To hear the Saskatchewan government tell it, its “regulatory modernization” initiative has been a smashing success at its main mission, which is to reduce red tape greatly, since it began in 2008. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), a lobby group for business owners in the province, disagrees somewhat, and says it needs to do more.

According to the lobby group, business owners in the province spend an estimated $836 million a year to meet federal, provincial and municipal regulatory requirements, ad they would like to see that cost reduced somewhat. They don’t want to reduce the number of necessary health and safety and environmental regulations, but they would like to see a change in the bureaucracy. They say business owners spend far too much time filling out forms and making unnecessary phone calls to government agencies, and it’s having a significant negative effect on productivity, jobs and wages.

According to a recent “red tape reduction update,” the Saskatchewan government claims it has made a series of changes since 2008, including the creation of a Taxpayer Service Commitments and Standards Code to improve public service to taxpayers and vendors. Other changes the government instituted include; the establishment of a one-stop-shop type website with information on business permits and licences; the consolidation of regulations for restaurants and food-processing facilities, which allowed it to repeal three sets of food-related regulations; and a reduction in fees for transferring land titles after the death of a spouse.

The government says its goal is to make Saskatchewan’s system one of the most efficient in Canada.

The CFIB would like to see a drop in all regulatory compliance costs of 10-25% they agree that the provincial government is saying the right things about efficiency, but they could be doing a lot more.

Once upon a time, a mechanic had just hand washed some machine parts in solvent, and used a compressed air hose to dry them. Several minutes later, he was rushed to a hospital, after complaining to a supervisor that he felt his body was going to explode. It turns out the compressed air he was using had penetrated a cut on his hand, and had forced air bubbles into his bloodstream. The mechanic recovered, but if the air bubbles had worked their way to his heart, it could have been fatal.

Many workers use compressed air on a regular basis, for various purposes, and they tend to take it for granted, and ignore the hazards inherent in its use. As a result, compressed air actually causes quite a few injuries in the workplace.

While the danger of air bubbles entering the bloodstream is on the extreme side of the hazard spectrum, a compressed air stream can damage an eardrum or eye or inflate body parts.

Workers commonly use compressed air to blow dust and dirt from their clothing, body or hair, but even if the pressure is as low as 20 to 25 psi, if the air is directed toward openings in the skin or body, it can penetrate, causing serious injuries.

In order to prevent accidental injury when working with compressed air, here are some basic precautions to follow:

• It’s best to avoid using compressed air for any type of cleaning.

• If you have to use compressed air, examine all connections before operating the air hose, to make sure they’re tight and won’t come loose under pressure. Also, examine the hose for kinks and holes before turning on the compressor.

• Keep the compressor as clean as possible by covering it with a tarp, and clean it regularly. While cleaning it, make sure the hose is pointed away from others, to prevent dirt from flying at them. Only the operator should be in the immediate cleaning area.

• Hold the nozzle when turning the air on or off, and never kink the hose to stop the air flow.

• Always turn the air off at the control valve.

• When the job is finished, turn off the valves on both the tool and the air-line.

• Keep air hoses out of aisles, where they can be damaged by traffic or create a tripping hazard.

• Never point a compressed air hose nozzle at any part of your body or at another person, especially as a joke. A blast of air could startle another worker into the path of moving machinery, creating an extra hazard.

Obviously, all those working in the area of an air compressor should wear eye protection, and other necessary personal protective equipment.

Of course, air can look like fun, but the force of air coming from an air compressor is strong enough to constitute a hazard in the wrong hands. An air compressor is not a toy.

Applied to Occupational Health and Safety, due diligence (also known as due care) essentially means that employers shall take all reasonable precautions to prevent injuries or accidents in the workplace.

We’re a busy company, with very limited time and resources. Can we get by with our current training system for now?

In Canada and some other countries, once the government has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that a prohibited act has occurred, the burden is on the accused to avoid conviction by proving that all reasonable precautions were taken to avoid the particular accident.

Failure to provide due diligence, at all times, is considered negligence. The sooner you get started on a thorough due diligence plan, the sooner you begin to build your defense in the event of a workplace accident or injury. In law, due diligence is the only available defense to a crime that is one of strict liability.

We haven’t had a workplace injury in years, so we’re obviously doing our part. What more can we do?

It is not enough that you take the normal standard of care in your industry – you must show that you took “every reasonable precaution”. To exercise due diligence, an employer must implement, and continuously update, a plan to identify possible workplace hazards and carry out the appropriate corrective action to prevent accidents or injuries arising from those hazards. In order to do so means ensuring your first-line supervisors and the employees themselves are all aware of the requirements of the law and work together to ensure 100% compliance.

Okay, now that I understand the importance of a solid due diligence plan, where do I begin?

When developing your “due diligence” plan, one of the key factors to consider is workplace training! If little or no training has been provided up to this point, then this can prove to be an overwhelming task. There should be numerous, affordable programs available that offer you the flexibility to train employees at times that suit your organisation’s needs. These classroom courses, when completed, should be certificate programs that will allow you to begin your documentation process. Following the classroom course, it is recommended that you consider doing a follow-on phase with on-site, task-specific training sessions or evaluation, tailored to your needs. This reinforces the lessons learned in the classroom and also helps to identify any other potential problems that may exist with an operator. And supervisors of operators must NOT be forgotten. Even though many are not qualified operators themselves, they must be able to recognise a dangerous situation and take the necessary steps to immediately correct it. So training for these folks should also be investigated and followed-up on.

What other things should I include, or consider, when putting together a plan for my organization?

• Health and safety policies, practices and procedures;
• Records of workplace audits;
• Training records of supervisors and all employees (show examples);
• Minutes of the Health and Safety Committee meetings for the past two years; and
• Your accident prevention and reporting procedures;

So, any questions?

Do not be frightened off by the law, whatever yours may be. It is important for everyone, at all levels, to know and understand what exactly is required of them in their jobs. To do so will save money as a result of:

1. less lost wages;
2. lower maintenance costs due to improper/incorrect operating techniques; and
3. improved productivity;