Why use CMDS?

The CMDS team is sometimes asked, "Why do I need to do this?" from our CMDS users.

There are many reasons why CMDS is important, and when asked this question recently, Tim Nelson, a CMDS Training Coordinator, pulled together some pertinent facts about training, regulations, and compliance that will be of interest to everyone working in the oil and gas industry.

Tim wrote:

CMDS provides a way for the organization to track/monitor that all employees have reviewed and understand company Codes of Practice, Site Specific Procedures, Safe Operating Procedures, etc. Because CMDS is web based, it means that managers are able to view your signoffs at any given time, this provides a line of sight for managers.

CMDS provides a means to track worker competencies. This is not to fault the worker, but rather to confirm that the worker is able to perform their assigned job tasks safely, effectively, and efficiently so that they are able to go home to their family at the end of every shift. This also applies to the people who are working beside you, CMDS gives you a way of knowing that they are not going to do something that could possibly put you, or themselves at risk.

CMDS aids workers in their ability to recognize safety and environmental hazards/risks.

CMDS provides workers with the knowledge and tools to be able to implement hazard mitigation.

Yes, there is a regulatory requirement as well.

Paraphrased from the Alberta Regulation 62/2003 Occupational Health & Safety - Sections 14 and 15 (http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/2003_062.pdf):Workers have the obligation to refuse work that they feel they are not competent to perform.Owners/Employers must provide the training where training is required.

Paraphrased from Westray Bill C45 and the Canadian Criminal Code 217.1 (http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/legisl/billc45.html) (http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-120.html#docCont):Everyone who undertakes, or has the authority, to direct how another person does work or performs a task is under a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm to that person, or any other person, arising from that work or task.

A company's senior officials can be held responsible if they depart from a standard of care that could have been reasonably expected would have prevented a subordinate from being a party to a safety offense.Companies or organizations can be at fault if a senior officer acts at least partly in the company's interests, in such a way as a safety offense is committed either directly or by omission. [paraphrased]

In order to address the regulatory requirements Keyera uses CMDS. The following is taken from the Keyera website:

"We believe one of the most effective ways to promote safe, efficient, and reliable operations is through a competent and knowledgeable workforce. This belief led to the development of our innovative Competency Management and Development System (CMDS), which supports the assessment and enhancement of the skills we require. This competency based, online assessment program involves employee self-assessments and supervisor validation of relevant employee competencies. We are proud that our CMDS program has become a training tool used industry-wide to train personnel".

Thanks to Tim for pulling this information together. We, the CMDS group, feel strongly that worker safety and training is of the utmost importance. We are proud of CMDS, and we work diligently to ensure the system works for our users.