Five Year Review Highlights Gains, Shortcomings
Following public hearings throughout Manitoba, the Minister of Labour made significant changes to Manitoba's Workplace Safety and Health regulations in 2002 in an attempt to provide better protection for workers and reduce injuries and illnesses in the workplace. In January 2008, following the fifth anniversary of the changes, the Manitoba Federation of Labour presented a brief to the Minister's Advisory Council for the Workplace Safety and Health Act. The purpose of the brief was to review the positives that stemmed from the changes made in 2002, and recommend new provisions that would contribute to a further reduction of injuries.
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The brief states that there were many changes made in 2002 that have contributed to a decline of reported injuries and increases in prevention programs in Manitoba workplaces. The brief goes on to say, however, that there is still more to be accomplished and further changes that could be made to help further reduce the workplace injury rate in Manitoba.
Some of the areas in need of improvement outlined in the MFL brief include protection for workers against psychological harassment leading to workplace bullying, a clear definition of training or what is required to deem a person trained, an expansion of training coupled with certification of joint committees, mandatory inquests into any fatality in a workplace, and an increase in fines for prosecutions.
The report concludes that all of the amendments made by Bill 27 have proven to be effective in reducing injuries by focusing on prevention methods and making improvements in the safety of the workplaces. Some of the problems that occurred prior to the public review have disappeared and any minor cost has been more than offset by savings in injury reduction.
The full copy of the MFL brief is available in PDF format (6 pages, 78kb).