Occupational Health & Safety

We are committed to providing safe and healthy work environments and protecting our team members from injury or death caused by uncontrolled hazards in the workplace. Our Safety Policy is reviewed annually and updated as business and safety concerns evolve. Our corporatewide policy is available in English, French, and Spanish, and we translate additional, important health and safety-related documents as needed to ensure that all our team members understand safety-related guidelines and procedures. In addition, our divisions in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, and Germany have their own safety guidelines specific to their operations, available in the applicable local languages.

At TricorBraun, we train team members on good working practices and the risks they might encounter to help avoid potential workplace accidents and injuries. Supervisors hold monthly safety trainings to update team members on changes in procedures, new equipment, and general safety issues. In addition, we target for each team member to complete at least 16 hours of safety training annually. New team members are required to complete an online safety training program as part of their onboarding process.  In 2022, we also introduced the “5S” approach (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain) at our warehouse locations – a system for organizing spaces to make work more efficient, effective, and safe. In practical application, this means keeping everything cleaned, organized, and correctly labelled. The goal of the 5S approach is to create a foundational sense of safety in our culture, while driving both mindfulness and accountability.

Forklift safety—particularly across our extensive network of warehouses—is one of our critical concerns. We established a Forklift Safety Policy to reduce the risk of physical injury or property damage in areas where power forklifts and other power-material-handling equipment are in operation. Team members who operate a forklift are required to complete a series of online courses covering load handling, safety inspection and maintenance, stability and capacity, travelling and maneuvering, and safety awareness. We also adhere to US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements by conducting a daily inspection of every forklift.

In those (few) Canadian locations where we have heavier machinery, we contract with a third party to monitor the decibel level every month near each blow-molding machine to make sure our team members are working in safe audio conditions. We have implemented a Hearing Conservation Program, a special safety program to provide safeguards for the hearing of our team members and to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. At TricorBraun facilities where sound levels exceed 85 dB, supervisors are required to ensure that team members receive hearing examinations as scheduled, wear hearing protective equipment as required, participate in training, and maintain a work environment that ensures maximum team member safety and health.

In the very limited circumstances where one of our locations has chemicals onsite, we have implemented procedures to ensure proper and safe storage practices for all materials and substances. We provide training around chemical handling and hazardous material storage, including how to dispose of hazardous waste in a safe manner. And, to mitigate any possible risks, responsible personnel are required to carry out storage inspections every month and record their findings.

We also provide all team members with the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need for the execution of their jobs. We make sure the PPE is in good condition and replaced when needed. All team members are eligible for reimbursement for the purchase of their approved safety boots.

Finally, we conduct periodic inspections to ensure the safety of our equipment and to assess any potential risks or unsafe behavior at our locations. The inspections at each location are carried out by the Facilities Manager, Warehouse Lead, or a member of the Health and Safety Committee. The goal of these inspections is to proactively discover any unsafe practices or conditions that can cause an accident and take immediate corrective action.

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