By Lindsay Stewart Glor, Photography by Kathy White, Absolute Image Ltd.
Lions and tigers and bears are just a few of the issues Tim Tykolis deals with during his work day at ZOOZ, an animal adventure park situated in Ontario’s scenic Niagara region. Top of mind—besides animal feedings, visiting school groups and park maintenance—is the health and safety of staff and visitors. In fact, Tykolis has proven that it is possible to integrate health and safety into all aspects of a business, even a zoo, by moving at your own pace and seeking the proper help.
Opened in 2002, ZOOZ sits on a 44-hectare piece of land owned by the Tykolis family. Also sharing the space is the Stevensville Garden Gallery, one of the businesses started by Tim’s late father Stephen. Three of the Tykolis siblings, Tim, Marianne and brother Terry, are involved in running the businesses, which includes Stevensville Lawn Service. After their father’s death in 1992, the siblings turned his hobby farm into a memorial petting zoo. As their collection of animals grew, they decided to build an educational facility where children could share their father’s passion for animals.
While there were some obvious health and safety concerns to be dealt with right away—security for cages during cleanings and feedings for example—Tykolis knew there were other, more commonplace, health and safety issues to be addressed. That’s why, in 2003, he approached the Ontario Service Safety Alliance (OSSA) for help.
“I had no expectations and hadn’t done any research prior to OSSA coming in,” says Tykolis. What he did know was that his business, like many seasonal ventures, had a fluctuating staff, no human resources department, and few extra resources. “We’re all busy with operational duties,” he explains. “I didn’t want to overwhelm myself or my staff, so for me it worked out well to start out slowly, but ensure it was done properly.”
That’s where OSSA came in. OSSA consultant Stephen Shaw has been working with Tykolis for the past few years. He agrees that it’s important for businesses to move at a pace that makes sense for them. “It’s difficult starting out,” explains Shaw. “Each component on its own is not a lot, but when you’re building a program there are lots of questions.” What Tykolis did right, says Shaw, is take the process one day at a time, while still committing to getting it done. “I was a little overwhelmed at what I had to achieve,” says Tykolis, “but I knew I’d get there.”
Today, four years after first approaching the OSSA, ZOOZ is a self-reliant client. And while it took a few years to get there, Shaw says he’s been impressed with Tykolis’s determination and commitment to the process. “He’s the one doing the process,” explains Shaw. “He’s at the meetings, he’s taking notes, he’s leading the discussion. He’s the driving force and that’s what’s made him a success.”
Both Shaw and Tykolis also recognize the importance of having a strong, committed health and safety committee. “They were an important factor in getting the program together,” says Tykolis. “Their direction helped us understand what needed to be done.” Besides Tykolis himself, the ZOOZ health and safety team is made up of two other certified members: Head of Operations Steve Horst and Head of Zoology Lana Borg. During peak season, these long-term employees are joined by two additional staff members. “His team is very proactive,” says Shaw. “They’re not just waiting for something to happen.”
As with any seasonal business, peak season is a time of dramatic expansion, both in terms of visitors and staff. ZOOZ has 10 full-time staff members year-round, with that number expanding to 60 during the summer months. “We have administration, retail, maintenance, food service and animal keepers,” explains Tykolis. “We also have a wide variety of age groups, from 16 to 70 plus.” With such variety, it’s important that staff really understand their jobs, and how to do them safely. “I make health and safety part of orientation on the first day,” says Tykolis. “I go over staff policies with them and let them know its importance.”
Communication with staff on the issue of health and safety doesn’t stop there. Tykolis has twice done internal needs assessment surveys, which assess how well employees understand health and safety needs and procedures. “He’s really gone above and beyond compliance issues,” says Shaw.
Five years after opening its doors, ZOOZ is truly a leader in health and safety, thanks to the continued leadership of owner Tim Tykolis. But, as Tykolis says, the job is never done. “The key components are in place,” he says, “but to me it’s always evolving.”
It’s for that reason that Tykolis does an annual review with OSSA, which offers a chance to discuss any concerns or questions brought forward by staff or committee members. This has cemented the relationship between ZOOZ and the OSSA. “I think they now see us as an extension of their health and safety program,” says Shaw.
So just what can other businesses learn from Tykolis? “That you can do it one step at a time,” says Shaw. And for Tykolis, that was key. “OSSA didn’t push me,” he explains. “They guided me and let me grow at my own pace.”
ZOOZ Clues
ZOOZ’s vision is to provide an opportunity to meet animals and birds up close and personal, which may spark the flame for future conservationists and naturalists. This one-to-one connection with nature can inspire any individual, especially a child, and should be encouraged. In a world where children experience fewer exchanges with nature, ZOOZ provides an unprecedented opportunity for kids to view, interact with and learn about the different species that share our planet while engaging in a fun and rewarding adventure with their peers.—www.zooz.ca.
Animal Safety
Not many businesses have to worry about keeping employees safe from jaguars or alligators. For Tim Tykolis, however, keeping his staff safe as they clean cages and feed animals is of the utmost importance. “When we get new animals we have to look at their environment,” explains Tykolis. “We look at the shift and cleaning processes, and at animal safety and zookeeper safety.” It was this focus on health and safety in relation to animal care that really impressed the OSSA’s Stephen Shaw. “As part of his assessment, he looked at the issue of animals and put in a system where they only have one key for each cage, so no one else can accidentally open the cage while an employee is cleaning it.”
Tim’s Tips
ZOOZ’s Tim Tykolis faced many challenges when addressing health and safety at his seasonal attraction. Here are his tips for making this process run smoothly:
Excerpted from Safety Mosaic, Summer 2007, Vol. 10, No. 2
It's time to change your dust mask when the filter is clogged and breathing is difficult.