Home > About IPSCO > Safety   Safety IPSCO believes safety is a state of mind. While the financial success of the Company is paramount, of equal importance is ensuring all employees and workers are safe on and off the job. In everything we do, safety is first.   2005 was the fourth consecutive year in which IPSCO established a new record for recordable case frequency. This is especially satisfying considering that 2005 was also a year filled with records for productivity, profitability and quality. Steadily improving safety performance concurrent with exceptional operating results reinforces IPSCO’s belief that it is not necessary to choose between a safe workplace and a productive workplace. To the contrary, it demonstrates that the same management tools and worker skills that foster a successful business climate simultaneously provide a safe place to work. In 2005, IPSCO experienced a lost time accident frequency rate of 0.36 accidents per 100 man-years (200,000 hours) worked. While this achievement is noteworthy by general industry standards, IPSCO’s goal is to maintain continuous improvement in safety and no injury producing accidents. The Company has involved all of its employees and contractors in safety awareness programs aimed at fostering a culture where the motivation to follow safety procedures stems directly from an appreciation of their value. Supervisors and employees worked together to train their peers and develop improved safety systems. Each IPSCO operating facility has developed a site specific comprehensive Business Safety Plan. The plans include measurable performance objectives and action steps to address areas of concern including: Safety Training and Communications Roles and Responsibility - who is going to do what, how often, and when? Incident Investigation and Follow-up  Safety Committees and Employee Involvement Recognition Elimination of Unsafe Behaviors Elimination of Physical Hazards Contractor Safety Performance Multiple Incident/Injury Employees Innovation The plans were developed and edited with broad input from many internal sources. They are updated on an annual basis as part of IPSCO’s continuous improvement objective. A well recognized international safety service firm assists in the process by conducting focused external audits and providing frequent feedback on progress. At 2005 year-end, the Company wide effort was validated by performance results. The total recordable case rate was reduced by 35% over the previous year.

IPSCO Promotes Public Access To AEDs During 2005 IPSCO installed Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) in all operating facilities. The availability of AEDs was coupled with advanced training in emergency medical care, CPR and defibrillator use.

IPSCO Takes Leadership Role in Steel Industry Accident Prevention Initiative On July 7, 2004, IPSCO President and CEO David Sutherland, the Chairman of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), signed a historic Alliance with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  On behalf of AISI member producers, Sutherland signed the Alliance to launch a cooperative partnership between the steel industry and OSHA designed to enhance worker safety and health in the nation's steel mills. Full news release More information on the OSHA Alliance Program