Click to enlarge
Health and Safety Culture
To reduce accidents and injuries, and ensure safe work environments, Utilities Kingston adopted a health and safety management system, thus enhancing its strong health and safety culture.
The Utilities Kingston ten-year summary of injury rates identifies a decline in both the medical aid and lost time injury rates, when compared to the 10-year average.
The summary illustrates that we have had a significant decrease in the medical aid rate, dropping 0.9 – the lowest in 10 years. The lost time injury rate increased from 2015, primarily as a result of the eight days of lost time from a single incident.
Looking ahead to 2017, Utilities Kingston will focus more attention on preventing hazards associated with slips, trips and falls.
Lost Time Injury and Medical Aid Rates
Health and Safety Awareness and Training
64
Training Sessions
3618
Hours of Participant Training
281
Formal Staff
Safety Observation
2016 Safety Days
The goal of Safety Days is clear and simple: get everyone home safe every day.
The annual event is jointly hosted by the City and Utilities Kingston to promote best safety practices amongst employees – and local contractors and suppliers in the industry. Its sessions emphasize safety as the highest priority on every Kingston work site.
In 2016, 565 delegates and 205 contracting firms were in attendance. The event featured keynote speaker Dan Comiskey, a retired Canadian football offensive lineman and two-time Grey Cup champion. Workplace accidents affecting Dan’s family members have created a very personal perspective on the importance of workplace safety.
Two-time Grey Cup champion and workplace safety advocate, Dan Comiskey delivers his keynote speech at the Utilities Kingston and City Safety Days at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour in Kingston on Thursday March 31, 2016. Steph Crosier/Kingston Whig-Standard/Postmedia Network
Cross Bore Prevention
In 2016, we conducted 284 sewer safety inspections. A new video helps to increase public awareness.
The cross bore prevention program is a requirement from the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) that was mandated for all gas distributors in 2011. The program addresses safety precautions when clearing a blocked sewer lateral.
Utilities Kingston’s program includes communicating with plumbers and homeowners to “Call Before You Clear”. Once the call is received, staff conduct a sewer safety inspection to rule out the possibility of a sewer cross bore. Our communication and outreach program continues to increase public awareness.
Wellness Day
The annual Wellness Day event allows all employees an opportunity to speak with wellness providers in the local community in order to assist them in living a healthy lifestyle.
Staff also participate in semi-annual baseline hearing tests, and are offered wellness and fitness assessments.
Over 20 vendors took part in the 2016 event, sharing their health and wellness message with employees, including:
- KFL&A Public Health
- Canadian Diabetes Association
- Orthotics providers
- Chiropractors
- Massage therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Naturopaths
- Nutritionists
The Joint Health and Safety Committee hosted a wellness barbecue to celebrate staff safety appreciation.
Over 20 vendors took part in the 2016 event, sharing their health and wellness message with employees.
Safety - The Next Generation
Our skilled trades people connected with local young people to stress the importance of safety in the workplace and when playing outside.
Trades Day
Hosted by the Kingston Regional Labour Management Health and Safety Committee, Trades Day connects local grade 10 and 11 students with skilled trades people.
Utilities Kingston employees from a number of departments attended and provided demonstrations about water, wastewater, gas and electricity operations, measurement and communications, and streetlights and traffic signals.
Approximately 500 students participated in the event, delivering a strong safety message to these future young workers.
Summer Safety Days
The 2016 Summer Safety Days event brought together over 600 grade 7 and 8 students from the Kingston area to learn about safety. Students participated in an electrical safety presentation by Utilities Kingston employees. This presentation highlighted safety hazards associated with overhead and underground electrical lines.
Trades Day connects local grade 10 and 11 students with skilled trades people.
Ensuring the Safety of Underground Infrastructure
9295
Locate Requests
85%
Completed Within 5 Business Days
Utilities Kingston has participated in ON1Call since 2013. During 2016, Utilities Kingston responded to 9295 locate requests. Our goal is to complete locates within five business days. We achieved this 85 per cent of the time. For the remaining situations, alternate arrangements were made directly with the customers.
Don’t take the risk of damaging underground infrastructure – get a free locate, it’s the law! That is the industry refrain that’s helped encourage an increase in requests to locate underground water, sewer, gas, electricity and fibre infrastructure.
Like all underground utility providers, we are proud to be part of Ontario One Call (ON1Call), which helps meet regulatory requirements to ensure that locates are always requested before excavating. This free service helps prevent damage to underground lines and wires. Excavators and homeowners can call one number to request locates for all their utility services.