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.