CBC Ottawa is adding a bit pedal power to its fleet.

A informal green committee came up with the idea of using bicycles to cover local stories. The employees pitched the idea, and it was quickly approved. “The best part about this project is that the reporters themselves came up with the idea and they’re really excited about it,” Rob Renaud, CBC Ottawa’s managing director said.

Alistair Steele, a reporter in Ottawa, said using the bicycles to cover stories offers more than the obvious environmental benefits. “we’re more visible, and I think we’re going to get stories that we wouldn’t have got enclosed in our cars. We’re more approachable.”

Steele also said the option of avoiding traffic jams and transit is also a plus. “People have enjoyed it. Reporters have come back and said ‘wow, what a nice ride.’ You never hear reporters say that when they take transit or a taxi,” he said.

Giacomo Panico, an assignment editor in Ottawa said the bikes are economical and fast, “we can see reduced costs, whether it be for taxi expenses, or parking costs, or tickets. We also have the benefit of sometimes getting to the story faster,” Panico said, “and the bikes don’t have a maintenance costs.”

It’s not for every story. It’s an option. It’s a good tool to have,” Panico said, “We can act as an icebreaker with the public, and there is the ecological benefit.”

I just took the course. It’s not the kind of thing you can walk through between stories or on a break. It takes 40 minutes to complete.

It’s actually pretty common-sense stuff. But the actual content (types of hazards) doesn’t begin until 18 minutes into the course. The lengthy introduction is dedicated to definitions, acronyms, committees, legislation and regulations, and processes. It even walks you through each exciting part of the COHS legislation — section by section. (Chapter 2.7)

And no, you can’t skip to the “meat.” You’ve got to run through the whole thing. At the end of each chapter, there is a test. I don’t want to give anything away, but one of the questions actually asks you how many chapters there are in the legislation. I wish I were kidding about this. My other favourite quiz question:

Things I learned:

• It is bad to inhale asbestos.
• The CBC has a booklet available on how to wash your hands properly.
• Overloading electrical circuits may cause a fire.
• Falling from heights is dangerous. If you must climb, wear protective gear.
• You can not refuse dangerous work, if that work is part of your normal job.
• The CBC has rules and guidelines about the safe use of lasers. You can ask your supervisor if you’d like to see them.

Best Line:
“The legislation does not permit you to
refuse work that you simply don’t like.”
(Chapter 2.5)

Runner-Up:
“Remember that you can make a difference!”

Best Photo:

(Megan notes in the comments: “That’s clearly a very dangerous area of the
building. The guy in the background is already in a wheelchair.”)

To take the course, go to the Organizational Health and Wellness [internal link] site on the Intranet. If you plan to take this from home (the course is available outside of the CBC network), make sure you first visit that page to get the login information.

You even get a certificate you can print out and put on your cubicle wall. Or choose the “Wallet Size” option if you’d like to carry it around with you to impress your friends. Awesome.

Completing the course is a legal requirement. If you don’t finish it by February 29th, you’ll get a “friendly reminder” in your email.

One signatory suggests “Small things — like getting double-sided printers and having discounts for people who bring their own cups and plates — at a place as big as CBC / Radio-Canada can have a huge impact!”

Ross Bragg, a Vancouver radio producer adds:

“I was a producer on the Roundup for CBC Radio in Vancouver. At that time the program was hosted by Tetsuro Shigematsu. I remember standing with him at the printer waiting for the scripts to be printed. The scripts were about 30 pages long and we needed three of them. It was a daily show and I remember thinking about the huge waste.

We decided to go paperless. This was pre-INews so we used shared documents and e-mail. Everyone in studio got used to reading off the screen. What I remember most is that it not only saved paper it saved time.”

They’d like to know about any similar initiative elsewhere within the Corp. If you know of any, please let them know via the comments here.