Service NL
May 4, 2015

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Dan Crummell, Minister of Service NL:

Province Recognizes North American Occupational Safety and Health Week

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House to recognize May 3 to 9 as North American Occupational Safety and Health Week. The goal of NAOSH week is to focus on the need to eliminate or control workplace hazards, ensure all workplaces are safe, and to emphasize that we all have a responsibility to promote safety. Today, I was joined by my colleague, the Minister responsible for the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission to participate in a flag raising outside Confederation Building to mark the occasion. We were joined by officials from the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission, members of the local chapter of the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, as well as representatives from safety groups and the employer and labour sector, and I thank them for their participation.

This year's theme is Make Safety a Habit - For Your Career, which underlines the need to remain vigilant about staying safe at work, at home and in our communities. Service NL continues to work with employers and labour groups to enhance Newfoundland and Labrador's safety culture. Working collaboratively, we are enforcing strong safety standards, increasing safety awareness, and ensuring adequate safety training is delivered and used in workplaces across this province.

Mr. Speaker, the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission collaborates with the Occupational Health and Safety Branch of Service NL to enhance safety in workplaces. Last year, over 12,800 directives were issued to identify and correct unsafe work practices, and more than 4.800 inspections were carried out across the province.

I want to offer special thanks to the members of the local chapter of the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering for once again volunteering their time to plan and promote NAOSH Week. This group spearheaded NAOSH Week here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and it has now grown to include the rest of Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage everyone to look for opportunities to enhance safety in all aspects of our lives, so that we can return safe to our families and friends at the end of every day.

Thank you.

- 30 -

2015 05 04                              1:45 p.m.