If one’s life can be compared to a book, in the case of Melloul-Blamey site health and safety co-ordinator Clarice Crocker, the title might be “From Boots to the Boardroom.”
That may be the best way to describe her rise from a labourer to her present part-time volunteer position as vice-president/treasurer at the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC).
Crocker’s entry into construction began more than a decade ago when, at the age of 26, she left the hospitality industry and obtained a job as a labourer for an insurance restoration company tearing out and rebuilding fire- and flood-damaged houses.
“The work was filthy, the hours were long and I was often on-call in the middle of the night,” she says.
Her objective was to take advantage of Conestoga College’s Women in Skilled Trades program and within a year she became a carpenter’s apprentice, a progression she credits to the program, her employer and her own strong work ethic.
Within a very short time she also became the onsite health and safety representative.
Citing numerous onsite safety concerns such as mould, asbestos, air quality and structural and electrical hazards, Crocker says she found the position “fascinating” and wanted to learn how to protect herself and her fellow workers.
In many smaller to mid-size companies the safety representative’s role is simultaneously taken on with trades-related tasks. While acknowledging that dual role is not for everyone, she says it was a “tremendous opportunity” for her.
In 2010 she shifted from residential construction into the ICI sector, securing employment with Waterloo Region-based Melloul-Blamey Construction where she completed her carpentry apprenticeship and carried on as a health and safety representative.
In 2016 she accepted the company’s offer to become a full-time site health and safety co-ordinator for highrise. Even though it meant abandoning carpentry, she has never regretted that decision.
“Carpentry was a window into the hazards of the jobsite,” says Crocker, noting trades are often used as a gateway into other roles such as construction management.
While there are some basic administrative duties which she has to undertake, the position is definitely not an administrative one.
In addition to chairing site safety meetings, it encompasses onsite orientations, jobsite inspections and making recommendations to site superintendents on how to mitigate risks. A very large portion of the job involves ensuring site personnel are following health and safety regulations.
On a highrise project, which can take one to two years to complete, with successive waves of different trades, literally hundreds of site orientations have to be conducted, she says.
“It (the project) is constantly changing.”
Some health and safety co-ordinators might choose the route of ensuring compliance through company fines or getting superintendents involved. For Crocker the best approach is by developing mutual respect.
“That doesn’t mean being soft. The tone can be very frank without being rude. Nobody likes to be treated badly. Site personnel will comply if they feel respected. That respect can be shown by appreciating a person’s experience and having a genuine conversation with them,” she says.
Despite the demands of the job and an online University of Waterloo legal studies course, Crocker still finds the time and energy for her volunteer activities on behalf of CAWIC.
Two years ago she was asked to run for a seat on its board and that lead to assuming the role of vice-president/treasurer, which involves overseeing its operational division and finances.
“Although we are a not-for-profit organization, we still function as a business.”
The association’s mission is to promote the advancement of women in construction, says Crocker, in explaining her reason for taking on the role. As an example, she refers to its participation in a government-funded research study.
Titled Level Best and developed for Status of Women Canada, the study revealed both women and employers alike have many challenges surrounding not only the hiring of women, but retaining and advancing women within the industry, she says.
Being the association’s vice-president/ treasurer comes with a considerable amount of responsibility including driving from Waterloo to Toronto for monthly board meetings. There are occasions that trip has to be made three to four times a month to attend various events and some association duties have to be completed on her own time at night and on weekends.
Asked how she juggles her various roles, Crocker says: “Career, volunteering and education are all extremely important to me. It does not drain my energy. It is the fuel. From time to time I shift percentages of time allotted for these endeavours, but they usually function simultaneously.”
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