Rapidly-growing business provides safety management, co-ordination and training
Barrie Construction Report special feature
SDS –Safety Design Strategies provides safety personnel and safety services to construction and industrial sites throughout Ontario. The SDS safety management team has more than 20 years experience in providing safety management, co-ordinators, administrators and training for a range of projects.
The company has grown from six employees to 35 since it started three years ago. “Some projects may only run a few months so companies don’t want to hire and train a safety team for a short period of time,” says operations director Tammi Dean. “That’s when they come to us. We design / create safety policies, corporate site specific plans as well as supplying safety equipment and anything else that needs to be done to keep the job site in compliance of OHSA regulations.”
Dean says SDS’s safety team has experience in just about every field; commercial, industrial, mining, tunnelling, electrical, nuclear, power plants, automotive and residential, including MOL (Ministry of Labour), MOE (Ministry of the Environment) and union issues. “Currently we are working with more than 20 clients on projects in nuclear, hydro, infrastructure, automotive, residential and commercial construction sites,” she said. “Most of our jobs are in Toronto, GTA and Northern Ontario but we are also growing throughout Canada. Our team is specialized in dealing with difficult issues and situations and are able to work with various members of any project to ensure everyone is working to the same goal.”
SDS has provided safety personnel from “father and son” companies to some of Ontario’s largest construction projects. “There has been an increase in demand for our service in general throughout the industry with changes to safety requirements and environmental issues. We also have confined space and high angle rescue teams ready for our clients when they need them,” says Dean.
Dean says upcoming changes to fall protection regulations will require retraining for everyone. “We have in-house trainers who stay up-to-date on the latest policies and procedures and work with companies to ensure they are up-to-date as well.”
“The industry as a whole is used to safety considerations and understands the need for improvement in this area,” Dean said. “We generally find people to be very respectful and co-operative when we’re on site.”
SDS sponsors”Steps for Life,” a walk for families of workplace tragedies in Barrie and elsewhere in Canada. “It is a great venue for raising awareness of workplace safety and prevention,” Dean said. “All funds raised go to support families through Threads of Life family support programs and services.”
For more information, visit sdsconsulting.ca.
