A reader writes:
Okay, I’m going to sound like an odd Canadian lumberjack stereotype right here, however I had a query come up in my office about bear security and when it’s cheap to refuse work in bear nation for occupational well being and security causes. The protection hazard is “potential bear encounters” however I really feel just like the logic of different office well being and security and group dynamics also needs to apply.
I work in a pure conservation space. My group of seasonal employees does a few of their work open air in a campground, working with the general public. The entire employees stay on website within the park or close by. Black bears are widespread on this space. My group provides bear security talks to guests as part of their duties, so they’re very conscious of the sorts of issues they need to do to forestall bear encounters, and know the steps they need to take if they really do encounter a bear. Bear assaults are extraordinarily uncommon – often as soon as the bear and human discover one another, one or the opposite retreats with no points. Typically now we have to posture a bit, or get right into a constructing or a piece automobile. Bear encounters are a frequent a part of life right here throughout our operational season. I most likely see them twice per week, however nearly by no means in tremendous shut proximity or in a harmful manner. They steadily wander via residential areas, together with close to employees housing and customer cabins. In the event you’re conscious of them and know what to do, they aren’t thought-about any extra of a hazard than, say, being conscious of car visitors and ensuring to remain protected round motor autos.
This previous summer time, as part of common security provides, like our two-way radios and sunscreen, I bought two canisters of bear spray for my group, and stated that if members of my group needed to hold it when out within the park on work enterprise, they have been out there as an non-compulsory device. Bear spray, for the uninitiated, is pepper spray for bears. If a bear is charging you or received’t provide you with area, you make certain the wind isn’t blowing into your face after which spray it at them. It’s a non-lethal deterrent and it’s solely deployed as a final resort. I’ve solely had to make use of bear spray as soon as, whereas mountain climbing on my time without work, in practically 10 years. Different groups at my website who work in numerous jobs within the backcountry carry it as part of their equipment as a result of they’re extra remoted, and I believed it will be a very good non-compulsory factor for my employees to hold – additionally to set a very good instance for guests getting down to go for hikes within the woods.
One employees member, after they heard that I had made bear spray out there to our group, stated that we would have liked “intensive” bear security coaching and that what I had offered was not enough to maintain them protected from bears whereas they have been on responsibility. This individual had apparently acquired a half-day workshop at a earlier job with a unique group and one other website and was anticipating the identical right here. It apparently concerned really deploying some type of deactivated spray. The factor is, the one different formal bear security coaching my website gives for workers are for many who haze downside bears out of city and actively lure and relocate them. Getting that shut and private with the bears is way and above what’s required of my employees and that coaching will not be one thing that the opposite group can take the time to guide for my group. Primarily, it’s not a requirement of their function. After I spoke with the customer security officer at my office, they stated that studying the directions on the canister and watching the educational video on the producer’s web site must be enough for the sort of work my group does, particularly as my employees are educated to ship bear security messaging to guests. That’s what different groups who work within the backcountry who carry bear spray do. We would not have a selected documented work apply from the occupational well being and security committee for bear encounters, however we do have one for if employees are actively working with wildlife (once more, like relocating bears) which isn’t what my employees do.
After I got here again to my employees member with this data, they have been nonetheless very dissatisfied, and introduced in entrance of the entire group that none of them ought to enter the campground except they’d intensive security coaching in bear spray. I did say that it was not a requirement to hold or use bear spray, so in the event that they weren’t comfy with it they didn’t have to hold it and might observe the opposite security protocols as regular (concentrate on your environment and escape routes, apply prevention, carry a radio for communication). They countered that carrying bear spray was essential when working exterior on website for “safety reasons.” It nearly acquired to the purpose of a refusal to work – however in the long run, I hadn’t even assigned this employees member the shifts that might take them into the campground so the grievance fizzled.
I used to be a bit baffled by what my employees member was asking me. If this individual is saying that it’s actively unsafe for employees members to enter the campground with out bear spray and “intensive” coaching … then following that logic, would it not not be thought-about unsafe for any folks, together with janitorial employees and members of the general public, to enter the campground there with out the identical instruments and coaching? Ought to we evacuate the campground? Ought to I simply … not present bear spray as an choice for my employees to hold? However no person else on the group had any objections to carrying bear spray or working open air. Spending time exterior on-site is a requirement of the job and that can at all times carry with it the potential for animal encounters (bear, deer, elk, wolves).
I do know that is an excessive instance, however I’m battling what to do ought to this individual come again subsequent season and have the identical grievance. Bear encounters are a standard a part of residing and dealing on this area – and this individual is a long-time resident and to my information doesn’t personal bear spray or carry it of their off hours. Bears are simply as more likely to stroll via their entrance yard as they’re to be in our outside office. What occurs once I because the employer present security instruments and coaching that the occupational well being and security committee and our park’s customer security officer think about enough and my employees member nonetheless says it’s not sufficient?
I can’t communicate to bear security in any respect, however I can discuss learn how to strategy this from a administration perspective usually — with the caveat that there could be one thing particular to bears that I don’t know however you’d have to consider.
From a strictly administration standpoint, I’d argue that you have to do two issues:
First, reality-check your strategy with somebody who is a bear professional. Do they agree with the coaching and assist you’re offering to maintain workers protected? In that case, nice. (That could be precisely what you probably did whenever you checked along with your customer security officer, assuming that individual does certainly have experience in bear security.) For the sake of answering the remainder of your letter, I’m going to imagine that you simply’ve finished this step and gotten affirmation that you simply’re utilizing the perfect practices to maintain folks protected.
The second step is a really up-front, clear dialog along with your involved worker in the event that they find yourself eager to return subsequent season. Earlier than hiring them again, you need to increase this! You possibly can say, “I know you had concerns last year about bear spray training. I sought advice from (insert specifics here) and they’ve confirmed we’re using best practices for the type of work we do and the bear exposure we have in our work. They didn’t recommend bear spray training, and it’s not something we’re currently able to offer. Knowing that, will you be comfortable with the expectations of the job? If not, I certainly understand. I want to make sure we sort this out up-front so you’re not in a situation you’re not comfortable in.”
But additionally … are there any inventive methods to supply this individual the coaching they need? Whereas the group doing that extra coaching doesn’t have the time to supply it to your group too, may this worker (or different group members) sit on in a coaching the opposite group is already doing for themselves? Or if there aren’t different native sources for coaching, are there on-line trainings you could possibly make out there in case your group members need it? I get that you simply’re saying it’s pointless for his or her jobs, but when you can also make folks really feel safer at work with only a bit extra effort (or cash), it’s price doing.
Alternatively, it additionally sounds attainable that this individual was revealing a elementary lack of alignment with the work you do. My lack of bear information makes it arduous for me to evaluate that with any confidence, however I do marvel if that was a part of what occurred final summer time. Perhaps it wasn’t! And definitely it’s cheap for folks to wish to really feel protected performing their jobs. And whereas I get your level that there are others on the campground with out this coaching (janitors, members of the general public) and {that a} bear is simply as more likely to stroll via somebody’s entrance yard as via your campground, I do suppose it’s completely different whenever you’re in knowledgeable function the place you’re chargeable for different folks’s security. So from that perspective, your group member may not have been totally off-base.
Finally, although, all you possibly can actually do is to (a) verify that your practices are protected and those really useful, (b) see if there are life like methods to supply any additional coaching anyway, after which (c) be up-front with workers and potential workers about what you possibly can and might’t provide, in order that they have a clear-eyed view of what they’d be signing on for and might resolve if it really works for them or not.
