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ISN is pleased to release the latest edition of its “What is Best-in-Class Contractor Management?” white paper. The white paper introduces challenges faced by the growing trend of outsourcing work to contractors and discusses 10 attributes that characterize best-in-class contractor management systems. In a recent survey conducted by ISN, 95% of Hiring Client respondents expect their need for outsourcing to contractors to stay the same or increase over the next 12-18 months, whereas only 5% expect a decrease.1 While outsourcing work allows for more specialized individuals to complete the job in an efficient manner, it can also add a level of uncertainty and risk. Safe and sustainable outsourcing relies on a robust contractor management system, which is ultimately the responsibility of the hiring organization. The 10 attributes in the white paper draw from more than 17 years of global contractor management experience working alongside 540+ Hiring Clients, and include: Establishing a clear communication strategy Using a multi-step due diligence process Addressing subcontractor management Taking safety culture to the next level To view this white paper and other publications issued by ISN, visit the ISN Publications page.   1Contractor Management Strategy White Paper, https://www.isnetworld.com/Newsroom/Publications

In conjunction with the ISN CONNECT Conference, ISN held its inaugural Contractor Certified User Program along with the third Hiring Client Certified User Program. The program was held from April 30 – May 2, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. Over 70 participants representing 64 companies across multiple industries attended both the contractor customer and Hiring Client programs. The Certified User Program provided participants from the United States, Canada and New Zealand the opportunity to receive comprehensive training on ISNetworld functionality, network with peers and share best practices across multiple industries. “ISN has continued to revolutionize the ability to track and trend our opportunities and improvements. Updates to the system continue to benefit daily use,” said Billy Joe Pellegrin with Edison Chouest Offshore. Steve Cheramie with BHP stated “(The Certified User Program) provided me with a deeper understanding of ISN capabilities and how other companies utilize the tool.” Certified User Program participants were also able to: Learn strategies for maximizing the use of their ISNetworld subscription Review ISNetworld from both the contractor customer and Hiring Client perspective Participate in ISN CONNECT Breakout Sessions and Usability Labs “We expanded our Certified User Program to provide an avenue for contractor customers to learn and share best practices for meeting their Hiring Client requirements,” said Belinda Field, Vice President, Contractor Development at ISN. “The participation from our customers, along with the support and feedback we received, are instrumental in the continued growth and expansion of the Certified User Program.” Attendees received Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and an ISNetworld Certified User certificate upon completion of the program.

The Canadian province of Alberta made updates to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and the OHS Code on June 1st. A summary of some significant changes is below: OHS Act Health & Safety Representation – All organizations employing 20 or more persons are now required to have a joint work site health and safety committee (HSC), and organizations with 5-19 employees must have a health and safety representative. Specific requirements regarding the composition of the HSC, including its duties, and the designation of health and safety representatives are outlined in Part 3 of the Act. Duties of Employers and Contractors – Changes were made to the legal roles and responsibilities of employers, supervisors, workers, contractors and suppliers, including a requirement for employers to ensure their supervisors are competent. Written Health & Safety Programs – There is now a requirement for organizations with 20 or more employees to maintain written health and safety programs that address 10 key areas listed in Part 5 of the Act, including a mandatory review of the programs every 3 years. OHS Code WHMIS 2015 – The WHMIS 2015 Canadian standard was incorporated into the Alberta OHS Code with the June 1st updates. The new WHMIS standard involves many changes to align with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, including new pictograms and terminology. Workplace Harassment: – All organizations in Alberta are now obligated to have prevention plans for both workplace violence and harassment. The updates mean Alberta’s OHS Code is the most complex Workplace Violence and Harassment legislation in the country. More information can be found in Part 27 of the Code. For more information on the Alberta OHS updates, please click here.

The National Safety Council (NSC) recognizes June as National Safety Month each year. National Safety Month helps workers, families and communities focus on reducing the leading causes of injuries and fatalities at work, on the road and at home. Each week of National Safety Month, the NSC highlights a different health and safety topic in hopes of raising awareness to hazards and lessening their impact. The first two weeks of June focused on emergency preparedness and wellness. The remaining weeks will focus on falls and driving. In recognition of National Safety Month, ISN invites you to watch our latest video featuring two employees from Nucor Steel in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, sharing why their focus on safety is a priority for them and their families. The National Safety Council has free resources available for your organization to raise safety awareness for your employees both on and off the job. Please join ISN, the National Safety Council and organizations across the United States in celebrating National Safety Month.    

The Supply Chain Management Association (SCMA) National Conference will be held from June 13-June 15 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Each year, hundreds of supply chain decision makers from across Canada come together at the conference to discuss the latest in supply chain disruption and innovation and best practices among their peers in the profession. Visit the ISN Team at Booth 8 during the conference to discuss contractor management and learn more about ISNetworld. The ISN team will be providing live demonstrations of ISNetworld, sharing benchmarking reports and discussing best practices in contractor management. We look forward to seeing you there.

The ISN Team will present a session on “What is Best-in-Class Contractor Management” at the 2018 Pulp & Paper Safety Association (PPSA) Conference. The session will be held on Tuesday, June 19th at 8:15am Eastern Time in the Majestic 123AB room. For additional information, please view the conference agenda. Stop by Booth 10 throughout the conference to learn about the support ISN provides to over 540 Hiring Clients and 68,000 contractor customers. The ISN team will be providing demonstrations of ISNetworld and will have copies of our publications on hand. About the Conference The 75th Annual PPSA Conference will be located at The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida. Attendees will have the opportunity to network and collaborate with fellow industry safety professionals and hear success stories from leaders who have empowered their employees to understand the value of safety. We look forward to seeing you there.

The 2018 American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Professional Development Conference & Exposition will take place in San Antonio, Texas at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center from June 3- June 6. Over 5,000 health and safety professionals will be in attendance. Industry leaders will present in 240 concurrent sessions focused on 20 subject areas ranging from construction to transportation. Visit our Booth The ISN team will be located at Booth 739 throughout the conference. Stop by to discuss your contractor management goals and learn more about ISN. We will be providing live demonstrations of our online contractor management platform, ISNetworld. We will also have copies of ISN’s benchmarking reports and white papers available. We look forward to seeing you there.

The 2018 ISN CONNECT Conference was held on May 1 & 2 in Dallas, Texas, at the Omni Dallas Hotel. The conference opened with ISN’s CEO, Joseph Eastin, and President & COO, Brian Callahan, welcoming nearly 2,000 attendees from around the globe. General Session speakers included Deborah Hersman, President and CEO of the National Safety Council, Timothy Dove, President and CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, Richard Mendelson, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor from OSHA, Dane Parker, Vice President of Sustainable Workplaces at General Motors and Nelson P. Repenning, Associate Dean of Leadership and Special Projects at MIT. The first day of ISN CONNECT concluded with a networking reception and performance by Grammy Award-Winning Musician, Lyle Lovett & His Large Band. Throughout the conference, attendees were able to participate in over 30 thought-provoking breakout sessions. Hands-on labs offered guidance to ISNetworld users on various functionality and Hiring Clients and contractor customers participated in ISNetworld usability sessions. The ISN Team also hosted Help Desks assisting customers with their ISNetworld accounts. In addition, functionality kiosk demonstrations over six different ISNetworld tools and services were provided. Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in a philanthropy activity assembling 500 lunch bags for the Salvation Army’s “Lunch Bag Project”. These lunches and a positive message were provided to homeless men and women in the Dallas-Fort Worth community. We would like to thank all of our customers, panelists and speakers for attending the 2018 ISN CONNECT Conference, and we look forward to seeing you at future ISN meetings and events. The full recap is available on the conference website – www.isnconnect.com. To access electronic versions of publications offered at ISN CONNECT, please click here.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) will host the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo on May 21-23 in Philadelphia, PA. The conference provides an opportunity to network with industry professionals and will focus on the latest trends and needs impacting occupational health and safety. ISN will present on Tuesday, May 22nd at 11:15am in the session titled “What is Best-in-Class Contractor Management?”. We will identify the challenges with establishing a robust contractor management strategy that effectively mitigates risk and discuss strategies used by best-in-class contractor management programs. Visit Our Booth The ISN Team will be located in the Expo Hall at Booth 1458 throughout the conference. We will be providing live demonstrations of our online contractor management platform, ISNetworld, and have copies of our benchmarking reports and white paper, What is Best-in-Class Contractor Management, available. Stop by to discuss your contractor management goals and learn how ISN helps connect Hiring Clients with safer, more reliable contractors and suppliers around the globe.

ISN is pleased to release its second insurance benchmarking report comparing limit and non-limit insurance requirements for contractors in the following Manufacturing industry peer groups:   Agriculture, Food & Beverage Chemical Manufacturing, including Automotive, Technology & Consumer Products Mining & Fertilizer Products Paper, Packaging & Building Products Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Steel & Metals Data from 95 Hiring Clients across these seven industry groups and more than 16,000 contractor companies was compiled and aggregated to develop this benchmarking publication. “By providing visibility into the requirements of industry peers, this publication series can be used to help establish objective baselines for Hiring Clients to compare their insurance requirements as well as assess various risk management strategies,” says Bonney Hodges, Senior Manager of ISN’s Procurement Review and Verification Services Team. To view this report and other publications issued by ISN, visit the ISN Publications page.