For the third year in a row Northern Strands attended one of the largest safety trade shows in Western Canada.   The Industrial Safety Seminar was held at Praireland Park in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.   Hundreds of people interested in learning more about work place safety were in attendance.   The Northern Strands double booth featured an Advanced Davit Arm System for entry and retrieval applications.   Below is a picture of the Davit System set up at the Industrial Safety Seminar

Many industry experts visited our booth to inquire about Northern Strands safety related divisions; Safety Training, Engineered Fall Protection, Wire Rope and Rigging and Suspended Access.   One of the more popular questions was, "What training courses do you offer?"   This was an excellent question!  

Our current training courses include:

• Fall Arrest Training
• Crosby Rigging Seminars
• Wirelock Socketing Seminars
• First Aid and CPR training
• Tugger Safety Training
• Suspended Access Equipment Training

Over the last few decades worker safety in Canada has become an area of utmost importance for our government, companies and workers.   Worker fall protection safety has been a particular area of focus in safety regulations and culture across Saskatchewan and Canada. 

Did you know that Saskatchewan's Occupational Health and Safety Regulations states that, "An employer or contractor shall develop a written fall protection plan where:
(a) a worker may fall three metres or more; and
(b) workers are not protected by a guardrail or similar barrier."?

What constitutes a fall protection plan or system?  OH&S regulations state, "The fall protection plan required by subsection (1) must describe:
(a) the fall hazards at the worksite;
(b) the fall protection system to be used at the worksite;
(c) the procedures used to assemble, maintain, inspect, use and disassemble the fall protection system; and
(d) the rescue procedures to be used if a worker falls, is suspended by a personal fall arrest system or safety net and needs to be rescued.
(3) The employer or contractor shall ensure that a copy of the fall protection plan is readily available before work begins at a worksite where a risk of falling exists.
(4) The employer or contractor shall ensure that a worker is trained in the fall protection plan and the safe use of the fall protection system before allowing the worker to work in an area where a fall protection system must be used."

Northern Strands Engineered Fall Protection Division recently completed a job where we installed an Engineered Fall Protection System for a commercial rooftop.  We completed the installation of two force management anchors on a standing seam roof.  Standing seam clamps are attached to the roof top. Bearer bars bridge the gap between two standing seams.  Anchor plates are the riveted to the bearer bars and the pull tested. Finally the anchors are assembled on the anchor plate and torqued.  These rooftop anchors are now ready for the customers use.

If you have questions regarding commercial rooftop fall protection plans, please contact the Engineered Fall Protection Division of Northern Strands at 306.242.7073, email lifelines@northernstrands.com or visit our webpage http://www.northernstrands.com/fall-protection.aspx

Northern Strands is COR safety certified and is a Mission Zero Charter Member. 

We are proudly Saskatoon, Saskatchewan owned and operated.

Northern Strands Suspended Access Division has designed a unique Portable Electric Winch System for material handling. Why did we design a Portable Electric Winch System?  To offer an alternative to Air Winches.  Our Portable Electric Winch System was designed with portability and ease of use in mind.  

Who can benefit from the use of this unique winch?   Ironworkers, sheeters, insulators, industrial mechanical contractors, plant maintenance workers, and anyone that has a need for temporary hoisting solutions in a somewhat confined space.

Features include:

• 1st Layer rating: 1,100 LBS W.L.L
• Mid drum rating: 700 LBS W.L.L
• Full drum rating: 500 LBS W.L.L
• Variable speed.
• Accurate load weight readout.
• Anti-two-block.
• Positive controls.
• Controlled descent.
• Counterweighted system, no need to anchor the unit.
• No need for a compressor.
• Overload protection.
• Ease of use.
• Long pendant control keeps the operator away from the suspended load.

Our Portable Electric Winches are available to rent today!

Contact our Suspended Access Division for all your material handling, work platform, tugger, winch and swing stage needs.   Our products are available to rent throughout Canada.

Visit our website at http://www.northernstrands.com/suspended-access-systems.aspx  

staging@northernstrand.com                                                                                                    

Phone 306-242-7073. 

Northern Strands is proudly Saskatoon, Saskatchewan owned and operated.

Northern Strands and it's employees recently received a letter of thanks and appreciation from Winsafe  Corp. regarding the launch of the SaskPower Poplar River Boiler Maintenance Work Platform (BMWP).  Northern Strands Suspended Access and Training divisions were instrumental in the successful launch of the BMWP.

Below is the testimonial letter from Winsafe:

"I would like to take a moment to thank you, Northern Strands, and the Northern Strands team for their contributions to the recent successful first launch of the SaskPower Poplar River Boiler Maintenance Work Platform (BMWP).

As you may be aware, while in transit to Saskatchewan, a number of training, certification, and documentation requirements were conveyed to us. Ray Nemethi’s efforts on the ground while our team was in the air were instrumental in making it possible for our employees to be able to perform work at the SaskPower site and to be in a position to successfully perform the launch. It clearly tooka great deal of coordination in a short period of time, and we are very thankful for those efforts.

Also, Ryan Green was able to travel to our hotel in Assiniboia on equally short notice to provide Fall Arrest and Confined Space certification training. We were impressed with his presentation and teaching skills and are likewise thankful for his efforts and his flexibility.

This project carries a very high profile and has been of significant importance for both of our organizations. The efforts put forth by Ray, Ryan, and other behind-the-scenes members of the Northern Strands team are certainly solid reminders of why we are pleased to be partnered with you."

What a great testimonial letter from Winsafe!   Thank you Winsafe!

Northern Strands is proudly Saskatoon, Saskatchewan owned and operated and are the official supplier of Winsafe products in Canada.

Northern Strands delivers presentations on Safety with Rigging at the Agrium Safety Fair.  These presentations included aspects of rigging inspections, examples of rejections and the do's and don'ts of rigging safety.  Northern Strands provided a test bed to perform breaks on lifting slings as part of the presentation.

The test bed demonstration:

New web and wire rope slings ( 3/8 x 6ft and 1” 1ply and 2ply ) were supplied for demonstration. Agrium also supplied Northern Strands with 10-12 used wire rope and web slings in varying degrees of degradation. All new slings were benchmarked to have breaking load 5 x Working load limit. All new slings broke above this benchmark. The used slings broke all over the map. Some of the new slings were given a knot and then tested with an expected 50% reduction in breaking load. Slings with knots were 40% to 60% of benchmark. Hitches were also tested ( Choker style ) there were consistent breaks near calculated load. We did have a number of eye breaks on new web and wire rope slings but above projected breaking point.

Approx. 300 people attended the presentations and were very interested in the demonstration results

Some of the comments overheard were along the lines of: Who'd of thought...I didn't know that...great to see what we only read about before....guess we don't do that anymore.

The comments were very positive and it's very likely Northern Strands will be asked by Agrium to give additional presentations on Safety with Rigging at the Agrium Safety Fair next year. 

Northern Strands is proudly Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada owned and operated.