Skip to content
  • Features
    • Asset Management
    • icon for clipboard with a clockBinders
    • icon for construction handheld toolsCertification Management
    • digitize iconDashboards & Reports
    • icon for cog with the outline of a person in the middleForms
    • Payroll
    • icon for excavatorProjects
    • task list iconTask Management
    • icon truck with clockTimekeeping
    • computer screen with location iconTemplate Builder
    • Worker Management
  • I'm a...
    • icon for construction business owner or workerBusiness Owner
    • Business/Office Admin
    • icon for craneGeneral Contractor
    • icon for construction road conesHealth & Safety Manager
    • Payroll Admin
    • icon for construction managerProject Manager
    • icon for construction supervisorSite Supervisor
    • Worker
  • Resources
    • icon for blog postBlog
    • Corfix vs. Competitors
    • icon for customer storiesCustomer stories
    • icon for newspaperIn the News
    • Product Updates
    • icon for construction handheld toolsToolbox Talks
  • Partners
    • Partners
    • Integrations
    • Join Our Partner Program
  • About
  • Pricing
  • Login
Home / Blog / Customer Story: ARCAN Says Goodbye to Reactionary Safety Supervision
Northern lights and a wintery scene

May 25, 2023:  Customer Story: ARCAN Says Goodbye to Reactionary Safety Supervision

    ARCAN Construction Ltd.is a general contractor working all across the northern territories — sites that cover an area the size of Europe. They were facing the same challenges that most construction contractors face: supervising and communicating with workers across different sites throughout a region.

    ARCAN’s remit is broad, encompassing the design and construction of commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings; housing for Inuit, fish plants, homeless shelters and men’s shelters, and historical buildings.

    Paper Doesn’t Work for Remote Locations

    Much of their work takes place in remote, fly-in fly-out communities with populations of around 300. Michael Wonderham is ARCAN’s EHS Manager, so he has the huge task of keeping tabs on 250 or so workers across myriad sites reachable only by plane.

    Every Sunday, all the safety documentation from the previous week would be faxed over for review. This could amount to hundreds of documents, and take all of Monday and Tuesday to catch up on. It was also a reactionary method of supervising safety; by the time he received documentation that disclosed a compliance issue or risk, the action would long since have taken place, almost defeating the purpose of filling out the document.

    As Wonderham explains:

    That’s why we’ve gone with an online platform – I’m able to see what the guys are doing almost instantaneously, I can review their toolbox talks, and their hazard assessments across three thousand kilometers.”

    Corfix’s Innovative Training Solution 

    One of the significant challenges for ARCAN is getting training to workers in remote areas. Unlike companies located in cities with a plethora of first aid course providers to choose from, communities like Lutsel’Ke or Pond Inlet don’t offer such options. With (very) remote work, you don’t just go to the local office and pick up a training course. It doesn’t exist.

    ARCAN worked with Corfix to build training components into their Corfix platform. Using our digital document management software, when a worker fills out a field level hazard assessment form, for instance, they’re made aware of the required certifications and directed to the training they’re missing. The online course and test are conveniently available to them, and then the worker submits digital proof of completion and comprehension, such as a picture of them wearing a harness correctly accompanying their Fall Protection training course.

    This unconventional approach to training is an innovative adaptation that we were happy to support.

    Total Visibility Across Locations 

    As well as making training material accessible to the worker, Corfix provides Wonderham with much better visibility into the training status of workers. He receives automatic email notifications of all workers with expired or soon-to-expiring certifications, allowing him to coordinate with distant crews about who requires training, and who can and cannot currently perform certain tasks compliantly.

    Seeing documents like toolbox talks submitted in real-time gives an accurate snapshot of who is on site, and what they’re doing on any given day, and allows Wonderham to chase those workers down for field level hazard assessments and other safety forms to make sure ARCAN stays in compliance.

    ARCAN’s Workflow is Improved

    Regarding the impact of Corfix’s document management software on ARCAN’s workflow, Wonderham says that it makes his life so much easier. At any time, he can open Corfix and see one of his workers in a small, remote indigenous community in Port Simpson. He can see the worker’s field level hazard assessment instantaneously and spot that they are doing some work at heights. Wonderham can inform the worker that they need to get additional training, which helps prevent accidents and injuries and minimizes liability.

    Under the old system it would be next week or two weeks before I would have even realized that a worker didn’t have the necessary training for the scope of work that he was doing.”

    Thoughts on the Future of Technology in Construction

    Wonderham observes that in the construction industry, technology has traditionally been viewed as a distraction. Cell phones were banned on construction sites when they first came out, though as cellular capability expanded and ubiquity exploded it became increasingly unrealistic to think a worker wouldn’t always have a phone on them. ARCAN has elected to embrace technology and to use it for good. Workers can use the Corfix platform for education, access their occupational health and safety manual sitting in their back pocket, and improve safety compliance.

    The application of a digital health and safety document management solution, especially for companies working in the northern territories and across remote sites like ARCAN does, is like having an extra set of eyes and ears on site, without the arduous – and expensive – journey. Their site at Baker Lake is located at the geographical middle of Canada; but don’t let that fool you into thinking that “middle” equates to “central” in the sense of accessibility. According to Wonderham, it’s a two and half day journey to get there, and costs more than an all-inclusive vacation to Mexico.

    Not only does that make it essential for him to be able to supervise remotely, it makes working safely an even higher stakes proposition. For instance, he says, “If you get something in your eye in Calgary or Ottawa you can flush it out and go to the optometrist. Up there, you get something in your eye and you can flush it out and then we’re going to have to air lift you out from there.” The difficulty of getting swift medical intervention means prevention has to be a priority, requiring easy access to safety information and as much transparency as possible into the conditions on site.

    How Can You Benefit?

    Your company’s situation doesn’t have to be anywhere near as extreme as ARCAN’s (and it’s hard to believe it could be) to benefit from digitizing your safety program. Traditional safety programs relying on pen and paper, physical interactions, and transportation of documents, fail to capitalize on the advantages of technology.

    Want to learn how updating your safety program can save you time and money while making you more compliant? Click the image and book a demo below

    book a demo

    Like what you see? Share with a friend.
    Erin Mitchell

    Erin Mitchell

    Erin is Corfix's lead copywriter. She is an avid reader, semi-pro writer, and grammar queen. With a passion for research and the written word, Erin will leave no stone unturned in crafting the best content for Corfix's construction audience.

    Also from our blog:  Related articles

    Your Guide to OSHA and Construction Site Safety

    OSHA construction site safety is more than just compliance—it’s about preventing injuries, avoiding costly fines, and protecting workers. In this guide I’ll cover key OSHA construction site …

    Read More
    Construction worker talking to man and woman on a construction site

    Toolbox Talks: Best Practices to Elevate Your Safety Culture

    “Toolbox talks” have long been a staple of construction safety, but in today’s age of rapidly advancing technology, it’s time to refresh our approach. In this blog …

    Read More

    Why Corfix is the Best Construction Safety Management Software

    Ready to make the switch from outdated, paper-based safety processes to a digital solution that actually works in the field? Corfix could be the perfect fit for your company, giving …

    Read More

    The next generation of jobsite management

    info@corfix.com

    +1 833 267 3491

    © 2025 Corfix

    • Features

      • Asset Management
      • Binders
      • Forms
      • Certification Management
      • Dashboards & Reports
      • Payroll
      • Projects
      • Timekeeping
      • Task Management
      • Template Builder
      • Worker Management
      • Dashboards & Reports
    • Corfix for
      • Business Owners
      • General Contractors
      • Health and Safety Managers
      • Office Admins
      • Payroll Admins
      • Project Managers
      • Site Supervisors
      • Workers
    • Company

      • About Us
      • Pricing
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
      • Legal
    • Features
      • Asset Management
      • Binders
      • Certification Management
      • Dashboards & Reports
      • Forms
      • Payroll
      • Projects
      • Template Builder
      • Timekeeping
      • Worker Management
    • I’m a…
      • Business Owner
      • General Contractor
      • Health & Safety Manager
      • Project Manager
      • Business/Office Admin
      • Payroll Admin
      • Site Supervisor
      • Worker
    • Resources
      • Blog
      • Corfix vs. Competitors
      • Customer stories
      • In the News
      • Product Updates
      • Toolbox Talks
    • Partners
      • Our Partners
      • Integrations
      • Partner Program
    • Pricing
    • About
    • Login

    Team Member