Here's a quick update from us.

FALL 2021 | Edition #28

Executive Director Report

As we look back on the Summer months, many folks enjoyed our annual golf tournament (The Tin Cup). The event was held on August 12 at the Deer Valley Golf Club. Thank you to all those who participated and sponsored the event. Your support made the tournament so successful.

Over the last few months there have been some noticeable effects as the economy steadily improves. Many industry companies have experienced supply shortages both in materials, as well as in human resources. We continue to work with our industry partners to monitor and improve these deficiencies in the supply chain.

The weather is changing and the leaves are beginning to fall. That will not stop us as we continue to advocate for the electrical industry in our province. Some of the important initiatives we are following over the next few months are:

CEC 2021 Code Renewal training and implementation
SATCC’s restructuring of the process for apprenticeship registration and indenturing
Master electrician requirement concept
Prompt payment legislation
Discounted training opportunities for members

Please feel free to contact us if you ever have questions, concerns or need clarification about the electrical industry in Saskatchewan.

Thank you for your continued support of our association. We wish that you have a profitable and safe last quarter of 2021.

Ken Meredith

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND APPRENTICES ON EDUCATION LEAVE

The electrical industry offers the opportunity for employees to take part in apprentice programs. When an employee goes away to school, this may have an effect on your Employee Benefit Program.

Most benefit plans require that employees are actively at work and working the minimum number of hours indicated in the policy to be eligible for benefits. The exception to this is policies that use hour bank systems. If you have employees taking an educational leave to attend an apprenticeship program, communication is key. Details on your plan provisions can be found in your policy documents and booklets.

Click here to read more about this benefit program.

Understanding different types of insurance

Your business faces several risks on any given day. Are you confident your business would be covered in the event of an unexpected circumstance such as a theft or natural disaster? If you’re unable to answer this question, it may be time to review your current insurance policy.

Click Here to get more information about the key types of business insurance coverage for your company.

TIN CUP 2021

The 6th Annual Tin Cup Golf Tournament was held on August 12 at the Deer Valley Golf Club. It was a great day of networking, socializing and of course golfing.

Congratulations to the team from Choice Electrical Supply Co. including captain Jon Yung, Kevin Black (Wirewerks Network Innovations), Kenny Klein and Roth Uy (Klein’s Cabling & Electric).

A special thank you goes out to all our sponsors who contributed to making this Tin Cup so successful and enjoyable.

We hope to see you again next year for the 7th Annual Tin Cup!

COPPER SPONSORS

2021 CEC Code Renewal Sessions Reminder!

TSASK is hosting virtual online sessions for electrical contractors to receive the 2021 CEC Renewal.

Each session has attendance limited to 220 spots. The sessions are free. All sessions will occur virtually on-line.

Sessions are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday October 5^th – 10am-noon

Wednesday October 6^th – 6pm-8pm

Thursday October 7^th – 1pm-3pm

Thursday October 7^th – 5pm-7pm

Tuesday October 12^th – 1pm-3pm

Tuesday October 12^th – 5pm-7pm

Wednesday October 13^th – 1pm-3pm

Wednesday October 13^th – 5pm-7pm

Contractors can utilize the following link to register/save their seat for a session, each individual must register separately.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2021-cec-rollout-sessions-tickets-176341059857

To be a Registered Contractor, attendance at a Code Roll Out session is mandatory.

There may be other opportunities to obtain the 2021 Code Renewal in the future; however, at this time we cannot guarantee those opportunities will occur. We encourage all electrical contractors to attend one of the sessions listed above.

Recent Advocacy Initiatives

SCKA continues to work on improving and resolving the following construction industry priorities:

Supply Chain Disruption and Material Price Escalation
Quality of Construction Documents
Labour Pressures
Prompt Payment Legislation
Onerous Contract Conditions and Risk Allocation

Click here for more information on the above initiatives.

Share your industry concerns with SKCA’s CEO, Mark Cooper:

president@scaonline.ca

THE CANADIAN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION...

WORKING FOR YOU!

THE IMPORTANCE OF

JOB-SITE JOURNALS

Keeping accurate project records in some form of Job Site Journal is important to ensure you can provide detailed documentation for substantiating claims caused by such things as delays, extras and damages, not to mention liability claims. Perhaps more so, thanks to the additional expenses caused by COVID delays and PPE requirements.

CECA is asking for your feedback to let us know if we should pursue the adoption of an electronic journal.

Is an electronic journal something you are interested in us pursuing?
Does your company already use an electronic version and, if so, what version?
If you use hardcopy journals, what do you use?

All respondents will receive a discount on future publications.

Please send your responses to Gregg Whitty at gxwhitty@ceca.org.

New Registration Process for Employees Working in Compulsory Trades

As of September 1, 2021, the SATCC requires employers to register employees when they are initially hired into the compulsory trades. These changes will help to more effectively identify and monitor the progress of indentured apprentices. A summary of the changes are:

Registration and Contract are completed on the first day of employment.
Indenture fee of $200 is required within 6 months of the registration date.

Why is circuit breaker testing important?

It’s not uncommon that circuit breakers fail but testing them before they’re installed can mean life and death in some cases. Keep your employees and clients safe by asking your supplier three key questions when purchasing circuit breakers:

Is the product tested?
What are the standards used in testing?
Will you supply me a report as proof of testing?

Some of the key reasons circuit breakers fail are mechanical component issues (contacts opening too slowly, binding, or not opening at all), the circuit breaker may have been initially sized incorrectly (for example, a wrong KAIC rating could be the culprit), a relay and auxiliary device failure or loose bolt connections, as well as other environmental factors on the distribution system (ingress of dust/debris, periods of extended heat, massive overcurrent events).

SCSA Update - Psychological Health and Safety

Recent news on the location of graves near the former sites of Residential Schools and the continued coronavirus pandemic has increased feelings of worry, fear and concern. At the workplace, this can translate into job burnout, substance abuse, and presenteeism. Mentally healthy workplaces will be more high functioning, productive, and respectful.

There are many mental health and wellness resources available:

The recent issue of Safety Advocate magazines discusses the role of effective conversations in improving mental health. https://scsaonline.ca/pdf/SCSA_Safety_Advocate_SpringSummer_2021.pdf
The SCSA has toolbox talks available at http://www.scsaonline.ca that address mental health and stress. These toolbox talks can be downloaded, printed and shared during company safety meetings.
WorkSafe Saskatchewan offers several Psychological Health and Safety Courses on their website https://www.worksafesask.ca/mentalhealth/
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health offers a wide range of supports from effective listening to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder https://www.ccohs.ca/topics/wellness/mentalhealth/

By staying connected and providing support while encouraging resilience, mental health can be improved.

Email or Call:

ecas@ecasask.ca | 306.539.7397

www.ecasask.ca