Civeo has ordered a full physical headcount of every bed in its workforce camps, a exercise that has so far required 3,300 employees to walk the length of each dormitory block, calling out numbers as they go. Company managers say the audit began after the most recent quarterly results showed revenue ahead of forecasts, and the board wanted assurances that the beds were there.
The first phase covered the camp in northeastern Alberta, where staff were issued clipboards, orange vests and a schedule that allowed one hour per corridor. Supervisors reported that two maintenance crews finished the western wing in a single shift, while a third crew remained in the laundry room for four days, recounting towels by colour. A spokesperson said the findings were being compiled by hand, since the company considers software unreliable for anything with a mattress attached.
Residents of the surrounding town have been asked to vacate the sleeping quarters they rent to contractors so that the audit can extend into them. Several families have moved into a converted school gymnasium, where a local council member described the arrangement as temporary and orderly. The municipality has also painted white lines on its main road to guide the buses between camps.
Civeo's chief executive said in a statement that the company had "no intention of stopping at the beds we know about." Work on the second phase begins Monday, with teams assigned to count the pillows, the doors and the individual screws in each bed frame.