Situation
Thermal Systems has been a leading commercial and industrial building envelope subcontractor in Western Canada
since 1985. The company is involved with projects for the entire construction life cycle, from conception to completion,
offering multi-scope solutions and design assistance throughout the entire process.
Since its inception, Thermal Systems has held safety as a core value. It’s embedded in the corporate culture. All
managers at Thermal Systems work with their direct reports in a structured model of one-on-one meetings, feedback,
coaching, and delegation, which in turn builds trust and accountability.
“We see safety as a personal accountability issue,” said Christian Marchant, Director of Health, Safety, Environment,
and Quality. “People are our number-one asset, and we coach them in ways to help them manage their accountabilities
instead of policing and enforcing safety.”
Much of that safety coaching focuses on mental health from the perspective of supporting employees on a daily basis.
According to Christian, simply asking coworkers if they’re doing all right isn’t enough because people typically respond
by saying that they’re fine—even though they may be struggling with something.
“You must have a really good relationship with someone to get a genuine answer to questions surrounding mental
health,” said Christian. “Such a relationship requires a lot of trust and is rare in the workplace, so I looked for an effective
way to support our people’s mental health.” Thermal Systems builds trust with its employees through its management
model, but Christian wanted an evidence-based tool to support further discussion.
While searching for a safety tool that fits Thermal Systems’ corporate culture in a way that prioritizes mental health,
Christian found an article featuring Predictive Safety. He glossed over it, not believing in the possibility of predicting
things like safety issues.
“However, when I came across a second reference to the Predictive Safety team, I attended their webinar,” said Christian. “That’s when I decided to give them a shot at convincing me that their tool actually works.”
Solution
Christian was interested in Predictive Safety’s AlertMeter®, which accurately tracks whether workers are sufficiently alert to perform their duties safely and efficiently. It’s a sixty-second test with a game-like interface that utilizes worker-derived algorithms that cannot be falsified. AlertMeter® produces objective results and opens opportunities for productive conversations about mental health while creating a collaborative safety culture.
“We tested AlertMeter® for a couple of months by taking the test when we were actually fatigued, and it really did reveal things about our mental states,” said Christian. “Now, a couple of years later, AlertMeter® is a part of our day-today business.”
Everyone throughout the company uses AlertMeter® each day. Christian sees the results of the tests and works with supervisors when workers on their team are functioning below their individual baseline.
“There is no pass or fail with AlertMeter®,” said Christian. “The one expectation we have is that people use it every day. This gives the supervisor the opportunity to talk to the person to discover what issues might be impacting performance so the supervisor can provide or arrange the proper support. It also works perfectly with our Ultimate Corporate Goal, which is to revolutionize construction through people and technology.
Results
Enhanced Safety Culture
“AlertMeter® has given us the technological ability to ask peopleif everything is okay,” said Christian. “It allows people to set their own baseline and meet that standard daily. That gives managers the ability to manage people according to their personal baselines.”
Positive Worker Adoption
“One person told me that this is the first place he’s ever worked where he was given a tool that helps him support himself,” said Christian. “Another person
thanked me for giving him a tool for holding himself accountable.”
Improved Employee Retention
Retention is currently a project for Thermal Systems’ leadership team. AlertMeter® has been an essential tool in that initiative because it shows workers that
the company cares about them.
