Our People, Finding Solutions
“You always have a phone on you—why not turn it into a tool?”
So that’s precisely what Shari Lomon, Health and Safety Supervisor for Teck’s legacy properties in B.C., did.
Ideas…
Maintaining closed and reclaimed mine sites involves tasks like environmental assessments, remedial projects and decommissioning of properties. Activities are often carried out by small teams, and it’s important that work processes safely maximize available resources.
With the initial goal of improving the on-site employee tracking system at the Sullivan Mine, Shari’s research led her to the discovery of a simple log-in/out app. With the successful use of the app, Shari began to research other mobile safety apps and discovered GoCanvas a platform that allows users to develop custom mobile apps that can be used for data collection and sharing.
Apps are created using software on a desktop computer, no coding necessary. Once they’re ready and uploaded, users can complete forms on their personal mobile devices and then submit or email the forms directly to recipients, all in real time, eliminating redundant data entry.
…at Work
“It’s changed our lives,” says Michelle Unger, Manager, Environmental Compliance, based out of Teck’s Kimberley office. “Shari’s idea to get this initiative going opened the door for everyone in our office. Everyone jumped on board and found it really useful.”
Seeing the potential to expand beyond the platform’s initial use to other processes, Shari’s driven the initiative to move to digital reporting for everything from field level risk assessments, to vehicle safety checks, to ‘Take 5’ workplace inspections.
“We branched out and started using the system for environmental applications one day after a colleague shared his frustration with inputting data (photos and written field notes) into dam safety inspection forms,” she explains. “I approached him with the idea of making ‘an app for that’, and things took off from there.”
In the last year, Shari’s created 27 apps and has 30 employees working with the user-friendly digital tool, which can be easily accessed from a smartphone or tablet. Shari’s innovation has garnered interest from others working on Teck legacy sites as well the broader Environment team, with growing interest from other groups as they learn about the benefits of the innovation.
Her idea is just one example of how employees are looking for new ways to continuously improve all areas of our work—in this case, leveraging mobile app technology to streamline work processes related to health, safety and environment.
“I would like to make an app for everything,” Shari laughs. “If there’s any way to make our lives more efficient, I’m game.”
