Guides for people who run crews, and the people on them

The tickets most sites ask for

Most Alberta construction sites ask every worker for CSTS-2020, the online Construction Safety Training System course from the Alberta Construction Safety Association. It covers general site hazards and does not expire. WHMIS 2015 covers hazardous products and labels, and most employers ask for it to be refreshed every year.

Fall Protection is required when a worker could fall three metres or more. Elevated Work Platform covers scissor lifts and boom lifts. Ground Disturbance is for anyone who digs or supervises digging. Confined Space covers tanks, vaults and pits.

Tickets tied to an industry

H2S Alive, from Energy Safety Canada, is the standard for oil and gas sites and for plants that handle sour product. Standard First Aid is needed by a set number of workers on every site, depending on headcount and hazard level. Forklift certification is issued for a truck type, so a counterbalance ticket does not cover a reach truck.

What to check

• The name on the ticket matches the worker's ID
• The expiry date falls after the end of the job
• The course provider is one your safety program accepts
• For equipment, the ticket matches the machine on your site

Start with how long the work lasts

If the work has an end date, such as a project, a shutdown or a seasonal peak, temporary staffing fits. You pay for the hours worked and the crew ends with the job. If the work is ongoing and you can describe the role clearly, permanent placement fits.

When you are not sure about the fit

Temp-to-hire sits between the two. The worker starts as a temporary placement, you see the work on your own site, and you convert them to your payroll at an agreed point. It suits roles where attitude and reliability matter as much as the ticket.

Three questions to answer first

• Does the work have an end date?
• Would a wrong hire be expensive to undo?
• Do you have the payroll and safety set-up for one more employee right now?

Count more than the wage

When one person on a crew doesn't arrive, the cost is rarely that person's wage. Count the hours the rest of the crew waits or works below pace, the equipment that sits idle, and any trade that gets pushed because the work ahead of them isn't finished.

A quick calculation

• Crew hours lost while people wait or work short-handed, times the loaded hourly rate
• Daily rental cost of any equipment that sits idle
• The cost of rebooking a trade, an inspection or a delivery
• Overtime needed later to catch up

Run the numbers once for a typical day on your site. It tells you how much it is worth spending on a standby list, a confirmation call the evening before, or an agency that can send a replacement the same morning.

The seven details

• The trade or role, and the level: apprentice year, journeyperson or lead hand
• What the worker will do in the first week
• Site address, start time, shift length and expected duration
• Tickets required to get through orientation
• Tools, PPE and whether a vehicle is needed
• Pay range, and whether overtime is expected
• The name and number of the person they report to

Why the first week matters

"Electrician" covers a service tech in a van and an installer pulling wire on a warehouse. Describing the first week tells a recruiter which of those you need, and tells the worker whether to say yes.

Twelve weeks out

Look at last year's volume by week and set a headcount for each week of peak. Decide which roles must be experienced, such as reach truck operators, and which can be trained in a shift, such as pickers and packers.

Eight weeks out

Share the plan with your staffing partner. Agree on shifts, pay, and a list of alternates. Book site-specific forklift evaluations for operators before volume rises.

Four weeks out

Bring in the first group early so supervisors can train while it is still calm. Confirm transit and parking, since many industrial areas have limited bus service for early and late shifts.

After peak

Note who performed well and ask them back first next year. The best peak crews are mostly people who have done it before.

What to bring

• Photo ID and your safety tickets, on paper or on your phone
• CSA-approved steel-toe boots, hard hat, hi-vis vest, glasses and gloves
• Your hand tools, if you are a tradesperson
• Lunch and water, since many sites have nowhere nearby to buy them
• The name and phone number of your site contact

What to expect

Arrive 15 minutes early. Most sites start with an orientation that covers hazards, muster points and site rules, and you will sign a hazard assessment before you start work. Ask questions. Nobody on a good site minds being asked.

If something isn't right

If the work is different from what you were told, or you are asked to do something you aren't trained for, call your recruiter. You have the right to refuse unsafe work.