NLIS 4 August 15, 2003 (Labour) Minister commends trends in occupational health and safety in province Percy Barrett, Minister of Labour, announced today that the work of the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission and the Occupational Health and Safety Division (OHS) of the Department of Labour toward lowering the number accidents and lost-time injuries in the province is showing very positive results. "This work is exceptionally important," said Minister Barrett. "We are aiming for a province where good health and safety practices are an integral part of the workplace culture. A great deal of work goes into that effort each and every day. Occupational health and safety officers and commission advisors visit worksites throughout the province working with employers to enhance the health and safety of employees in the workplace. The commission, as part of its prevention mandate, works with priority firms and offers health and safety audits to identify hazards at the worksite. In addition, the commission's new early and safe return to work program is helping those workers injured on the job to return to the workforce as safely and quickly as possible. Together these two agencies are making great strides toward establishing health and safety in the workplace as a priority in this province." And their efforts are working. Since 2000, there have been several significant decreases in the number of accidents and lost-time injuries in the province. In particular, since 2000 there has been a:
In June 2003, the commission released its provincial Accident Prevention Strategy, which has been developed with careful, consideration and due consultation with stakeholders. It is an integrated approach where everyone has a responsibility for carrying it out and it will serve as a short term guide for developing action plans to cultivate and achieve a safety culture. "These are significant numbers," said Minister Barrett. "They could not have been accomplished without the contribution and cooperation of business and labour, in particular in their endorsement and application of the report of the Task Force on Workers' Compensation submitted to government in the spring of 2001, and they should be congratulated for their efforts. Our ultimate goal is to make workplaces in this province safer and healthier, and to have injured workers return to work safely and in a more timely manner than in the past." Media contact: Janice Lockyer, Communications, (709) 729-1741 2003 08 15 2:15 p.m. |
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