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Government Services May 10, 2007
Consultations into OHS Regulations Open to Workers and Employers The Honourable Dianne Whalen, Minister of Government Services, announced today that the Occupational Health and Safety Branch will begin consultations on newly drafted Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. The current regulations have been in force since 1979 with periodic amendments over the subsequent years. "We have been in contact with industry and organized labour representing workers in the various industries about the need to redraft our OHS Regulations to ensure that they meet currently acceptable standards," said Minister Whalen. "These draft regulations will be more user-friendly for industry and workers as well as provide clear direction as to what the minimum acceptable safety requirements are to address particular high risk hazards." The regulations have been completely restructured and will be of particular interest for to employers, employees and safety committees. Specific changes include: Recent Codes and Standards - Requirements to comply with the most recent version of a named code or standard as opposed to a specific version of that code or standard which may now be outdated; Confined Space Entry � Procedures identified when entering an enclosed or partially enclosed space having restricted access and egress; Fall Protection � General requirements as well as identification of fall arrest systems and construction of guardrails; De-energization and lockout � Proper procedures identified for de-energizing and locking out equipment prior to performing work on that equipment; Noise Hazards � Requirements to establish and maintain a hearing conservation program where noise exposures exceed permissible levels; Blasting � Clarification of blaster responsibilities and industry accepted safe blasting practices; Ergonomic Requirements � Requirements to identify and assess risks and provide education and training to workers who may be exposed to musculoskeletal injuries Working Alone � Requirements to develop a written procedure for checking the well-being of employees who work alone; and Crane Operators - New certification requirement where an operator must have the appropriate trade qualification as determined by the Department of Education. "We are at the stage now that we are looking for feedback from industry and workers," said Minister Whalen. "We were in contact with stakeholder groups and the Advisory Council on Occupational Health and Safety when we first started this process. Since then, we have made a significant effort internally to review and draft these regulations which are partially modelled on the regulations from British Columbia. Now we are seeking an external review of these proposed regulations to provide us with the worker and employer perspectives." Over the next few weeks, targeted stakeholder groups will be contacted to set up meetings to discuss their comments in depth. "I would encourage anyone interested to review the draft regulations carefully. All feedback is welcome because we want to have strong Occupational Health and Safety Regulations which both workers and employers understand and implement to ensure our workplaces are safe and healthy. Our main objective is that everyone will go home at the end of their work day to their families and friends and the draft regulations are another step towards meeting that objective," concluded Minister Whalen. The proposed draft regulations may be viewed on the Department of Government Services web site at www.gov.nl.ca/gs/consultation. Comments are welcome to July 31, 2007, and can be received by email at OHSregconsultation@gov.nl.ca or in writing addressed to:
Media contact: 2007 05 10 10:35 a.m.
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