Government Services
December 15, 2009
The following statement was given today in the House
of Assembly by the Honourable Kevin O�Brien, Minister of
Government Services:
Full Enforcement for OHS
Regulations Begins January 1
Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House to
provide an update for members on the new Occupational
Health and Safety Regulations. On September 1, these new
regulations came into force. For many employees and
employers, the regulations reinforce the safety culture
already in place in these workplaces. For others, they
provide clearer direction on how safer work practices
can be adopted.
We committed to a period of soft enforcement so that
employees and employers could become better familiar
with the regulations. As of January 1, 2010, this period
will end and we expect all workplaces to have procedures
and practices in place that are in accordance with the
new regulations.
Mr. Speaker, I am encouraged that many workplaces will
be ready for January 1 given the high volume of interest
we have had from employees and employers. Personally, I
have received a great number of calls and I know that
the Occupational Health and Safety Branch has also had a
number of inquiries and requests for briefings on the
expectations of the regulations.
I have said time and time again that this province is a
leader in occupational health and safety. We have
produced a first-rate set of regulations and they are an
example of how we are leading the country in this
sector.
Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Government Services, I
am responsible for over 150 pieces of legislation and
related regulations, standards and codes of practice -
that is roughly 15 per cent of the total for the
Provincial Government. One of our objectives was to
review and update our regulatory regime. The
Occupational Health and Safety Regulations certainly fit
within this mandate.
We are also reviewing our Mines Safety of Workers
Regulations which has not changed significantly since
1957. Although there have been amendments made to the
regulations over the years, we are in the process of
developing a new version which we hope we will be able
to circulate to interested stakeholders in the near
future. Given the importance of the mining industry in
this province, we need to ensure that we adopt current
practices and protocols.
We know that updates to these types of legislation and
regulations can be difficult for some employers.
However, Mr. Speaker, when you add increased
communication, co-ordination and awareness with clearer
expectations by the regulator, guidance for prevention
of injury and greater accountability, we will all have
safer and more protective workplaces. In the end, that
should be our common goal.
2009 12 15
1:50 p.m.