The following statement was issued today by Oliver Langdon, Minister of Environment and Labour. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Winners of Provincial Occupational Health and Safety Awards

I am pleased to announce today the winners of the Provincial Occupational Health and Safety Recognition Awards. The awards are an initiative of the Department of Environment and Labour and the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission. The recognition awards are offered to all employers within the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the purpose of the awards is to recognize the efforts of individuals and organizations in the prevention of workplace accidents and injuries.

The Award of Merit is given to an employee(s) who, through alert and correct action has saved some persons life and/or prevented a serious workplace injury. This year�s winners are Thomas Knott and Rex Carter. These two individuals helped save the life of an employee of Chaisson Construction who was completely engulfed when a 20-foot high stock pile of Class A material fell on him.

The Award for Outstanding Health and Safety Committee/Representative is given to the most proactive workplace health and safety committee/representative that identifies concerns and implements recommendations, performs safety audits, and demonstrates leadership in their workplace. This year�s award winner is the Occupational Health and Safety Committee of Health and Community Services _ Eastern Region. This committee is very proactive in its promotion of safety activities throughout the organization. The committee has established a Safety Talk Program, provides employees with guest speakers to present health and safety topics, conducts workplace inspections and distributes promotional material to employees.

The Health and Safety Program Award is given to a company whose leadership and commitment have resulted in the implementation of an outstanding health and safety program. This year�s award winner is Newfoundland Power _ Eastern Region. This company, with the support and commitment of its Occupational Health and Safety Committee and all its employees, has developed an excellent health and safety program.

The Minister's Award of Excellence is given to a company that has demonstrated over time an improved safety record, enhanced product quality, improved training courses and overall company success. This year�s award winner is Hotel Newfoundland. The hotel has successfully reduced the frequency rate of lost time accidents in the workplace from 65.79 in 1993 to 4.8 in 1999. A reduction of 92.7 per cent in the frequency rate. The hotel initiated a communications campaign followed by the introduction of the STOP (Safety Training Observation Program) Program in 1994.

The awards were presented at a ceremony today at the Fluvarium. The ceremony was organized to highlight North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week which runs from May 15 - May 21, 2000. The theme for this year is Work Safely for a Healthy Future

I want to congratulate the winners of this year�s awards and I applaud everyone who was nominated for an award because it is through their continued hard work that we are making workplaces safer.

2000 05 10                                            2:30 p.m.