On March 31, 2021, a tragic incident during excavator maintenance resulted in the death of one worker and serious injury to another. These devastating losses became the catalyst for the Managing Critical Work program.
Developed through a creative sentencing agreement with the Government of Alberta, this initiative shares lessons learned through practical, evidence-based tools designed to strengthen how critical work is managed.
The program combines short training videos with facilitation guides that help teams:
Identify high-risk tasks before work begins
Control hazardous energy and other critical hazards
Improve decision-making in dynamic environments
Strengthen communication and shared understanding of risks
Together, these resources support safer work practices and a culture of continuous learning.
These resources are designed for organizations and teams responsible for planning, supervising or performing high-risk work, including:
Frontline workers and operators
Supervisors and team leads
Safety professionals
Maintenance and operations teams
Organizational leaders seeking stronger safety practices
The tools are especially valuable in industries where hazardous energy, complex equipment or dynamic environments are common.
The video series includes seven videos on how work actually happens, human performance, identifying and monitoring high-energy hazards, and more.
Introduce your team to the critical work concepts and its practical application in workplace problem-solving.
Use the facilitation guides to guide meaningful conversations. Help your team identify hazards and brainstorm effective solutions.
Implement insights from the discussions to refine operations, improve safety and create a culture of continuous learning.