Health, Safety and Environmental Protection

MaXfield’s primary operating considerations are public safety, the safety of employees, the protection of company property, and the prevention of accidents/incidents that would affect the community and/or the environment. We put a lot of effort into ensuring those goals are achieved. At MaXfield, employees from entry level to senior management are responsible and accountable for implementing the company’s overall safety and environmental protection initiatives.

Our practical day-to-day safety-related measures include:

• Every day, 10-minute morning hazard assessments in all areas, so that everyone knows the potential hazards they might encounter over the coming work day;
• Weekly “tool box” safety meetings;
• Monthly safety committee meetings;
• Involvement by senior management on the safety committee; and
• Ensuring that all necessary industry-related training is performed.

MaXfield holds its provincial Certificate of Recognition (COR), the primary Alberta safety certification. We passed our most recent, three-year external audit in 2009, and we complete our annual internal audit every year. MaXfield’s COR number is 20021126-4005, Steel/Metal Fabrication Industry Code: 0100.

MaXfield has a full-time safety supervisor based at our main Crossfield, Alberta facility, who is in charge of the entire safety team and is responsible for training and qualifications of all coordinators, and ensuring that regulatory safety certificates are maintained up-to-date. The safety supervisor has access to an administrative system that helps ensure that personnel not only achieve the required certifications, but receive timely retraining to keep their certificates up to date. Working under our safety supervisor is a designated safety coordinator in each of our facilities.

Our focus for employees is to ensure that experienced employees who have internalized the regular habits of safety do not become complacent, while providing intensive training to new employees so they understand the specific hazards of their work and how to minimize the risks. This includes measures such as remembering to tie down all loads, using harnesses, and wearing personal protection that’s appropriate to the task at hand. MaXfield’s employee compensation includes an allowance for workplace clothing and personal protective gear.

Formalized employee certifications and/or individual training programs include:

• Confined space certifications and training;
• Fall protection;
• Workplace Hazardous Materials Identification System (WHMIS);
• Partnerships in Health and Safety Program;
• Membership in the Manufacturer’s Health and Safety Association;
• Membership in ISNetworld; and
• Membership in ComplyWorks.

To protect the environment in and around MaXfield’s operations, we perform an annual environmental audit of all facilities to ensure there is no contamination. This approach helps to maintain a clean and safe facility, and avoid contamination of soil or groundwater.