Earlier this summer, OHC submitted our brief to Manitoba’s Workplace Safety and Health Act Review. Our brief is based on our unique experience as Manitoba’s only community health centre focused on workers’ health, with a particular focus on vulnerable workers and communities.
OHC’s main recommendations call on the provincial government to:
- develop a regulation to require employers to identify and prevent psychological hazards in the workplace.
- establish an external enforcement function for Workplace Safety & Health Branch to receive and investigate harassment complaints when an employer has insufficient policies or is non-compliant.
- require that workplace assessments for musculoskeletal injuries be conducted by individuals with experience, knowledge and training in the field of musculoskeletal injury prevention, ergonomics and/or human factors.
- require employers to provide education and information on health and safety rights and responsibilities to all workers.
- require employers to ensure that health and safety information and training is understood by all workers in the workplace. This involves providing extra assistance to workers with limited language abilities in English or French.
- prioritize enforcement efforts in the agricultural sector, particularly on farms that employ migrant workers and focus on the provision of accessible health and safety training for workers in this sector.
- require employers to take precautions to protect workers against domestic violence by including it in the regulation.
Read OHC’s full brief with background information and more recommendations:
OHC Submission to the 2017 WSHA Review