Independent Companies - Independent Employer

SAFE Company certification is obtained through participation in the Small Employer Program. The small employer program standards apply to you because as an employer/contractor of other companies, you have the responsibility ensure the health and safety of all workers working for you, and any other workers present at a workplace. In other words, you have the safety responsibilities of a small employer, but can still register in the independent category.

Examples of independent employers who this includes:

• the log-broker (contractor of others that will be conducting work)
• the tenure holders (have responsibilities of owner/licensee)
• the woodlot operator that has employees and/or contracts with others to perform various phases of work
• the equipment owner that hires an employee to operate equipment (e.g. – truck, skidder, dozer, processor)
• the forestry employer that hires another on-site employee

Upon registration, all companies will receive a Safety Toolkit which is a step-by-step process designed to help build a new program or review an existing one. The Toolkit also includes a CD with safety forms and templates to help you fill in any gaps you may have in your current safety program.

Step 2 – Complete SAFE Companies Training Requirements

A company representative is required to have successfully completed the SAFE Companies Small Employer OHS Training Course. This course is designed to help develop a health and safety program, or determine if the existing program is right on track, and evaluate the program using the SEBASE Audit.

More info on training can be found here under Training or by visiting the Council's training calendar. To visit the Council's training calendar please click the button below:

Step 3a – Ensure an Effective Health and Safety Program

After the SAFE Companies Small Employer OHS Training Course the company representative will assess the company's current safety program against the SEBASE standard. The training is provided to help you improve areas of your safety program that need additional work.

Step 3b - Request the Assistance of a Safety Advocate

Registered companies that have already attended the Small Employer OHS training course, but may still have some questions regarding their health and safety program can benefit from a Safety Advocate visiting their company.

The Safety Advocate will work with forest companies in the following areas:

• Assess current safety programs and practices, and perform gap analyses,
• Assist companies with implementing the Council’s Safety Toolkit,
• Provide understanding toward meeting the steps leading up to becoming a SAFE Company,
• Generally, assist in any way that will facilitate the early adoption of programs and procedures that promote forest worker safety.

More information on Safety Advocates can be found here.

Step 4 – Perform and Submit Your Audit

Your company representative that attended the training will perform the SEBASE Audit on your health and safety program. A score of at least 80% overall, and at least 51% on each element is required for SAFE Company certification.

The representative will submit the required audit submission documentation to the BC Forest Safety Council. The BC Forest Safety Council will conduct quality assurance reviews on all audits which includes phone interviews to validate audit results.

Upon meeting the quality assurance review, the BC Forest Safety Council will make the application to WorkSafeBC for COR rebates on behalf of the company. SAFE Company certification will be awarded and feedback on the both the audit report and the health and safety processes it represents will be sent to the company.

Step 5 – Maintain your SAFE Companies Certification

SAFE Company Certification is renewed every three years through the completion of a SEBASE Audit using their company OHS representative and a maintenance SEBASE audit in each of the two interim years.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM	Registration information
> Benefits of being a SAFE certified company - LINK > The Cost of Unsafe (pdf) - LINK > SAFE Companies: Six Month Audit Submission Requirements (pdf) - LINK   > Request for Extension form (pdf) - LINK > SAFE Companies Application Form (pdf) - LINK	> Guide to SAFE Company Registration (pdf) - LINK > Large Company - LINK   > Booking a Student Auditor - LINK > Small Company- LINK   > Tips for Submitting a Good SEBASE Audit - LINK > Independent Companies - LINK   > Individual Owner Operators (IOO) - LINK > Certification Timelines by Licencee - LINK > Registration - Request for Status Change Form - LINK
AUDITORS	TRAINING
> List of Certified External Auditors - LINK > Auditor Code of Ethics (pdf) - LINK > Notice of Audit Activities Form (pdf) - LINK > Declaration of Dependent Contractors Form (pdf) - LINK	> Individual Owner Operator SAFEty Course - LINK > External Auditor Training - BASE Audit - LINK > Internal Auditor Training -LINK > OHS Small Employer Training - LINK > Basic Forest Supervisor Course - LINK
RESOURCES	SAFE CERTIFIED COMPANIES
> Large Employer (BASE) Audit   (pdf) - LINK > Small Employer (SEBASE) Audit (pdf) - LINK   > Tips for Submitting a Good SEBASE Audit - LINK   > An Explanation of the SEBASE Audit Questions (pdf) - LINK > Individual Owner Operator (IOO) SAFEty Log - LINK > Safe Companies Update Newsletter - LINK > Safety Advocates - LINK > SAFE Companies Questions Answered  - LINK	> List of SAFE Certified Companies (pdf) - LINK > List of Companies Registered to be SAFE Certified (pdf) - LINK > List of SAFE Companies Audits Under Review (pdf) - LINK > Maintaining SAFE Certification - LINK   > Getting SAFE Certified is Just the Beginning (pdf) -LINK > SAFE Companies / COR Rebates - LINK