MacLean Engineering is well known for providing innovative solutions to its underground mining customers across the globe. Designing and building safer, more productive machines is just one aspect of MacLean’s quality promise. Cultivating a safer work environment within our own organization, not just our customers, is also of utmost importance to our company.
Don MacLean, Chairman of MacLean Engineering, has extensive experience working in underground mines across Canada and as such, understands the importance of workplace safety. He has been successful in fostering a culture of well-being and care across MacLean.
A dedicated department for Health, Safety, Environment & Quality (HSEQ) is in place to develop the vision and implement supporting programs that are aligned with the overall business objectives for the company. The focus is on leading rather than lagging indicators, which ensures that the most impactful HSEQ activities are being focused on, rather than measuring success only by the absence of injuries. The team puts a great deal of effort into engaging employees; communicating gaps, providing insights, and sharing best practices from within the company as well as from other companies. A wide range of initiatives are in place to build a comprehensive program. Standard compliance activities include orientation, safety talks, operator and job-specific training and incident investigation. The team is especially proud of hazard-specific focus groups, prevention leadership dashboard, standardizing practices, and daily walks on the floor connecting with employees at all levels of the organization.
There’s strong emphasis on regular communication through monthly supervisor meetings, Joint Health and Safety committees, and management reviews. Supervisors are held accountable for their role in their workers’ safety and top management works closely with HSEQ to assess and control risk. In-person surveys are held every three years to assess the efficacy of the systems in place. Feedback is closely reviewed, and actions are implemented to further improve transparency and support processes in place.
The initiatives discussed above helped MacLean achieve zero claims for lost-time injuries in its Ontario facilities in 2018 (Collingwood, Barrie, Owen Sound, Sudbury). This is particularly impressive considering 240 employees joined the company during the year. As Don and the HSEQ team often says, safety is a state of mind. It truly takes all of us to create a safe and healthy workplace.
