green for life december 2013
DESCRIPTION
Landscape Alberta Green for Life is a professional publication for the professional landscape trade in Alberta.TRANSCRIPT
A Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association member publication December 2013 Vol. 1, No. 6
Find the Sweet Spot in Snow PricingWorking in the Cold
Green for Life December 2013 I 3
MANAGING EDITOR Nigel BowlesLAYOUT & PRODUCTION Kyla McKechnieEDITOR Marnie MainADVERTISING Erynn Watson
Landscape Alberta Green for Life is a professionalpublication for the professional landscape trade in Alberta.
Editorial and Advertising Landscape Alberta200, 10331 - 178 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5S 1R5P: 780-489-1991 F: [email protected]
Landscape Alberta does not assume responsibility for and doesnot endorse the contents of any advertisements herein. Allrepresentations or warranties made are those of the advertiser andnot the publication. Views expressed herein are those of the authorsand do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of LandscapeAlberta or its members.
Material may not be reprinted from this magazine without theconsent of Landscape Alberta.
ISSN No: 1929-7114 (print)ISSN N0: 1929-7122 (online)
Landscape Alberta Executive Committee
President - Vacant
1st Vice President - Chris BrownCRS Brown Landscape Services Ltd.
2nd Vice President - Dave MontgomeryGreen Oasis Services Inc.
Treasurer - Arnold van de LigtManderley Turf Products Inc.
Past President - Gerard FournierFor Trees Company Ltd.
Landscape Alberta Staff
Nigel Bowles, Executive [email protected]
Marnie Main, Member Services [email protected]
Erynn Watson, Member Services [email protected]
Valerie Stobbe, Trade Show [email protected]
Kyla McKechnie, Administrative [email protected]
Cheryl Teo, [email protected]
Calendar of Events
December 3 - 4, 2013Landscape Management Network Workshop
River Cree Resort & Casino, Edmonton, ABTo register, call Landscape Alberta at 1-800-378-3198
December 4, 2013Olds College Surf & Turf
Olds, ABoldscollege.ca/surfandturf
December 5 - 6, 2013Landscape Management Network WorkshopFinning CAT, 6735 – 11 Street NE, Calgary, AB
To register, call Landscape Alberta at 1-800-378-3198
January 7 - 9, 2014Landscape Ontario’s Congress Conference and Trade Show
South Building, Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto, ONwww.locongress.com
February 11 - 12, 2014Manitoba Green Show
Victoria Inn Hotel, Winnipeg, MBwww.landscapemb.com/site/mgs
March 5 - 7, 2014Women’s Arboriculture Conference 2014
Harrison Hot Springs Resort, Harrison Hot Springs, BCwww.womanarborists.ca
March 12, 2014Landscape Alberta Spring Workshop,
AGM & Landscape Awards DinnerGlenmore Inn, Calgary, AB
1-800-378-3198
March 14 – 23, 2014Canada Blooms
Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ONwww.canadablooms.com
Follow us on Twitter@landscapeab
On the Cover: Photo Credit: Bobcat
Find the Sweet Spot in Snow PricingWorking in the Cold
4 I Green for Life December 2013
Industry and Association News... A Strategic Plan for Landscape AlbertaOn October 23 & 24, committed volunteer members workedtogether with the Board of Directors and staff to refine andrefocus the direction of Landscape Alberta for the next fewyears. This Strategic Planning Meeting was facilitated by BobFitch of Cain Consulting Inc., who brought his considerableindustry expertise from 18 years as Executive Director of theMinnesota Landscape and Nursery Association.
Participants were guided through exercises aimed to distillthe most important issues facing our member organization.After much thoughtful discussion and lively debate, actionplans were developed to address four strategic focus areasfor our industry association:
Governance and Executive Leadership1Professional Development2Membership Development3Alliances and Relationship Building4
A draft report on the Strategic Plan has been produced andwe will share the final version with our members through theMembers Only section of the association website when is itavailable. Many thanks to all the members who gave theirtime, attention and concern to guiding our associationforward.
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program MeetingAt a meeting in Lacombe, AB on October 29, 2013 growersand other users of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program(SAWP) listened to speakers from the countries thatparticipate in the SAWP as well as representatives fromService Canada.
Countries participating in the SAWP include: Mexico, Trinidad& Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, and the Organization ofEastern Caribbean States.
The meeting was organized by the Agriculture IndustryLabour Council - Alberta (AILCA) – Landscape Alberta is afounding member of the organisation. There were about 60people in attendance, including many nursery growers.
In July 2013, the federal government made a number ofsignificant changes to its foreign worker programs, but theSAWP escaped many of the new rules and regulations. Forexample: a Labour Market Opinions (LMO) now requires a feeof $275.00 per worker, but SAWP is exempt.
Henry Neufeld of Service Canada told the meeting that SAWPapplications should be submitted 12 weeks ahead of whenworkers are needed. He also said that if a housing inspectionfor the new season had not been completed at the time ofapplication, that the previous year’s inspection certificate isacceptable in the interim.
For complete Seasonal Agricultural Worker Programinformation see: http://bit.ly/1iuhCum.
A Green Roof for Robert Thirsk School in CalgaryRobert Thirsk School opened its doors in September innorthwest Calgary. Next to one of the classrooms is a 40’ x 40’rooftop garden, currently made up of bare cement blocks,with the goal of developing it into a natural classroom. Theplan is to have 2 or 3 green roof designers come into theclassroom and share their expertise with students. Studentswould then undertake the development of a design fromwhat they learned. One design will be chosen, and a greenroof expert will be asked to review it, helping bring it to life.
The project is currently in the planning stage, with the hopeof getting a design approved early in 2014 and constructionstarted in the spring. If you are a green roof designer and areinterested in participating in the project, please contact IanTraquair at [email protected].
Harper Government Supports Job Creation with Three YearFreeze of Employment Insurance Premium RatesThe Harper Government announced that it will freeze theEmployment Insurance (EI) premium rate for employees atthe 2013 level of $1.88 per $100 of insurable earnings for 2014,and additionally that the rate will be set no higher than $1.88for 2015 and 2016.
“While Canada has seen steady job creation since the end ofthe global recession with over one million net new jobs,significant challenges remain in the global economy. OurGovernment is freezing EI rates and leaving $660 million inthe pockets of job creators and Canadian workers in 2014alone, which will help provide the certainty and flexibilityemployers, especially small businesses, need to keepgrowing,” said the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister ofFinance.
Since July 2009, employment has increased by more than onemillion jobs. Close to 90% of all jobs created since that timehave been full-time positions, with more than 80% in theprivate sector and two-thirds in high-wage industries.
Falling unemployment over the recovery means the EIOperating Account is on track to return to balance, and thepremium rate increases previously projected are no longernecessary.
Starting in 2017, as announced in Economic Action Plan 2012,the EI premium rate will be set annually at a seven-year break-even rate. This will ensure that EI premiums are no higherthan needed to pay for the EI program over that seven-yearperiod, and will result in sustainable funding, affordable rates,and ongoing predictability and stability.
Green for Life December 2013 I 5
Asian Long-Horned Beetle found in TorontoThe Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) hasconfirmed the presence of Asian Long-HornedBeetle (ALHB) in an industrial area near PearsonInternational Airport in Mississauga, Ontario.
The CFIA is working with other federaldepartments, as well as provincial and municipalgovernments to survey the area and determinenext steps.
Between 2003 and 2007, ALHB was known to existin the cities of Toronto and Vaughan. A quarantinearea was established and control efforts wereundertaken. Based on international standards, thepest was considered eradicated from this area inearly 2013 after not being detected for five years.
This new find is outside of the eradicated area.Based on the CFIA’s national plant pest surveillanceprogram, ALHB has never been detectedelsewhere in Canada. For more information:http://bit.ly/16TZ9Yu.
Elm-Pruning Ban in AlbertaDutch Elm Disease (DED) is a deadly disease thatcan affect any elm tree. Since its introduction fromEurope in 1930, it has destroyed millions ofAmerican elm trees across North America. DED isprevalent in Manitoba, Saskatchewan andMontana. At present, Alberta has the largest DED-free American elm stands in the world. There arean estimated 750,000 mature elm trees in Alberta.
To reduce the risk of DED, pruning of elm trees isprohibited throughout Alberta each year from April1 until September 30. The pruning ban is now overfor 2013.
The ban is necessary during the time whenDED-carrying beetles are active. Fresh cuts frompruning may attract the beetles that can spreadthe disease, increasing the chance of an infection.Once they have infected an area, elm bark beetles
will feed on healthy elms during the growing season and then breed and over-winterin dead and dying elm trees.
The removal of dead and dying elm wood through pruning (October through Marchonly) helps to reduce beetle breeding habitat and control any potential beetlepopulation. Prompt and proper disposal of the pruned wood is also essential to keepDED from spreading.
It is essential that all dead wood be removed and properly disposed of by burning,burying or chipping by March 31 of each year. It is also illegal in Alberta to transport orstore elm firewood.
For more information on DED prevention, call the STOPDED hotline at1-877-837-ELMS (3567) or visit www.stopded.org.
Grumpy’s Landscaping Ltd.Hawkin EvertsBox 2488Pincher Creek, AB T0K 1W0Phone: (403) 627-4589 Fax: (403) [email protected]
Landesign Ltd.Jennifer BoydPO Box 5528Leduc, AB T9E 2A7Phone: (780) 980-9244Fax: (780) [email protected]
Welcome to Our New Members(September 15 - November 15, 2013)
6 I Green for Life December 2013
Weed Out Worthless Clients and Guarantee Growth: Just Say NoBy Bill Arman and Ed LaFlamme, The Harvest Group
One of the best ways to make sure you continue to grow inan existing market, or are able to grow into a new market, isto define what your core customer looks like.
That can mean asking yourself, your sales team and –sometimes – your existing clientele.
When a person asks for a price, we often feel grateful to beasked to provide our services. Our ego is being stroked and itfeels good, plus we need the work! As a result, we take onclients who we intuitively know are less desirable to us in thelong run, and are just a potential source of revenue.
Client selection is the single most important way anorganization can increase profits, reduce stress and betterserve its customers. But, it’s an aspect that many of usoverlook.
You should identify potential problem customers as early aspossible, and then avoid taking them on and learn to say theword “no.” Just as important, you should focus your effortson identifying good customers and bringing them on board.
If you think back to all the customers you’ve worked with, youcan certainly identify common characteristics of the goodones and the lousy ones.
With some thought and using past experience, you candevelop specific client selection criteria. Apply these criteriawith screening questions when talking with prospectivecustomers to decide which ones to take on.
The Alphabet Model. One method of ranking your clients isto grade them: A, B, C, D.
“A” clients are the best: They can afford the services, they payon time, they appreciate the work you do for them and theysend you excellent referrals. You, in turn, really enjoy workingwith them.
“B” clients are considered very good, but have some minorflaws in a few areas. Maybe they had a previous contractorthey parted ways with, amicably or otherwise. Or perhapsthey show a medium level of neediness. These are still goodclients and well worth taking on.
“C” clients are less desirable. They may show someuncooperativeness, have lower budgets or showunreasonable expectations.
“D” clients are the nightmare customers you want to avoid atall costs. They complain about your service, the bill, and thinkthey know more than you. They require a disproportionatelyhigh amount of attention and need to be avoided from thestart or terminated from your portfolio.
Putting it to use. Once you have established the appropriateselection criteria for your company, you should develop asystem for putting these criteria to use. Create some goodqualifying questions that link to your rating process with yourselection criteria.
Make these questions as objective as possible, such as joblocation, budget, and how many contractors have been usedin the last three years. These will allow you to measure thepros and cons of each potential customer and even yourexisting clients.
This system should be implemented during the very first pointof contact with the client, usually over the telephone.
Green for Life December 2013 I 7
Have your salespeople or even some well-trained office staff complete a series ofquestions with the prospect as they are talking to him or her. This could includeasking the potential client for basic information and details of their needs, whilesimultaneously ranking the client based on each of your selection criteria.
If your sales person or staff determines that the client is not a good fit for yourcompany (i.e., a “C” or a “D” client), then the customer should be appropriatelyreferred to other companies in your area that are willing to accept this type ofbusiness.
If the customer is a potential “A” or “B” client, arrangements should be made foran initial personal meeting where you or your salesperson will determine if this istruly a customer worth going after.
The sooner you get customer selection criteria in place, the sooner you will learnhow to say no and feel glad you did.
This article was reprinted with permission from the February 2013 issue of Lawn &Landscape. Visit www.lawnandlandscape.com for more information.
Are They a Good Fit?Use these 14 statements as a starting point to figure out whether a prospective– or current – customer fits your own goals and culture as a business. Not all ofthem apply to every company, but think of this page as a template to determinewhat’s non-negotiable with any business partners.
Answer Key: Bottom line, the more times you say yes, the better.
The client is financially stable and fiscally healthy; they pay on time.
The job brings in no less than $1000 per month, or is on the site of anexisting job.
The client doesn’t have a “body count” type of mentality; they focuson your results, not your methodology.
The client understands what you bring to the table and that price isnot the primary decision factor. They recognize the importance of thelandscape to their business.
The client understands the importance of investing in the project toincrease value.
The client has stable, productive relationships with other contractors.
The client is willing to commit to a multi-year contract.
The client does not call random, unnecessary and frequent “fire drills”.Specifications are reasonable and can be met.
The client values partnerships that promote a mutually beneficial,long-term relationship; they are collaborative and respectful of others.
The job is related to additional properties that may require futurelandscape services.
The client and job will serve as a good reference and testimonial; theyare likely to refer you to other clients.
The job location is within your targeted geographic area. The size ofthe job may override the distance to the job site.
The job fits within your preferred market.
The client is currently doing business with another of your departmentsor divisions, or have had a positive experience with another division.
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Nurseries
Box 1089 Carman, MB R0G 0J0
Toll Free: 1-866-745-6703
[email protected] www.aubinnurseries.ca
8 I Green for Life December 2013
2013: A Year In Review
January 8 - 10: LandscapeAwards judging takes place
in Edmonton
February 1: Landscape Alberta rolls out itsnew association magazine, Green for Life
March 7 - 8: Bill Arman speaks on recruitingand retaining workers at the GreenPro
conference in Calgary
February 19 - 22: Finning hosts Landscape Management Network (LMN) workshops
for members in Calgary and Edmonton
March 7: Landscape Awards are presented at our annualPresidents Dinner and Landscape Awards ceremony
March 20: On-the-JobTraining held at
Cheyenne Tree Farms
March 26 - 27: Landscape Industry Certified candidates test their skills at Olds College
May 15 - 16: Landscape Alberta is on hand at theNational Skills Competition in Edmonton to promote ourindustry and take part in the Try-A-Trade challenge
April 1: Safe DiggingMonth begins
April 2 - 3: Membersupdate their first aidskills with training in
Edmonton and Calgary
May 10: Landscape Alberta members participate in ArborDay celebrations across the province
January 29 - February 1:CNLA Winter Board meetings
Green for Life December 2013 I 9
June 21 - July 1: The CNLA NationalPlastics Recycling event takes place
June 18: New Mark’s Work Wearhousediscount cards available to members
July 12: Landscape Alberta Nursery Growers Grouphosts a bus tour in Abbotsford, BC
June 21: Parts of southern Alberta are hit by a devasting flood
August 27: Candidates try their hand at the Landscape Industry Certified - Turf Maintenance test held in
Sherwood Park
September 11: Landscape Alberta holds its 3rd AutumnGolf Tournament at Springbank Links in Calgary
September 6: Members identify a flood recovery project inthe Town of High River. A plan is underway to rehabiliate a
baseball field and playground at Birchwood Park
November 13: Landscape Alberta Nursery Growers Group
Annual Auction
October 23 - 24: Members and staff gather toplan and shape the future of the association at
a strategic planning meeting in Red DeerNovember 14 - 15: Industry gathers at the the annual
Green Industry Show & Conference in Edmonton. Watch forphotos in the January/February issue of Green for Life
October 16 - 17: Birchwood ParkFlood Recovery project, Phase 1
August 20 - 23:CNLA SummerBoard Meetings
October 29: SAWP Meeting inLacombe with representativesfrom Mexico and the Caribbean
October 18: 2013 Landscape Awards Entry Deadline
September 25:National Tree
Day
10 I Green for Life December 2013
High River Flood Recovery Project, Phase 1This summer our association identified a flood recovery project inneed of the support of members. Birchwood Park in High River is an8.5 acre community recreation area that has been inaccessible tocitizens since June’s flood waters receded. The park and surroundingneighborhood were inundated with several feet of flood water thatleft behind a layer of silt – the entire park was covered in 5-8 inchesof silt, hardened into a solid clay cap. The park features a large greenspace with mature trees, two ball fields, a children’s playground anda soccer field.
On October 16 and 17, 2013 members from southern Albertagathered at Birchwood Park to begin work on Phase 1 of therestoration, the children’s playground. Members removed the heavylayer of silt and pea gravel from the playground, as well as removedthe silt from the bases of surrounding trees. Volunteers also spenttime working on cleaning up the benches in the ballpark area. Phase2 of the playground restoration is planned for spring 2014, plus workwill begin on restoring the large ball field. Stay tuned for moreinformation.
We would like give a huge thank you to all the companieswho donated their time and use of their equipment. It is trulyappreciated!
Alpha Better Landscaping•JVR Landscape (2006) Inc.•K.C. Landscaping & Maintenance Ltd.•Countryside Landscapes & Garden Centre•Simon Bos Nurseries Ltd.•ECCO Chips•Nutri-Lawn Calgary Inc.•Greentree Landscapes Ltd.•G. Goss & Son Construction Ltd.•Calgary Landscape Supply •
Green for Life December 2013 I 11
I could be wrong, but I believe we’re in for a buyer’s marketwhen it comes to pricing snow and ice work. The economy isfilled with questions, we’ve had a few light winters in a row(at least in the Toronto area) and snow companies by andlarge suffered last year, which means they’ll be hungrier thisyear. It’s likely we’ll see a very competitive market for snowthis year, where customers will enjoy a stronger positionduring price negotiations.
For your snow business, this means a few things:You must absolutely know your costs and be•confident on your costs, breakeven, and profit. Thisconfidence will come across during negotiations andhelp you win more jobs.You must also ensure your prices are competitive,•but that you can earn a profit at these prices.It’s the second point that I want to expand on, and•for this you need to understand a very handy numberand what it means to your business.
Gross Profit is the selling price of the work minus the costs toget all the work done. That’s all. Overhead and profit arewhat’s left over, but they aren’t counted in gross profit. Grossprofit, for snow work, is the price you want to sell thecontract, minus the cost of the labour needed, minus the costof equipment needed, minus the cost of salt/de-icingmaterials needed, and minus the cost of sub-contractorsneeded.
The Gross Profit Margin is gross profit divided by the sellingprice, then multiplied by 100 to get a percentage. Let’s lookat a simple example. You have a snow contract that you wantto sell for $10,000. The estimated costs (per season) are asfollows:
Labour costs (plow operators, shovellers): $2000•Equipment costs (trucks, plows, salters): $2000•Material Costs (rock salt): $2000•Total estimated costs: $6000•
To figure out the estimated gross profit on the job, you simplysubtract the estimated costs of the job ($6000) from theestimated selling price ($10,000). That would leave you witha gross profit of $4000. That’s not your actual profit – you stillhave company overhead to cover.
Now to calculate gross profit margin, you simply divide grossprofit ($4000) by the estimated selling price ($10,000) to geta gross profit margin of 40%.
Meaningful number?You might be asking yourself, “What is so useful about thisnumber? If it doesn’t tell me my overhead, and it’s not reallymy take home profit, then why do I care?”
It’s important because gross profit can be one of the best
benchmarking numbers for your business and can help youensure you’re competitively priced – especially on bids andtenders where you don’t get a second chance to revise yourpricing.
Look at it this way… let’s say 10 contractors priced the job wedid in the example above. All 10 contractors are going to havedifferent overhead and different profit expectations –sometimes very different. However, all 10 contractors willhave similar, not exact, but similar, costs to do work.
There are differences in what we pay our people, but they’renot huge differences. Usually they range a few dollars perhour. The people who are paid more also work faster (moreexperience, more motivated) so even when there aredifferences in pay, the difference in productivity (time spenton the job) can often erase the difference in total labour costs.
As contractors, we all pay similar prices for our trucks, plows,and snow equipment. Bigger companies might negotiatebetter pricing on new equipment, but smaller companies tendto get longer life out of used equipment. Fuel, insurance, andparts and repair costs don’t differ significantly from companyto company. Equipment costs only differ significantly basedon utilization – the more hours we can bill for our equipment,the lower our costs per hour.
Salt prices also have differences. Bigger companies cannegotiate better pricing (bulk discounts) and may be able tostage salt at the yard. You can’t ignore the cost difference –and it’s often why large companies can enjoy a costadvantage – but between contractors of similar size, thisdifference is negligible.
So costs to clear snow will be different from company tocompany, but rarely will they be very different. Assuming 10contractors are pricing the job using similar equipment, andare paying a fair wage with proper government reporting, thecosts to do the work will be quite similar.
If we all estimate using similar (not exact, but similar) coststo do the job, then looking at the Gross Profit of your bids,and even your competitors’ (you’ll have to estimate their GPMusing your costs, but you can look at their prices on winningbids) will show you where your market is pricing work,
Find the Sweet Spot in Snow Pricing By Mark Bradley
12 I Green for Life December 2013
ignoring the differences in overhead and profit between companies.
If you’re pricing work at a 40 percent gross profit margin (as in theexample above) and not winning any work, it’s likely that you aren’tpriced competitively. Perhaps your overhead and/or profit is too highto be competitive. Drop your next few bids down to 38 percent or35 percent gross profit (assuming you can do this and still cover youroverhead and profit) to get more competitive.
Keep track of the gross profit margin on your winning and losingbids. Look for a pattern, or a gross profit margin where your hit rategoes up. This is the gross profit that is competitive in your market.Since snow contractors have similar costs, knowing the averagegross profit margin in your market at which losing bids turn towinning bids will help you identify the sweet spot in your market.
Value over timeGross profit margins will also help you see trends. When gross profitmargins start to increase, contractors have the upper hand andprices in your market are rising. When gross profit margins decline,it’s the customers that have the advantage and price competitionbetween contractors gets tougher. Knowing which way the marketis moving can keep you out in front of shifting economies, and sellingwork while others bang their heads against the wall wonderingwhere their sales have gone.
As valuable as gross profit margin is, it’s very important toremember all of this useful if, and only if:
You know, accurately, the costs of doing the work. You need•to know what it costs per hour for your staff, yourequipment and what your material and subcontractorscosts are.You know your company’s overhead and net profit.•
If you don’t know what it costs to run a pickup and plow per hour,you can’t possibly calculate your gross profit accurately andtherefore, gross profit won’t be a meaningful benchmark for you.Even worse, if you don’t know your company or your snow division’soverhead and net profit, your gross profit might be competitive, butyou’re waking up at 2:00 am and plowing snow just to lose moneyon the work you did win.
Mark Bradley is president of The Beach Gardener and the LandscapeManagement Network (LMN) based in Ontario.
Reprinted with permission by Landscape Trades.
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Green for Life December 2013 I 13
24309 Twp Rd 510, Beaumont, ABPhone: 780 929 8102 Fax: 780 929 8107
[email protected] www.cheyennetree.ca
1000+ varieties and sizes of PRAIRIE HARDY
Trees, Shrubs & Perennials
feels hard and cold, and turns white or grey. Frostnip is a mild formof frostbite affecting only the skin’s outer layers. Either conditionaffects your health and can influence your ability to work safely.
Clothing worn in the cold can also affect performance. Hats andhoods may interfere with hearing, vision and movement. Bulkyclothing layers may restrict movement, particularly in tight spacesand increase the amount of effort required to move. Gloves,mittens and overmitts may reduce dexterity and “feel”, whileheavy and bulky footwear may not fit into footholds or onto footpedals. Clothing “systems” appropriate for the task and thetemperature can overcome many of these limitations.
Source: Work Safe Alberta
It is important to realize that environmental conditions can havea bearing on your personal safety and your ability to workeffectively. Working in the cold can result in hypothermia orfrostbite — and even the heavy and bulky clothing worn forprotection from the cold can cause problems on the work site.
Hypothermia, or below-normal body temperature, is generally theresult of a combination of factors, including cold and windyweather, fatigue and clothing that is poorly insulated or wet.
There is a range of outward signs of hypothermia, depending onthe severity.
Mild hypothermia: mild shivering, discomfort and•muddled thinking Moderate hypothermia: violent shivering, loss of•dexterity of the hands and feet, and an inability to thinkor pay attention Severe hypothermia: unconsciousness and death •
Clearly, the lapses in judgment and attention span that occur evenin mild cases of hypothermia can have serious consequences onthe worksite.
Exposure to cold can reduce muscle power and grip strength, thuslimiting your ability to work for extended periods. Reduced powerand strength can make climbing a ladder or similar structure verychallenging.
Cold combined with vibration can reduce the flow of blood to thehands and fingers and cause hand-arm vibration syndrome(HAVS), also known as “vibration-induced white finger” or “dead-finger”. Symptoms include numbness, loss of grip strength andclumsiness with the hands.
Many workers rely on their hands to operate equipment controls,adjust process controls, sense surface temperatures and finishes,and hold heavy or awkward tools. In cold weather, these workersmay take longer to perform an action and/or need to attempt anaction repeatedly. In some cases, they may be altogether unableto perform an action until they get warmed up or alter theirclothing.
In addition, exposed skin can be affected by the cold. Frostbiteresults from thick layers of tissue freezing solid. The affected area
Focus on Human Performance: Working in the Cold
Cold Weather ClothingNeed to purchase outdoor gear to get you through the winter?Landscape Alberta members receive 10% off apparel at Mark’sWork Wearhouse. Contact the Landscape Alberta office [email protected] to request your discountcards.
And the best part – Mark’s Work Wearhouse donates 2% ofsales through this program to the Ronald McDonald Houses ofAlberta. Yay!
14 I Green for Life December 2013
Winter DrivingIf you get trapped in a snow storm or asnowpack:
Stay in your vehicle unless a building•is in sight.If possible, use a candle for heat•instead of the car’s heater. Run yourmotor sparingly, not more than 10minutes every hour.Be aware of carbon monoxide fumes;•ensure your tailpipe doesn’t becomeblocked with snow.If your car is running, open a window•on the sheltered side of your vehicleto keep fresh air in your car.Open and close the doors of your•vehicle occasionally so snow doesn’tpile up in front of them.Do not drink alcohol while stranded.•It will impair your judgement andspeeds up loss of body heat.
Winter Emergency Kit ChecklistIce scraper and brush•Antifreeze•Booster cables•Lock de-icer•Shovel•Matches and a candle in a can•Sand, salt or kitty litter•Winter clothing and footwear•High-energy snacks•Flares•
These items should always be in your car orthe cab of your truck:
Road maps•Flash light•First-aid kit•Blanket•
Keep your vehicle properly maintained forwinter driving. Regularly check and maintain:
Battery•Belts•Hoses•Radiator•Block heater•Tires•
Source: Workers Compensation Board
Winter driving in Alberta can be hazardous. Visibility, road conditions and vehicleperformance all combine to present drivers with additional risks. Trying to reach yourdestination in spite of bad weather could end in tragedy. If road and weather conditionsare bad, consider not travelling at all.
When you travel in the winter, stay on main roads and keep your radio tuned to localstations for weather reports. If it becomes hard to see the road in front of you, find aplace to pull over safely as soon as possible. You should always be prepared to turnback to seek shelter if the road or weather conditions become unsafe. Let someoneknow your destination and plans before leaving on a road trip.
2013
Our trees are sleeping.Our trees are sleeping.
Book NOW for Spring 2014! Book NOW for Spring 2014!Book NOW for Spring 2014!
AB-013-2013Services Ltd.
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