The Saskatchewan Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety announced on July 26, 2012, they would not be moving forward with amendments to the Occupational Health & Safety Act. The following is from the memo released on July 26, 2012.
As you know, in May this year, the government announced that amendments to The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993, would come into force on September 3, 2012.
To support workplaces in understanding and implementing these new standards in their workplaces, the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety has been holding information sessions around the province, where attendees have been receiving an interpretative guide and participating in discussions on the amendments to the Act and Regulations. During these information sessions, the Ministry has received a variety of comments on the amendments.
The primary areas of concern include:
- the issuing of summary offence tickets;
- the requirement to designate a prime contractor to coordinate site safety in sites with multiple employers or self-employed persons; and
- the increase in penalties.
We will not be moving forward with these amendments until we are able to address these concerns. Information on the time and location of additional consultation sessions will be provided in the coming weeks.
Our priority remains reducing workplace injuries within a fair and balanced system that works for everyone. For more information about the amendments to the OHS Act visit www.lrws.gov.sk.ca/information-sessions-ohs-legislative-amendments.
