Aboriginal Workplace Health and Safety

Are Aboriginal workers coming forward with their concerns to workplace joint health and safety committees? It's been shown that Aboriginal workers are more likely to keep quiet or quit their job rather than bring forward concerns about workplace hazards.

A project of the MFL Occupational Health Centre, the Wings of Change - Building Cultural Bridges project is designed to assist joint health and safety committees in rural workplaces to build safer work environments by using Sharing Circles and traditional Aboriginal teachings. This project will create a bridge between Aboriginal culture and Workplace Safety and Health committees.

The project seeks to better engage Aboriginal workers with non-Aboriginal workers when dealing with workplace health and safety issues. In a way that honours the Seven Sacred Teachings and the Lessons of the Geese, the project will help joint health and safety committees to enhance their capabilities to identify, mobilize and resolve workplace health and safety issues and to grow in these skills over time.

Priority for participation in the project will be given to workplaces with both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal employees outside the city of Winnipeg. Please call Janice Greene at (204) 926-7909, 1-888-843-1229 toll-free from outside Winnipeg, or by e-mail to aweop@mflohc.mb.ca for further information about the Wings of Change program.