residential construction and the employers of young workers.
