Terms of Service

1. Agreement to These Terms

By accessing this website, sending an enquiry or accepting a proposal from Rdg Solutions Inc., you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference. If you are accepting on behalf of a company, crew or other organisation, you confirm that you have authority to bind that organisation.

These terms apply to visitors, prospective clients, clients and any person who uses the website on behalf of another party. They remain in force until replaced by an updated version or by a signed engagement agreement that addresses the same subject in greater detail.

2. Definitions

In these terms, the Company means Rdg Solutions Inc. The words we, us and our refer to the Company. The Client means the organisation or individual that engages our services or uses the website. Deliverables means the documents, plans, schedules, standards and other materials we prepare for the Client. Engagement means a specific piece of work agreed between the parties, whether documented in a proposal, an email exchange or a signed agreement.

Website means the pages published at ridgelinesolutions.buzz. Site means the physical ground where the Client operates or where a workshop, walkthrough or review takes place. Business day means a day other than Saturday, Sunday or a statutory holiday in Ontario, Canada.

3. Our Services

We provide operations consulting for outdoor crews. The published services are Route Plan Workshops, Crew Schedule Audits, Gear Kit Checks, Field Comms Setup, Season Route Reviews and Client Walkthrough Days. Each service is described on the Services page, and the description there forms part of the basis on which the work is understood.

The services are advisory. We do not replace the Client own supervisors, safety officers or legal advisers, and we do not direct the day to day work of a crew. Recommendations become operational only when the Client adopts them. This distinction matters for safety: the Client remains responsible for the conduct of work on Site, for compliance with occupational health rules and for decisions made in the field.

We may decline a request that falls outside our competence, that would require us to practise a regulated profession without a licence, or that conflicts with an existing commitment. We are also free to suggest another provider where that would serve the Client better.

4. Engagements and Proposals

An Engagement begins when the Client accepts a written proposal or confirms scope in writing. A proposal states the services, the timing, the assumptions and the fee. Verbal discussions are useful for shaping a proposal but do not create a binding engagement on their own.

A proposal remains open for thirty days unless it states a different period. If circumstances change during that window, such as a shift in season dates or a change in site access, we may withdraw or revise the proposal. A revised proposal supersedes the earlier version once it is accepted.

Where an Engagement is described as a package, the individual services within it are delivered as a sequence. If the Client asks to remove one service, we will adjust the fee and explain any effect on the remaining work. Changes are confirmed in writing before they take effect.

5. Client Responsibilities

Good consulting depends on accurate information. The Client agrees to provide timely access to relevant records, including existing route notes, schedules, rosters, kit lists, site maps and access permits. The Client also agrees to nominate a contact person who can make decisions and to arrange for crew leads to attend the sessions that require them.

• Ensure that any information shared with us is accurate to the best of the Client knowledge.
• Obtain any consent needed before sharing personal information about staff with us.
• Arrange access to the Site, including permission from landowners or land managers.
• Provide a safe meeting point and reasonable working conditions for on site sessions.
• Review Deliverables promptly and raise concerns within the period stated in the proposal.
• Use Deliverables in accordance with applicable law and occupational safety requirements.

If information is missing or delayed, we will do what we can with what is available and record the assumptions in the Deliverable. Delays caused by missing information may affect timing and may be charged as additional time where the effect is substantial.

6. Fees and Payment

Fees are stated in the proposal, normally in Canadian dollars. They may be quoted as a fixed fee for a defined Deliverable, as a day rate for on site work, or as a combination of both. Where a fixed fee is quoted, it assumes the scope described in the proposal and the assumptions listed with it.

Unless the proposal says otherwise, invoices are issued at the start of an Engagement and on completion of major milestones, with payment due within thirty days of the invoice date. Invoices are payable by the method shown on the invoice. Where the Client requires a purchase order, the number should be provided before work begins.

Late payment may attract interest at the rate stated on the invoice or, where no rate is stated, at a reasonable commercial rate permitted by law. We may suspend work on an Engagement where invoices remain unpaid after written reminder. We will always discuss a genuine payment difficulty before taking that step.

Prepaid expenses such as travel, accommodation and permit fees are billed at cost and are shown separately. We do not mark up ordinary travel costs.

7. Travel and Site Access

Our office is in Brantford, Ontario. Travel within southern Ontario is generally included in the quoted day rate as described in the proposal. Travel beyond that area is quoted openly in advance and agreed before booking. We do not add hidden travel charges after the fact.

On site work requires a safe route to the meeting point and a reasonable place to work. If conditions make access unsafe, such as a closed road, severe weather or an active emergency, the session may be postponed. A postponement arranged for safety reasons does not attract a cancellation fee, and we will offer the next suitable date.

Where a Site requires special induction, protective equipment or an escort, the Client arranges it in advance. We will follow all Site rules while present and will stop work if a rule cannot be met.

8. Scheduling and Changes

Workshop dates are reserved once confirmed in writing. We ask for as much notice as possible when a date must move, because our calendar is deliberately kept small. Rescheduling with more than ten business days of notice is free of charge. With less notice we may charge a portion of the day rate to cover the reserved time.

If we must move a date for our own reasons, we will offer a replacement as soon as possible and will not charge for the change. If no replacement suits the Client, any fee already paid for the affected day is refunded.

Season timing matters. A crew schedule audit delivered after the season has started can still help, but a route plan workshop is most useful before the first trucks roll. We will say so honestly when a requested date leaves too little time to do the work properly.

9. Deliverables and Licence

Deliverables are prepared for the Client internal use. On payment of the relevant fees, the Client receives a perpetual, non exclusive licence to use, copy and adapt Deliverables within its own organisation. The Client may share Deliverables with its contractors and field crews where necessary to carry out the work.

The Client may not resell Deliverables, publish them as a commercial product, or present them as its own consulting methodology without written permission. Where a Deliverable includes material supplied by the Client, the Client retains ownership of that material and grants us a licence to use it for the Engagement.

Deliverables are documents intended to support human judgement. They are not a substitute for a current site inspection, a formal risk assessment or professional advice from a licensed engineer, surveyor or safety specialist. Where such advice is needed, the Client should obtain it from an appropriately qualified provider.

10. Field Safety

Safety is the first constraint on any plan. Our workshops and reviews include discussion of hazards, access and emergency procedures, and we record the risks we notice. We are not a safety certification body and our notes do not replace the Client own hazard assessment or incident reporting process.

During a site visit, we follow the instructions of the Client safety representative and the rules of any land manager. If we see a condition that appears dangerous, we will raise it immediately and may decline to continue until it is addressed. Nobody on our team is expected to enter an area that has not been made safe.

The Client remains responsible for the conduct of its crews and for meeting its obligations under occupational health and safety law. Where a Deliverable recommends a practice, the Client should confirm that it fits its own legal and operational context before adoption.

11. Confidentiality

Each party agrees to keep confidential the non public information it receives from the other in connection with an Engagement. This includes business plans, crew records, route documents, pricing and internal correspondence. Confidential information may be used only for the purpose of the Engagement.

Confidentiality does not apply to information that is already public, that the receiving party already held without a duty of confidence, that is independently developed, or that must be disclosed by law. Where disclosure is required by law, the party subject to the requirement will give prompt notice where it is lawfully able to do so.

These obligations continue after an Engagement ends. On request, each party will return or destroy confidential material, subject to records that must be retained for legal or accounting purposes.

12. Intellectual Property

The website, including its text, layout, styling and code, is owned by Rdg Solutions Inc. and is protected by copyright and other laws. Visitors may read, print and share links to the website for personal and internal business use. Visitors may not copy the site wholesale, republish it as their own or use its content to train commercial systems without permission.

Our working methods, templates, checklists and internal tools remain our property even where a Deliverable is built with their help. The Client receives a licence to the finished Deliverable as described above, not ownership of the underlying methods.

If the Client provides feedback or suggestions about our services, we may use that feedback to improve our work without obligation, provided we do not disclose confidential information in the process.

13. Third Party Tools

Some engagements involve software that we do not control, such as mapping services, scheduling tools or radio programming utilities. We may recommend a tool where it fits the work, but we do not warrant the availability, accuracy or security of third party software.

Where a Client asks us to work inside its own systems, the Client is responsible for granting appropriate access and for ensuring that our use of the system complies with the provider terms. We will follow the Client instructions and will not export data beyond what the Engagement requires.

Charges for third party tools, licences or subscriptions are the responsibility of the Client unless the proposal states otherwise.

14. Warranties and Disclaimers

We will perform services with the reasonable skill and care expected of a professional consulting firm in our field. We will keep appointments, communicate clearly and correct work that fails to meet the agreed description when the problem is brought to our attention within a reasonable period.

Beyond that commitment, the website and Deliverables are provided on an as is basis. We do not warrant that a route plan will eliminate every hazard, that a schedule will be accepted by every authority, or that a communication setup will work in every weather condition. Field conditions change, and no document can anticipate every change.

To the extent permitted by law, we disclaim implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non infringement. Nothing in these terms limits a warranty that cannot be excluded under applicable consumer protection law.

15. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Rdg Solutions Inc. is not liable for indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss, including lost profits, lost opportunities or damage to reputation, arising from the use of the website or from an Engagement.

Our total aggregate liability for any claim connected with an Engagement is limited to the fees paid by the Client for the specific service that gave rise to the claim during the twelve months before the claim arose. Where a claim concerns the website alone, our total liability is limited to one hundred Canadian dollars.

These limits do not apply to fraud, wilful misconduct or any liability that cannot be limited by law. If a court finds a limit unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply.

16. Indemnity

The Client agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Rdg Solutions Inc., its directors, employees and contractors from claims, losses and reasonable costs arising from the Client use of a Deliverable in a manner inconsistent with these terms, from inaccurate information supplied by the Client, or from the Client failure to meet its own safety and legal obligations.

We agree to indemnify the Client against third party claims that our own original content, used as intended, infringes the intellectual property rights of another party. This indemnity does not apply where the claim arises from material supplied by the Client or from modifications made by someone other than us.

17. Termination

Either party may end an Engagement by written notice. If the Client ends the Engagement, the Client pays for work completed to that point and for non cancellable expenses already incurred. If we end the Engagement for a reason within our control, we refund any fee paid for work not yet performed.

Either party may end an Engagement immediately if the other commits a material breach that is not remedied within fifteen days of written notice, or if continuing would require conduct that is unlawful or unsafe.

On termination, we deliver the work completed so far and return confidential material. The sections on confidentiality, intellectual property, liability, indemnity and governing law survive termination.

18. Governing Law and Disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada that apply there, without regard to conflict of law principles. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Ontario for any dispute that cannot be resolved by discussion.

Before starting formal proceedings, the parties agree to make a genuine attempt to resolve the matter through a written summary of the issue and a meeting, in person or by telephone, within twenty business days. Most concerns are settled at that stage, and the conversation usually improves the working relationship.

19. General Provisions

If any provision of these terms is found unenforceable, it is severed to the minimum extent necessary and the rest of the terms remain in force. A failure to enforce a provision on one occasion is not a waiver of that provision.

These terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any signed engagement document, form the entire agreement between the parties on the subjects they cover. They replace earlier discussions and drafts on the same subjects except where an earlier document is expressly incorporated into a signed agreement.

Neither party may assign its rights under an Engagement without the written consent of the other, except as part of a merger or sale of substantially all assets. Notices under these terms should be sent to the email address published on the website or to the office address below.

20. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time to reflect changes in our services or in the law. The revised version becomes effective when it is published on this page with a new date. Where a change materially affects an active Engagement, we will notify the Client directly and give a reasonable period before the change applies.

Continuing to use the website after a revision means you accept the updated terms. If you do not agree with a change and an Engagement is active, the version in force when the Engagement began continues to apply to that Engagement.

21. Contact Information

Questions about these terms, a proposal or an active Engagement can be sent to the office. We answer messages in the order they arrive and aim to respond within one business day.