Journey to Certification
Is your organization ready to start the Journey to Certification?
RPM understands developing a safety program can be a daunting task. To support our clients, we’ve developed a work plan we’ve named Journey 2 Certification (J2C). Guided by your RPM advisor, J2C will take any Manitoba trucking company from registration to certification in 10 steps. Journey 2 Certification is modular and can be customised to fit any starting point. Each step includes record keeping and training elements. RPM can host meetings and training in person or virtually through Microsoft Teams.
Background
RPM Advisors work with employers to achieve safety goals whether that’s preparing for an audit, developing a program from scratch, or improving a partial program. We recognize that program development is large commitment that consists of multiple ongoing activities. To make this process efficient and manageable program development is broken into smaller manageable sections. In addition to development RPM will also provide training and assist with implementation and communication.
Goal
The goal of program development is to assist clients in the development and implementation of a fundamental health and safety program. When developing a program, advisors will work to incorporate existing processes whenever possible. It is our experience that many clients have strong informal processes and procedures but often these aren’t documented and as such we will work to document as many informal processes as possible to minimize changes where possible. The development of this program will also include establishing a fully trained Joint Health and Safety Committee that has received required training.
Meetings with Employer
A Discovery Meeting is held where an RPM advisor will review the Journey to Certification Timeline with the employer. Through discussion, an RPM advisor will identify if any safety management system might exist and determine its usability. This modular timeline can be customised to any existing SMS, removing modules or parts of modules as necessary. Meetings are not scheduled at any specific intervals but will instead be held as needed to support the employer as they progress through the timeline. Working sessions, document review, and advisory meetings can be held in person or remotely via Teams or Zoom.
Sample Timeline for Large Companies
Every company is different, and starts at a different spot on their Journey to Certification. Some modules have training requirements (which your organization may already have) and there are templates you can use to help complete the module. A sample timeline has been outlined below:
Module Name | Estimated Timeline | Courses/Training to Take? | Templates Provided? |
Management & Leadership Commitment | 4 weeks | Yes | Yes |
Workplace Health & Safety Representative/Committee | 4 weeks | Yes | Yes |
Workplace Inspections | 4 weeks | Yes | Yes |
Hazard Identification, Assessment, and Control | 6 weeks | Yes | Yes |
Incident Reporting & Investigation | 4 weeks | Yes | Yes |
Emergency Management | 6 weeks | Yes | Yes |
RPM | 8 weeks | Yes | n/a |
Health & Safety Training & Orientation | 8 weeks | Yes | n/a |
Contractor & Visitor Management | 4 weeks | Yes | Yes |
Gap Analysis (not a module per se, but the final step before achieving certification) | 2 weeks | Yes | n/a |
The total estimated time commitment in this sample is 48 weeks, meaning that by this time next year, your company could be SAFE Work certified through RPM!
Sample Timeline for Small Companies (1-3 total employees, including owners)
It is important to start your business off on the right foot when it comes to safety; however, we understand that the timeline for larger companies can be overwhelming for small companies. That’s why we are working on a Small Employer Certification Tool, which will allow you to create a customized safety program for your small business. Consisting of three easy steps, this program will ensure your safety program grows with your business. Contact us for more information about this program.