Exploring the Narrative: the Evolution of SafeContactor and the Importance of Health and Safety Knowledge and Expertise

Embark on a journey with Robyn Asher, Technical Standards Manager at Alcumus SafeContractor Canada.

Explore our mission to support contractors and hiring clients, emphasizing the team’s role in crafting tailored question sets, staying ahead of regulations, and assisting clients in navigating changes.

Discover behind-the-scenes efforts ensuring compliance and enhancing risk management.

Explore the in-house assessment team’s crucial role in providing seamless support and reinforcing safety commitments. Uncover the creation process of our dynamic questionnaire, designed for effective communication and showcasing expertise. Understand our proactive approach to staying updated on legislation changes.

Read the full blog for a deeper understanding of SafeContractor’s commitment to reshaping contractor management for a safer and better working world.

Robyn Asher: Technical Standards Manager, Alcumus SafeContractor Canada

1. What’s your role at Alcumus SafeContractor, and how do you support contractors and hiring clients?

At Alcumus SafeContractor, our team’s mission is to support and empower our contractors and hiring clients. As the Technical Standards Manager, I am part of a dedicated team that stays up to date with the latest regulations and best practice, so our members and clients know we’re always one step ahead on their behalf. We work behind the scenes on a variety of tasks, from creating tailored question sets to addressing industry-specific needs.

One of our primary goals is to help our clients comply with the ever-changing regulations that affect how they run as a business. By providing them with the latest information, we empower clients to make informed decisions and effectively manage all the risks associated with contractor management.

For our contractors, we don’t just make sure they are compliant with health and safety regulations. We also help them improve their health and safety management systems, and their portfolio. We provide them with detailed question sets, specifically crafted to address their industry-specific risks and challenges. At SafeContractor, we are people first and our support and guidance is what sets us apart from our competitors. We also help contractors to identify areas for improvement and implement best practices that contribute to the overall safety and wellbeing of their workforce.

At SafeContractor, we play an instrumental role in supporting our contractors and hiring clients by creating and maintaining a robust framework that ensures compliance, drives continuous improvement, and enhances risk management practices. We take pride in our commitment to staying ahead of regulatory changes, providing our clients with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of contractor management.

2. How do SafeContractor’s in-house assessment team support contractors and suppliers?

Our in-house assessors play a crucial role in supporting our contractors by providing assistance throughout the entire approval process. We’ve set up various teams to address the diverse needs of our clients and contractors so they have the smoothest, most efficient experience possible.

Our dedicated support team is readily available to assist with any potential technical issues, such as login difficulties or error messages. They are well trained to quickly resolve any problems and help people navigate our platform.

What’s more, our contractor support team provides guidance for filling out the contractor questionnaire, following up when needed. They’re equipped with the knowledge and expertise to advise contractors how to meet the necessary requirements, while also providing constructive feedback.

Our assessment team consists of safety professionals with extensive industry experience in a wide range of sectors. They are strategically located across Canada to better understand local legislation requirements and standards. They meticulously review and analyze the information provided in the questionnaires, offering valuable insights and recommendations to contractors for improvement, if needed.

The verification team plays a key role, making sure that client specifics are accurate and reliable. They also check the WCB (Workers’ Compensation Board) information provided by contractors. This reassures our clients that data is verified and trustworthy, which is vital for selecting qualified contractors for their projects.

Once a contractor meets all the necessary criteria and gains approval, our team takes pride in delivering the official approval certificate and sticker. Not only do these items prove the contractor’s commitment to safety and compliance, they also symbolize a sense of pride and distinction within the industry.

3. How did you come up with the dynamic questionnaire? What was the process in creating these questions?

The dynamic questionnaire within the SafeContractor platform has been carefully crafted. It involved considering various factors such as the number of employees, which province they’re in, and the services that they provide.

It’s crucial for contractors to take responsibility for providing accurate and up-to-date information based on their organization. By doing so, they can showcase their expertise to hiring clients in the database. The questionnaire answers and documents they provide are visible to clients, who can then utilize the platform’s search function to find contractors that meet their needs.

SafeContractor offers three distinct levels of membership, allowing both clients and contractors to customize the type of information that’s important to their organization. By offering these three levels, SafeContractor acknowledges that each organization has unique needs and priorities. This flexibility means that clients and contractors can effectively communicate and evaluate the relevant information that matters most to their respective operations.

4. Can you explain how the assessors keep up with legislation changes in Canada? How do you ensure that hiring clients and contractors stay up to date?

We take a proactive approach. Contractors and clients stay up to date because we adjust the questions if there are changes in regulations. We have health and safety standard question sets, as well as client-specific ones, which is where clients can ask questions based on their organization’s requirements. To save time, the client specifics won’t overlap with the health and safety, or any of our standard question sets.

We have a simple and effective process for updating our health and safety questionnaire: our team of subject matter experts stay up to date on regulatory changes. They can then provide quick amends to all of the question sets on the SafeContractor platform. So when there are legislation changes, we adjust the questions accordingly.