RM of MCKILLOP — When it comes to employee safety in the RM of McKillop, its own councillors are acknowledging it's not meeting the minimum standards.
The topic came up at the RM's Administration Committee meeting on November 1st when they discussed changes to the Human Resources manual.
Committee Chair Don Whitrow told Acting CAO Camille Box, "I want to start seeing some safety meetings. I want to start seeing some documentation that they've had a safety meeting...we need something like that to cover ourselves with occupational health and safety if something ever happens." He also asked for a list of training the employees have taken and wants the office staff to have safety meetings.
Councillor Bruce Bondar said he didn't think the RM is "coming even close to meeting the standard" with occupational health and safety. Whitrow agreed. "No, we are way below it."
Whitrow was also concerned the RM hadn't trained some employees on new equipment. "I want to make sure they have the proper training, and if that means bringing somebody in to do the proper training I don't have a problem with that. I don't have a problem with spending the money to make sure that our guys are safe. Because I'd rather spend it there than spend it afterwards if somebody's dead."
"I just want us to be somewhere because we are no where right now. And let's face it if something ever happens the buck stops here at this table."
And you don't know, until you have a major accident, sometimes, what your responsibilities are." said Howard Arndt. Council supported Bruce Bondar's recommendation to source a safety consultant. The recommendation will now go to the next regular meeting of Council and will be voted on there. (by the same group of council members)
You have three basic rights under The Saskatchewan Employment Act
- The right to know the hazards at work and how to control them.
- The right to participate in finding and controlling workplace hazards.
- The right to refuse work that you believe is unusually dangerous.
Your three rights - and your ability to exercise them - are protected under The Saskatchewan Employment Act. -Saskatchewan.ca
All employers must meet the minimum requirements for health and safety standards as required by law
Under The Saskatchewan Employment Act, an employer must:
- provide a safe and healthy workplace;
- establish and maintain an effective health and safety program and obtain input from the Occupational Health Committee (OHC);
- make sure that managers and supervisors are trained, supported, and held accountable for fulfilling their workplace health and safety requirements;
- oversee the health and safety performance of their managers and supervisors;
- make sure workers have the information, training, certification, supervision, and experience to do their jobs safely;
- make sure medical/first aid facilities are provided as needed;
- set up effective occupational health committees;
- co-operate with the OHC, occupational health and safety (OHS) representative and other parties to resolve health and safety issues in a timely fashion;
- keep OHC/OHS representative meeting minutes on file and readily available;
- ensure workers are not exposed to harassment or violence in the workplace by ensuring the development and implementation of:
- a harassment prevention policy and procedures to investigate workplace harassment complaints;
- a policy statement on violence and prevention plan and procedures to investigate incidents of violence in the workplace will be required by all workplaces by May 17, 2024; and
- ensure that legal health and safety requirements are met.
- -saskatchewan.ca
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