SAFE CERTIFICATION
The New Brunswick Forest Safety Association (NBFSA) now offers a certification program that recognizes forestry companies for their commitment to health and safety. The program is a voluntary Safety Management System audit process titled "SAFE Certification" (SAFE: Safety And Forestry Excellence) and it is the first such program created specifically for the forest industry here in New Brunswick.
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The purpose of "SAFE Certification" is to assist your company in saving lives, negating workplace injuries and maintaining compliance through the creation, promotion and support of a strong internal responsibility system. The third party administration of the "SAFE Certification" will add credibility to your company's health and safety program while the unique brand will visually communicate your efforts to all current and future clients.
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The New Brunswick Forest Safety Association’s “SAFE Certification” program is modelled after the BC Forest Safety Council’s SAFE Companies Program and the CSA Z1000-06 Standard. The “SAFE Certification” program is site specific, voluntary, multi-staged and is audited by qualified third party auditors and available to any New Brunswick sawmill, logging, and silviculture company. Choosing to model after these standards lends credibility and value to the “SAFE Certification” program, it will also assist a company in obtaining CSA Z1000 should they decide to do so in the future. The total time required to achieve “SAFE Certification” status with the New Brunswick Forest Safety Association will depend on the maturity of a company’s health and safety management program at the time of application. The following table outlines the various stages to “SAFE Certification” and their associated deadlines.
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The "SAFE Certification" program is just one of the many ways in which the New Brunswick Forest Safety Association strives to assist its member companies prosper locally, provincially and internationally. If you have any questions on the "SAFE Certification" program or are interested in registering, please contact us.
WHY BECOME SAFE CERTIFIED?
The most important reason for considering the “SAFE Certification” program is the positive impact that its success will have on improving your company’s safety management system. Using various audit tools, during internal and external audits, key safety items will receive due attention, areas for improvement are recognized, legal compliance is verified and safety policies and procedures are audited to ensure that they are effectively communicated throughout your company.
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A unified commitment to safety by management and employees in conjunction with the “SAFE Certification” program is expected to have an overall positive result on your organization’s health and safety program by reducing incident rates, improving production and employee retention and morale.
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“SAFE Certification” not only makes good safety sense, it makes good business sense. Many client companies of forestry goods require assurances that the products they purchase are produced in a safe environment. The “SAFE Certification” program provides that assurance and provides all necessary documentation that your company may require to support that claim.
WHO CAN BECOME SAFE CERTIFIED?
Any member company of NBFSA.
SAFE, SESAFE, ISESAFE, OR ISAFE - WHERE DOES YOUR COMPANY FIT?
SAFE (Large Employer)
20 or more employees and dependent contractors
SE-SAFE (Small Employer)
6-19 employees or dependant contractors and their employees
ISE-SAFE (Independent Small Employer)
Small independent employers of 2-5 employees or dependant contractors and their employees
I-SAFE (Individual Owner Operator)
Owner-operators with no more than one office support person or one-person companies that hire non-dependent contractors