Creative sentencing benefits level III Corner Brook students

Dianne Whalen, Minister of Government Services, announced today that because of a court ruling, level III students at Herdman Collegiate and Regina High School in Corner Brook will have the opportunity to participate in the Passport to Safety course. This online course provides a unique educational experience to introduce young Canadians to health and safety in the workplace.

The course has been made possible by a court ruling stemming from December 2005. Marine Contractors Inc. pleaded guilty to two charges under the Asbestos Abatement Regulations following an investigation by the Occupational Health and Safety Branch into the demolition of the former Cabrini High School in Corner Brook in January 2004. In addition to being fined $3,500 for each charge, the company, through creative sentencing, was ordered to pay $4,000 to the Minister of Government Services for public education in the safe conduct of asbestos abatement and in the duties and responsibilities of employers and workers.

"I am thrilled that we have been able to use this money to teach our young people about the benefits of a safe workplace," said Minister Whalen. "Creative sentencing is relatively new and it is an effective way to contribute something back to the communities involved. Through cooperation with the court system, we have come up with a way to promote young worker safety so that our young people, as they enter the workforce, know how to protect themselves in the workplace and how to make their workplaces safer."

Creative sentencing was also used recently in a ruling involving Coastal Labrador Marine Services in Lewisporte where the company was directed to contribute funding to the Workplace Health and Safety 3220 course at Lewisporte Collegiate.

Tom Marshall, MHA for Humber East and Minister of Justice, said that the justice system�s approach to this charge has provided an excellent opportunity for these students. "I am confident that educational opportunities such as the Passport to Safety will help diminish the serious outcomes that result from poor occupational health and safety practices. I welcome this tremendous opportunity for the youth of Corner Brook and applaud the work Minister Whalen is doing to raise occupational health and safety awareness."

The Passport to Safety is an innovative national youth health and safety test and transcript program that verifies youth have a basic understanding of what they need to know to protect themselves from injury at work. Successful participants can attach their transcripts to their resum�s to demonstrate their basic awareness of health and safety. In this province, the course is co-ordinated by the Avalon East Safe Communities Partnership, the local affiliate of the Safe Communities Foundation.

Kevin Dawson, chair, Avalon East Safe Communities Partnership said: "I am extremely pleased that the Department of Government Services has elected to utilize Passport to Safety in such an innovative manner. Statistical evidence clearly indicates that over two-thirds of young workers never receive safety training before starting a job and that they are six times more likely to suffer an on the job injury during their first month on the job than at any other time. The mission of Passport to Safety is to reverse this trend through the development of increased awareness with respect to the importance of safety knowledge and education for young workers - the most vulnerable employees in the workplace."

"I must commend the work that our province�s occupational health and safety officers do everyday," said Minister Whalen. "Our officers take their jobs very seriously to ensure that remedial measures are taken for the safety of workers within the province. It is because of their dedication and professionalism that prosecutions, when undertaken, have been so successful especially over the last 10 years. It is their efforts in a recent case which have made offering the Passport to Safety course possible for our level III students in Corner Brook. It is my goal that, through creative sentencing, we will be able to benefit many more students throughout the province in the future."

Media contact:
Vanessa Colman-Sadd, Government Services, (709) 729-4860, 682-6593
Kevin Dawson, Avalon East Safe Communities Partnership, (709) 737-1331

2006 03 24                                             10:00 a.m.