By Sarah Klein
A steel worker works atop a beam at the site of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights at The Forks. (MARC EVANS / CHRISD.CA FILE)
New measures have been put in place by the province to protect workers in Manitoba and prevent injuries in the workplace.
The Workers Compensation Amendment Act has been proclaimed, establishing a prevention committee as part of the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) to oversee and provide guidance to the province’s new workplace prevention initiative known as SAFE Work Manitoba.
“Every worker in Manitoba deserves to come home safe at the end of the day,” said Labour and Immigration Minister Erna Braun. “This new law is one more step toward making the province the safest place to work in North America.”
The committee will provide oversight to SAFE Work Manitoba on prevention initiatives, public awareness campaigns, and strategic planning and budgeting.
The amendments also broaden worker protection by increasing penalties and requiring an employer who takes discriminatory action against a worker to prove the action was unrelated to the worker making a claim.
Braun also noted a comprehensive review of the WCB rate model is currently underway, aimed at encouraging real prevention, strengthening system accountability and removing financial incentives to minimize or suppress claims.
