Edmonton launches safety review in response to recent tragedies

City administration has started a safety review of its staff, processes and equipment for the first time in a decade.

The review comes after the death in November of a 44-year-old city worker in an underground sewage tunnel, and two separate deaths last year of pedestrians who were hit in crosswalks by ETS buses.

• City worker trapped between conveyor and tunnel wall, OHS says
• Bus drivers' union raises red flag on blind spots after pedestrian death

City council was told Tuesday that administration is leading the review to change the culture at the city and become a leader in workplace safety.

"This isn't a one-shot effort," city manager Linda Cochrane told council. "It's about a safety culture that's sustainable over the long haul."

Doug Jones, deputy city manager of operations, said the first step is to focus on staff who operate heavy vehicles, such as buses and snow plows.

"We've got a lot of heavy equipment on the roads, and we've got 7,000 of our 12,000 employees that are actually driving," Jones said. "So that's when you look where risk might lay, that's the area where we want to start on."

The city will start working with one of the unions on evaluation and training programs next week.

Jones said the city wants to create a culture that will encourage the reporting of "near misses."

The emphasis would not be on disciplining an employee who had the near miss but rather on what can be learned from it.

"We want to look at what the root cause was, and how do you fix it overall," he said.

While Jones wouldn't comment directly on the recent deaths, he said every incident is a catalyst toward creating a safer city.

"It's not that any one incident was a driver for it," he said. "It's a philosophical approach that we want to be the best. Edmonton is a leader in so many areas, and we want to be a leader in safety as well."

Blind spots in city buses will also be reviewed, Jones said, after the bus drivers' union raised that as a red flag in pedestrian deaths.

Jones said he thinks the changes will be evident to the public.

"I'd be disappointed if the changes are not quite visible both internally and externally over the next number of months and years going forward," he said. "This is not something just strictly internally focussed. We also want to see a positive impact on the public."

Mental health concerns among employees will also be included in the safety review.

The city has hired a consulting firm to review current safety systems. A report from the consultant is due in May.