It’s the Season of Search and Rescue and Pickering Offers the Right Gear and Supplies

North Shore Rescue (NSR) is a Mountain Search and Rescue Team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The team consists of approximately 50 volunteers skilled in search and rescue operations in mountain, canyon and urban settings. NSR performs approximately 130 search & rescue operations annually, with some operations lasting multiple days. They are just one example of the many search and rescue teams across British Columbia that help keep people safe.

Cоmmunіtу Emergency Response Tеаm (or CERT) mеmbеrѕ аrе often thе fіrѕt реорlе оut іn thе field to begin thе ѕеаrсh and rеѕсuе. Thеѕе CERT mеmbеrѕ are intensely trained and knоw thе tеrrаіn of their rescue operations very wеll. CERT teams rely on durable safety equipment in order for their rescue missions to come to a successful conclusion.

Pickering Safety is proud to offer products that help these CERT teams in their mission to save lives.

First-aid reflective vеѕtѕ аrе a hеlрful раrt of thе ѕеаrсh аnd rеѕсuе ѕuррlіеѕ аnd tооlѕ. Thеу аrе еаѕіlу ѕееn frоm a dіѕtаnсе due tо соlоr аnd thе reflective quаlіtу оf thе tаре, trіm and fаbrіс so other CERT mеmbеrѕ саn еаѕіlу lосаtе еасh other. Thіѕ vest іѕ ѕо hіghlу visible that it is possible thаt thе person being ѕеаrсhеd fоr wіll ѕее the brіght соlоr and realize hеlр іѕ оn іtѕ wау.

Othеr tооlѕ аnd ѕuррlіеѕ еѕѕеntіаl tо a ѕеаrсh аnd rеѕсuе operation іnсludе ѕоlаr rаdіоѕ, flаѕhlіghtѕ, blankets аnd fall protection. British Columbia’s beautifully rugged terrain makes for scenic hiking but when things go wrong and rescuers need to decend sharp vertical drops, fall protection and harnesses can make the rescue possible.

The seemingly unending rаіn in BC makes rain ponchos obligatory fоr both thе CERT members on their search and the victims they may find.

Sоlаr blаnkеtѕ аnd sleeping bаgѕ іn thе event of a temperature drор оr оvеrnіght stay аrе a good іdеа. You mау fіnd that your search аnd rеѕсuе mission gоеѕ frоm dау tо nіght in which case industrial-grade flаѕhlіghtѕ аrе еѕѕеntіаl tо your ѕеаrсh аnd rescue supplies kit.

Of course, on any search and rescue operation when the condition of the lost individual is not known it’s important to carry a wide array of first-aid supplies to be prepared for the worst. Pickering Safety carries some of the most sought after immobilization devices to carefully get victims out of the wildnerness without causing futher damage. Pickering Safety has stretchers, splints, braces and collars – everything you need to keep an individual safely immobile. And the  emergency medical first aid supplies CERT workers will need when they find the lost individual.

If You are Part of a CERT Please Contact Pickering Safety – We Would Love to Help Ensure the Right Supplies are Within Arms Reach.

*Please note, we may not carry all the items depicted in the images of this post, but we often do carry similar ones. Please inquire with us directly about any products featured.

Vancouver is arguably never more beautiful than during the summer months. The transition from winter to spring and from spring to summer happens quickly in the Vancouver area and results in dramatic temperature and weather changes. The summer season in Vancouver brings with it much warmer temperatures and much less rainfall. Conditions are less cold and less slippery, therefore, the work environment in some industries like construction, fire fighting, mining, forestry and law enforcement adapts slightly to take advantage of the weather.

More ‘Outdoors’ Work and a Variety of Safety Challenges

The nicer weather means a whole host of industries can operate at increased capacity. This is particularly true for industries like ‘paining’, ‘construction’ and ‘landscaping’. However, increased activity in these industries means exposure to a different set of safety challenges than employers and employees are used to in the cooler months. Workers are often expected to work outdoors for longer hours which can expose them to higher temperatures and depending on the nature of the work more safety risks if they’re expected to work on different equipment to facilitate the work.

Make Sure You Have Access to Fall Protection Gear

In industries like painting and construction the summertime means more work that is performed at great heights. When workers are expected to climb ladders or operate cranes it’s vital that they have access to fall protection gear that will prevent injury and death. Although slippery surfaces are often more anticipated in the winter months, the increased volume of work being done in the summertime at higher elevations means the danger is just as real. Pickering Safety recommends these fall protection harnesses to safeguard against serious injury.

Re-think Those First Aid Kits

Many components of first aid are effected by the summer weather. Workers clothing, at-work nutrition and hydration all need to be re-thought during the summer especially when it’s expected they’ll be working in ‘exposed’ conditions for extended periods of time. We recommend checking out WCB requirements for ‘seasonal’ industries using the WCB first aid kit tool on our website. It’s important for both the employee and the employer to take these changing conditions seriously. Pickering Safety offers first aid supplies for all seasons. Our supplies are of the highest quality and our wholesale prices make us a good fit for workers and business owners who want to invest in their safety and the safety of their employees.

Talk to Us About What Specific First Aid Products to Invest in During the Summer Months

The Accident Raises Important Questions about WCB Regulations

The death of a construction worker in Saanich, British Columbia has sparked concerns that not enough is being done by the BC government to enforce safety in the work place.

Ronald Huetzelmann died on January 15th 2017 of injuries he suffered on January 10th. Huetzelmann “fell from the third floor of the Shire Urban Living development, currently under construction on Quadra Street”. Apparently, he was working on the third floor of the development without a safety harness. Irene Lanzinger, president of the B.C. Federation of Labour has commented: “Why Huetzelmann wasn’t using a safety harness while working three storeys off the ground in high winds will be a central question for the Workers’ Compensation Board to delve into”. It’s not yet known whether the WCB would have required the use of a harness in the circumstances Huetzelmann was working in on Jan. 10th 2017.

The WCB’s Policy on the Impact of Weather on the Workplace

A further concern raised by the incident is whether Huetzelmann should have been working at that height at all given that January 10th was a particularly icy and windy day. There is concern that if the WCB doesn’t have clear weather-dependent regulations for such circumstances – they should develop some.

A further comment from Lanzinger chillingly reminds the public of the B.C. Federation of Labour’s opinion on breaches of WCB regulation: “We believe that if an employer’s negligence causes the death of a worker, then the employer should face jail time,” Lanzinger said.

Ronald Huetzelmann died as a result of a construction accident at a Quadra Street work site.

Ronald Huetzelmann died as a result of a construction accident at a Quadra Street work site.

Huetzelmann’s death is a tragic reminder of the importance of safety in the work place and some of the B.C. Federation of Labour’s comments since the incident should remind all employers and workers that the safety industry is no-joke and regulations will be enforced. When followed appropriately, safety regulations should serve to prevent unnecessary deaths in the workplace and it is the employers who will be held accountable if their employees are not adhering to safety regulations in the workplace.

Pickering Safety Can Help You Make Sure You’re Meeting WCB Requirements

Pickering Safety wants to make meeting and surpassing WCB requirements easy for employers and employees alike. It is Pickering Safety’s mission to prevent accidents large or small as any injury, regardless of the scale can effect productivity in the workplace and quality of life for the injured party. Furthermore, while many suppliers simply retail products that ‘do the job’, Pickering Safety is aware that the quality of the products you buy to meet WCB requirements can save lives in the workplace. Many accidents and injuries happen not because safety equipment is completely lacking but because when push-comes-to-shove, the durability of the equipment is found defective.

If you have questions about what equipment you need on the job please give us a call. We have all the safety equipment you’ll need on a construction site including hard hats and fall protection equipment.

 

Sources:

http://www.saanichnews.com/news/411584465.html

https://www.kelownanow.com/watercooler/news/news/Provincial/17/01/20/Construction_workers_death_raises_questions_about_workplace_safety_in_BC/