May 1, 2008

Health and Safety

CSAO considers trimming number of board members

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

The Construction Safety Association of Ontario will explore different options on how to reduce its board of directors from 66 members to 20.

Roy O’Rourke, executive vice-president and general manager, CSAO, informed association members that the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is concerned with the size of the CSAO’s director board.

“They would also like to see CSAO management develop a measurement tool to see the effectiveness of the board of directors,” said O’Rourke to CSAO members at the association’s 79th annual general meeting.

“They are quite concerned with the size of the board, but I believe there are still ways to involve everyone.”

The 66-member board has 32 representatives from both the labour and management sides of Ontario’s construction industry. The board also includes two WSIB representatives.

The possibility of a 66-member advisory board and a streamlined 20-member board of directors is one option the CSAO could look at, says O’Rourke.

“I am really proud of the labour and management partnership network we have,” he said.

“Our training programs do not see the light of day until they are vetted by both labour and management.”

O’Rourke added that the CSAO has been commended in the past on how efficient and effective it has been despite its limited budget. CSAO management will look at different board configuration options and present them at CSAO’s November meeting.

The WSIB has also requested that the CSAO develop a chief executive officer [CEO] recruitment policy which complies with WSIB designation standards. The CSAO currently promotes senior management from within, grooming staff through its ranks.

“They would like to see a policy which will involve external candidates for consideration,” added O’Rourke.

Another amendment to CSAO’s revised bylaws is that, before the CSAO enters into any future location or real estates agreements, it must obtain WSIB approval. O’Rourke said he sees no problem with this and that the process is currently performed already.

O’Rourke explained that in 2008 CSAO staff will continue to monitor and revise programs as necessary to ensure “they do not go stale”. The association’s website will also continue to contain current and useful information.

The CSAO will also continue to participate in the High Risk Firm initiative and work with Emerging Risk Firms in 2008. The CSAO meets with firms, which experience an injury, introducing them to the CSAO, its products and services they can use in order to avoid future injuries.

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