August 20, 2008

Occupational Health and Safety

Canadian Demolition Safety Manual ready for distribution

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

The Canadian demolition industry’s first-ever safety manual has been published and industry representatives continue to make further inroads with the National Demolition Association (NDA) in the United States.

The Canadian Demolition Safety Manual has now been printed and will begin to be distributed, said Kevin Mitchell, president of Greenspoon Specialty Contracting.

The manual will be distributed through the NDA.

“Development of the manual enjoyed a great deal of support from demolition industry companies, the CSAO (Construction Safety Association of Ontario) and the Ministry of Labour,” added Mitchell.

The program to create the Canadian manual was spearheaded by the NDA, in close consultation with the CSAO.

Of the NDA’s 1,100 members, 60 are from across Canada and it wanted to improve its member services for its Canadian partners, explained Michael Taylor, executive director of the NDA, last fall.

The NDA has stated that as the demolition industry evolves, a manual specific to Canada is a prudent step.

Mitchell is the lone Canadian on the NDA’s 20-member board of directors and he was challenged to increase the NDA’s presence in Canada.

The NDA responded with more involvement and focus on Canadian-specific industry conditions.

Mitchell spearheaded initiatives, such as the safety manual, to increase industry safety.

The partnership building between the Canadian demolition industry and the NDA has only deepened since development of the safety manual began to unfold, noted Mitchell.

This fall, 12 members of the Canadian demolition industry, heavily represented by Ontario, will be in Atlanta at the NDA’s 14th annual Demolition Academy.

Craig Moore of Greenspoon will be the convener of the meetings involving Canadian representatives.

Discussions about reporting, legislation, safety issues and managing safety programs will be among the topics covered during these meetings.

Other topics are also on the agenda.

Managing stress, implosion safety issues, personal protective equipment, confined space awareness, managing a demolition project, human resource issues on demolition jobsites and what to do in an on-site emergency are examples of the safety management training workshops at the Demolition Academy.

A 10-hour demolition-specific OSHA certification is also available to participants.

The Demolition Academy takes place from Oct. 15 to 17 at the Renaissance Concourse Hotel in Atlanta, Ga.

Visit www.demolitionassociation.com for more information about the academy.

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