MANITOULIN––NATT Safety Services wants to help Manitoulin and the North Shore keep it safe. NATT is a specialist in confined safety training and rescue but offers all aspects of safety training and consulting.
NATT Safety Services is a division of TPS Group of Companies. There are four divisions, specializing in human resources and health and safety.
NATT Safety Services was developed as its own division in 2014 both to meet their own needs as a human resources company but also to meet the needs of customers who required safety services. The basis of the company in the beginning was confined space training and rescue, explained Mark Arnold, NATT and TPS general manager. “To meet the need we trained our own staff and the specialty evolved from there. We supply trained rescuers specific to confined spaces.”
There are four locations for the safety services division: Espanola, Ottawa and two in Sudbury. The Fielding Road location in Lively is a training centre that contains a brand new indoor confined space simulator as well as two outdoor simulators. The company is able to provide confined space training 365 days per year. It supports both the rescue service and the training needs of NATT customers. NATT can also develop rescue plans, do site audits and put controls in place to manage risk.
“I feel that we’re so good because we have one of the more premier confined space rescue trainers on site,” said Mr. Arnold. “Jennifer Roy is our division manager, safety manager and our lead trainer.” Ms. Roy developed the confined space program as well as the newly approved (on April 13 of this year) working at heights program. Certain workers in Ontario are required to complete a working at heights training program that has been approved by the Chief Prevention Officer. “We built the program,” said Mr. Arnold. “I’m proud of that.”
“We also do training on mobile equipment, like scissor lifts and forklift training,” Mr. Arnold continued. “We provide first aid and CPR training are newly certified to perform fit testing.” Mask fit testing is a safeguard for employee lung health by ensuring that workers wear properly sized and sealed respiratory protective equipment and that the correct filters are used for the atmosphere or particulate matter. They’ve recently taken fit testing to hospitals for surgical nurses.
NATT is strong in instructor-led training. Online training is available but the caliber of their trainers and the curriculum delivered are key strengths, explained Mr. Arnold, who noted that companies are choosing to return to instructor-led training over online options. “Everybody learns differently and a computer can’t address that, or answer questions.”
He believes that many people feel more comfortable with a live instructor. “Feedback from our students and customers is critical. We measure ourselves, and our programs, every day,” he said. “My feeling is you can’t over train a person. Training is important. It’s the foundation of our business.”
The continued growth of the spin-off company means they’ve been asked to provide more training as a value-added service. “We’ve been asked to manage training programs for companies,” Mr. Arnold said. “We’ll either do the training or coordinate the training. We’ve set up a flagging system for maintaining records and dates for recertification.” The company also provides site staff and site coordinators. “You must have a health and safety program in place if you have workers,” he noted. “We do a lot of maintenance shutdowns across the province. You need certain specific staff to do that, and we can provide them.”
“Our strength is we train our own people. We can offer quick mobilization because of our core staff,” he said. Last week the company received a call for the Tembec pulp and paper mill in Temiskaming. “They were doing a major shutdown and needed 15 confined space attendants. We were able to have a crew there the next night.”
The Espanola location works closely with Domtar. NATT delivers an indoctrination program for all visitors to Domtar. The Core 1 program is for visitors such as salespeople while Core 2 is for all subcontractors. NATT provides instructor-led training in a classroom setting although online training is available for those who cannot attend in person. NATT even takes the photos and provides the barcoded cards. “You can’t get on site at Domtar without this indoctrination,” said Mr. Arnold. They also provide training specific for Domtar, including fit testing, confined spaces, safety staffing and fire extinguisher inspections
Word is spreading about the quality of their services. NATT has recently been contacted by a company in Brazil that operates six gold mines. “They were impressed with what we offer and what we do,” said Mr. Arnold. “They want us to help them get to the next level, to develop a safety culture, provide training and put controls in place.”
Mr. Arnold wants to bring what they do to Manitoulin. “We don’t just provide services for industrial companies and mines,” he noted. “Safety training is for any business or person on the Island that requires it. Roofing contractors might require working at heights training or maybe some training with mobile equipment like genie lifts. Maybe someone needs us to perform a safety audit at a construction site. We have the expertise to do that.”
“It’s a niche business,” he acknowledged. “We’re successful at it because we do it every day.”
Companies on Manitoulin Island, the North Shore or in Espanola can contact training coordinator Michelle McCendie at mccendie@tpsgroup.ca or by telephone at 1-866-244-3344 ext. 900.
