Total Safety Canada has been a part of the world’s leading provider of integrated industrial safety services for almost five years. In an industry built on keeping people safe, the importance of not only technology, but also experience is priceless. Providing top-of-the-line solutions through a commitment to innovation, Total Safety Canada is pioneering the turn toward safer work environments.
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Total Safety Canada was started in 2010, and since then, the firm has climbed to new innovative heights. When it comes to any major Canadian oil project, chances are Total Safety has either worked on it in the past or is currently working on it. From the likes of Shell, ConocoPhillips Canada and Encana, Total Safety’s top-of-the-line technology is keeping staff safe throughout the Canadian oil and gas sector.
Backed by the internationally recognized name of Total Safety, the Canadian operation is built on a foundation of experience and highly trained technicians. Unlike other providers, Total Safety can accommodate nearly every safety need in-house. It creates integrative solutions to some of the longest standing issues in industrial safety.
With eight Canadian locations, a growing number of influential clients across the resource and oil and gas sectors and a portfolio of groundbreaking technologies, the company is redefining industrial safety as we know it. Randy Wiggins, vice president of Total Safety Canada, provides some insight into what is ahead for the ambitious firm.
Safe working environments have always been a concern in any industrial setting, but in recent times, the commitment to making job sites safe has increased. Wiggins explains, “I think there is a big push toward safety right now. Some people say that safety is expensive, but wait until you have an accident; that’s when things get expensive. Businesses are quickly starting to realize the importance of safety.”
In the last five years, a large number of companies have committed to a goal of zero injuries, and zero lost time accidents on their sites. They have turned to Total Safety to provide the training, expertise and technology necessary to achieve that goal.
The Canadian oil patch, in particular, has gained attention on the world stage, as an industry relentlessly committed to this goal, and Total Safety has been a driving force behind this change.
Working toward zero injuries and zero lost-time accidents is an important and ambitious goal that requires more than just safety; it also requires an integrative safety approach. Total Safety has the resources to create holistic responses to industrial safety management. The approach that Total Safety provides leads to not only superior results, but cost and time savings across the board.
“The fact that we have all safety services in-house is a huge benefit for our clients,” says Wiggins. “They have one invoice and one company that is going to be the full supplier. It’s a streamlined approach.”
From communications, specialized safety personnel and emergency response service to gas detection and everything in between, Total Safety’s robust support infrastructure is unparalleled by any other provider in the industry. In a people-centric industry, such as industrial safety, the importance of quality cannot be underestimated as it directly translates to saving lives.
“Our major goal is to mitigate the risk that our clients have every day. Our work is extremely important because it’s people’s lives we are dealing with. We take that very seriously,” says Wiggins.
Safety technologies have evolved and are taking the plunge toward integrative safety is easily facilitated with access to the right equipment and the right expertise. “We have a lot of technology that is just not available with any other safety company, so that really sets us apart.”
Aside from the primary safety services, which range from fire protection all the way through to medical management, Total Safety is always inventing new safety solutions. “One of the biggest things we provide is superior technology.”
Total Safety has created countless innovations since its beginning, but the company’s most recent development may be its best yet. Only last year, Total Safety introduced a new system called the “Centralized Confined Space Monitoring System” (CCSM) to the Canadian market.
The CCSM is revolutionizing the safety practices of industries that work in confined spaces and vessels by creating a centralized and detailed look inside the once visually impenetrable operations. Prior to the development of the CCSM, workers inside confined spaces were monitored by one external member of personnel, whose monitoring scope was limited to a small, singular hole. The CCSM provides a detailed look at a confined space via the use of high-end cameras, thereby providing a better perspective of the interior via an external screen.
The benefits of this improved technology are multifaceted. Firstly, improved visibility creates a safer environment for the worker inside the confined space. Moreover, centralized monitoring not only improves the efficiency of monitoring practices, but also prevents the potential of injury by eliminating the amount of personnel needed on site.
Highly trained staff is an appreciating asset, and Total Safety’s investment into its human capital has significant payoffs for the company and clients alike. With a cohort of international teams and a résumé of the world’s biggest names in oil, gas and resource, Total Safety’s team is well equipped to handle any industrial safety scenario which may arise. As Wiggins says, “We have a very experienced team in Canada; we have access to years and years of experience and access to an extensive technical knowledge base.”
With the benefit of an extensive network of globally certified experts, Total Safety may be a global firm, but since the beginning, the company has centered on the importance of local knowledge in action. “We are a global provider, but we are focused on local execution. We always prefer to hire locally.”
Total Safety finds its grounding in investing in further staff training. “It’s really important to us that this can be a place where people build a career. There is a lot of opportunity to grow here.”
One unique way Total Safety maintains its commitment to the local community is through partnership with Saskana Safety, the company’s Aboriginal partner in the Wood Buffalo region. “It is important to us at Total Safety to make sure that we include the First Nations people, and when we are in an area, we like to hire and train as many Aboriginal people as we can. It was very important to us to work with Saskana Safety as our Aboriginal partner.”
Total Safety has one of the most technologically advanced networks of safety experts in the world. Despite the apparent successes of the company in recent years, Wiggins explains that Total Safety would continue pushing harder. Through investing in innovative technology and local knowledge, Total Safety has transformed industrial safety.
“Our goal is to look after the safety needs of a client and do the best possible job for them. Our team is really great at that, and really our team is our greatest accomplishment by far.”
