Kyle Makofka, General Manager of High Arctic Well Control is blunt: "Safety is not cheap by any means." To Makofka, that is the reality not only for expenses in dollars and cents; but also the human costs of dealing with injury or death on the work site.

The message was driven home to High Arctic in the strongest possible terms last year when the young son of its chief executive, Jed Wood, lost three fingers in an accident involving tongs. The company had safety policies and procedures. The personal nature of the incident focused company attention not only on the monetary, but also human benefits of "doing it right".

For High Arctic - which employs between 100 and 130 drivers, equipment operators, mechanics and technicians - the cost of implementing a comprehensive health and safety program is more than $556,000 annually. Makofka discussed his firm's safety program at the Spring Petroleum Industry Annual Safety Seminar. He admitted committment to safety is easy to maintain as long as the job is running smoothly and deadlines are being met. "When things get a little tough, that's when committment rises to the top. When things are good it is easy to say (to drivers)'Follow your log book', but when it's bad, it's easier to say 'It's only two more hours.'"

One of the biggest obstacles to safety, said Makofka, is an industry culture where all the work happens at one time, creating a sense of urgency and need to hurry. "That culture is a stumbling block. I tell my guys,'Don't do me any favors'. These guys are willing to bend the rules to get the job done. The message gets a lot louder and a lot clearer if we take that stand." When pressure is on it is still tempting to take safety shortcuts. But Makofka insists, "The days of the cowboy are done."

So too are the days of stopping for a quick beer on the way home from work for Makofka and others who administer the company. "You can bet the field guys are watching. If they see you leave a conference with a company truck and you have had a few drinks, it becomes acceptable."