News Feed

Tornado Hunter Emphasizes Preparation, Education & Awareness For Sask Construction Community

Feb
27
For immediate release
February 27, 2024
 
Swift Current, SK – The local construction community in Swift Current is gathering on March 7 to highlight the importance of preparation, ongoing education and awareness for workplace safety on Saskatchewan construction sites. Hosted by the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA), the lunch event at the Living Sky Casino features guest speaker Greg Johnson, known as the Tornado Hunter.
 
Johnson is one of North America’s top professional storm chasers and severe weather experts. He uses stories, photos and videos from his storm chasing experience to illustrate the similarities between working in extreme weather situations and addressing the risks on construction sites. In both environments, safety is not to be taken lightly.
 
“The key message for me is that there's a difference between taking risks and being reckless,” says Johnson. “So I will speak to what I do and how that philosophy influences my decision making.”
 
Education, awareness and knowing how to stay safe so he can return home to share the story are crucial in Johnson’s unique line of work. “I’m not trying to appeal to somebody who’s telling me I have to be safe. It's not about following a regulation or a rule. It's about being able to get home at the end of the night,” says Johnson. He adds that it goes beyond just following rules, it’s about prioritizing a personal safety culture.
 
Edward Pyle, SCSA vice president, encourages members of the construction community to attend the event as an opportunity to meet with peers, get an update from their safety association and learn from Johnson. “Safety is not some boring topic that only lives in a binder or on a checklist. It’s a dynamic, ongoing, daily commitment,” says Pyle. “Greg’s presentation is sure to entertain, but also drive home the message of staying safe within extreme situations.”
 
Johnson adds that “construction season is tornado season.” Audience members will have the chance to ask any of their safety or weather-related questions following the presentation. 
 
The SCSA’s lunch event with guest speaker Greg Johnson takes place at the Living Sky Casino in Swift Current on Thursday, March 7 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend, but tickets should be reserved online in advance. 
 
SCSA members are also invited to attend the Annual General Meeting before lunch, beginning at 11 a.m. For more information and to register for the event visit: www.scsaonline.ca/events/agm

Notice of 2024 Annual General Meeting

Feb
20
The SCSA's 2024 Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday, March 7 at the Living Sky Casino (1401 North Service Rd E) in Swift Current, SK. 
 
The business meeting will take place between 11 and 11:45 a.m. with a catered lunch and guest presentation to follow.
 
The featured guest speaker will be Greg Johnson, Tornado Hunter. Greg will share images and stories from his storm chasing experience to show the importance of planning, situational awareness and emergency preparedness to stay safe on the job and return home to tell the story.
 
Members are encouraged register online by February 29 to attend the lunch event. Those who cannot attend in person can register to view the livestream or receive access to a post-event recording.
 
The 2023 financial audit was carried out by KPMG. 
 
View the 2023 Draft Financial Statements

Sask Polytech achieves COR for skilled trades programs

Jan
26
Saskatchewan Polytechnic is pleased to announce a momentous achievement by the Joseph A. Remai School of Construction and School of Transportation. After 18 months of dedicated efforts and unwavering commitment to excellence from faculty and staff, Sask Polytech has successfully attained the Certificate of Recognition (COR®) from the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association.
 
“Sask Polytech is the first post-secondary education institution in Saskatchewan to obtain COR® for over half of its industrial trades programs,” shares Brenda Suru, dean for the Faculty of Technology and Skilled Trades. “This important milestone speaks volumes about our faculty and staff’s commitment to excellence, safety and the highest standards in education.”
 
COR® is an occupational safety and health accreditation program that verifies a fully implemented safety and health management system meeting national standards. The objectives of COR® are to provide employers with effective tools to develop, implement, assess and promote continual improvement of their systems to prevent or mitigate incidents and injuries. COR® is provincially managed by the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association and nationally endorsed by the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA).
 
“We appreciate the work Sask Polytech’s schools for construction and transportation have done to achieve COR® and congratulate them on this significant achievement,” says SCSA president Collin Pullar. “This certification affirms that the construction workforce is being trained in a setting where safety is top priority and meets the highest standard. It is a positive step in advancing a culture of safety in Saskatchewan and sets a great example for those pursuing careers in the trades.”
 
“For our students, this achievement adds an extra layer of assurance that their education is taking place in an environment that prioritizes safety and fosters a culture of responsibility,” says Suru. “The skills and knowledge gained in such an environment are not only academically enriching but also set the foundation for a successful career in the construction and transportation industries.”
 
"We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all those who contributed to this accomplishment – the faculty and staff who worked hard to audit our programs, update occupational safety and health processes, and document those processes to receive this recognition,” says Sask Polytech president and CEO, Dr. Larry Rosia. "COR® is helping Sask Polytech lead the rise of polytechnic education in Saskatchewan and across Canada. We will continue to strive for excellence and maintain the highest health and safety standards in all our programs.”
 
To accomplish this significant achievement, the Joseph A. Remai School of Construction and School of Transportation hired Mackenzie Loewen as Health & Safety coordinator in 2021. Her role was to oversee the project, ensuring efficient management of processes and documentation. She says Sask Polytech anticipated a four-year timeline for this project, but with the dedication of faculty and staff, the baseline audit was successfully completed in under two years. Sask Polytech’s Health, Safety and Security team also shared their expertise with the Joseph A. Remai School of Construction and School of Transportation throughout the COR® project.
 
For more information about the skilled trades programs see Joseph A. Remai School of Construction and School of Transportation.

SCSA Signs Five-Year Funding Agreement with WCB

Dec
20

December 20, 2023

Regina, SK – The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA), the safety association for the construction industry and one of the authorities for issuing COR® certification in Saskatchewan, has signed a new five-year funding agreement with the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB).

The agreement clarifies the partnership between WCB and the SCSA to use construction industry funds toward the common goal of driving down injury rates. With a well-established relationship over many years, WCB and the SCSA have collaborated on injury prevention initiatives for targeted companies, the co-development of several safety training courses and data sharing to deliver insights back to members in the construction sector.

“The SCSA’s relationship with WCB is built on our shared goal of preventing injuries and promoting safe workplaces,” says SCSA president Collin Pullar. “For over 25 years, we have worked together towards this goal and made great progress in promoting safer construction across the province. This new agreement is another productive step that ensures the SCSA can remain focused on supporting our members in improving their safety performance and maintaining a healthy workforce.”

The SCSA continues to deliver safety programs that meet a national standard, with proven practices widely shared across Canada as shown in the recent announcement of over 10,000 active COR® certified companies across the country. SCSA safety training remains cost-effective and easy to access for every member company around the province, with an expanding catalogue of in-person, online and on demand options.

In 2022, extensive consultation with industry informed the SCSA’s updated Strategic Plan. Using annual formal feedback surveys as well as regular check-ins with members throughout the year, the SCSA actively engages with industry to be aware of changing opinions and gauge both public and member perceptions. This knowledge informs the board of directors in setting priorities and guiding the path of the association.

“Our board is committed to a high level of performance, accountability and transparency. We know our members want to keep their teams safe on the job and they expect good governance from our association to promote safety across the industry,” says SCSA chairperson Keith Bird. “With responsible stewardship of construction industry funds, the SCSA is committed to delivering its mission for the benefit of all members and the construction industry as a whole.”

Read the full funding agreement.

CFCSA Achieves Significant Milestone with 10,000+ Active COR® Certified Firms

Nov
8
The Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA) and its members are thrilled to announce a significant milestone in occupational health and safety with the attainment of over 10,000 active Certificate of Recognition (COR®) certified firms across the nation.
 
COR®: A National Accreditation Standard for Safety Excellence
 
The Certificate of Recognition (COR®) program, promoted and regulated by CFCSA, has long been recognized as the national standard for an occupational safety & health management system in the Canadian construction industry. The achievement of this milestone demonstrates the commitment of employers, employees, and safety professionals across the country to maintaining accredited standards of safety within their organizations.
 
COR® certification involves rigorous evaluations of an organization's health and safety management system. It encompasses hazard identification, risk assessment, and effective control measures, ensuring that Canadian firms are equipped to handle the unique challenges of the construction industry. This program provides companies with a competitive edge while fostering a culture of safety and reducing workplace incidents.
 
Empirical Evidence: Lower Injury Rates
 
A key finding of the CFCSA's commitment to COR® certification is that firms holding this accreditation experience an average of 18% lower injury rates compared to non-certified firms. This statistic is supported by comprehensive research papers, which are available on the CFCSA website.
 
These research papers have examined the effectiveness of COR® certification in enhancing workplace safety and its direct impact on injury rates. The findings underscore the value of investing in COR® certification and its substantial contribution to the overall well-being of construction industry workers.
 
A Bright Future for Canadian Construction Safety
 
The achievement of this milestone underscores the remarkable progress that the Canadian construction industry has made in embracing safety as a core value. It also emphasizes the determination of firms to prioritize the well-being of their workforce. As a result, workplaces across the country have become safer, and the lives and health of workers have been significantly improved.
 
The CFCSA invites firms in construction and related industries to explore the benefits of COR® certification and join the growing community of safety-conscious organizations that are committed to a safer, healthier, and more productive industry.
 
For more information on the Certificate of Recognition (COR®) program and to access our research papers, please visit CFCSA.ca
 
Media Contact:
Roy Silliker, CFCSA Chair
1-506-627-6602
roy@nbcsa.ca
 
About the CFCSA:
The Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA) works as an umbrella organization for provincial and territorial Construction Safety Associations with a shared interest in promoting awareness of construction health and safety, improving information sharing and collaboratively producing workplace health and safety training standards/information resources.
 
The 13 CFCSA members are:
• Alberta Construction Safety Association
• ASP Construction - Quebec
• BC Construction Safety Alliance
• Construction Safety Association of Manitoba
• Construction Safety Nova Scotia
• Heavy Construction Safety Association of Saskatchewan
• Infrastructure Health & Safety Association
• Manitoba Heavy Construction Association
• New Brunswick Construction Safety Association
• Newfoundland & Labrador Construction Safety Association
• Northern Safety Association
• Northern Safety Network Yukon
• Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association 

Safety Awards Recognize Saskatchewan Construction Leaders

Nov
1
The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 SCSA Awards. These annual awards recognize and celebrate companies and individuals in Saskatchewan’s building construction industry for their commitment to safety excellence and dedication to enhancing a positive safety culture in the province.
 
The winners are:
  • Corporate Leadership in Safety – Ram Steel
  • Safety Leader – Dustin Brears of Credence Construction
  • Safety Practitioner – Kevin Lavoie of Supreme Steel
Winners are evaluated on their safety practices, achievements in leadership, and their efforts toward fulfilling the SCSA’s mission of promoting safety within the construction environment. 
 
“Positive recognition is a key aspect of creating safe and healthy workplaces. These awards celebrate those who show leadership in their safety efforts, ensuring the well-being of their workforce and acting as an example for others in our industry,” said SCSA president Collin Pullar. “We appreciate the work our members do each day to promote safety as essential for business success and congratulate the winners on their achievements.”
 
The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association is a non-profit organization funded by the construction industry to provide cost-effective, quality safety training, programs and advice. The SCSA serves companies that employ workers in building construction and are registered with the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) for residential, commercial and industrial construction or construction trades.

SCSA Offers New Ground Disturbance for Construction Course

Sep
19

Ground disturbance activities are a daily occurrence on construction sites of every scale across the province. Laying foundations, creating basements, drilling piles for decks, augering holes for fence posts, installing utility lines like water pipes, sewer lines or electrical cables and creating access for underground systems all begin with groundwork. Ensuring safety during this work is paramount on any project to avoid devastating injuries and costly delays. 

The SCSA recognizes the importance of well-trained professionals who perform groundwork in residential, commercial, and industrial construction and has designed new training specifically for these workers and supervisors. The Ground Disturbance for Construction course meets demand from SCSA members and addresses all applicable provincial and federal legislation. It sets a new standard for ground disturbance safety training in Saskatchewan construction environments.

The one-day, instructor-led course was developed by industry professionals to provide those working in Saskatchewan construction with essential knowledge and skills for conducting safe and efficient ground disturbance work. Key course highlights include:

  1. Definition, Identification and Terminology: Gain a comprehensive understanding of ground disturbance, recognize its significance in construction projects and improve communication within teams by reviewing common terms.
  2. Legislation, Regulations and Responsibilities: Understand the legal and safety requirements in Saskatchewan, as well as the responsibilities of all parties from workers to employers.
  3. Safe Groundwork Practices: Learn the correct steps for performing groundwork, including permitting and different forms of agreements.
  4. Underground Utility Handling: Avoid unnecessary contact by reviewing the steps to accurately locate, identify and mark underground utilities.
  5. Safe Excavation and Backfilling: Undertake proper excavating, trenching and shoring with an understanding of how soil types affect stability to protect personnel and keep projects on track.
  6. Risk Mitigation and Emergency Response Planning: Prevent incidents by identifying common causes and consequences of underground utility contact and the importance of having an emergency response plan in place.

Before groundwork occurs, it’s important to have a well-formed plan in place that prioritizes safety, considers environmental impacts and meets all legal requirements. From home builders to subcontractors on commercial or industrial sites, the Ground Disturbance for Construction course doesn’t just fill a training requirement, it helps equip workers and supervisors to excel in their roles while keeping teams safe and projects secure.

“It’s not just about earth movers and the big machinery you typically think of,” said SCSA president Collin Pullar. “Whether they work in the residential sector or on larger commercial projects, our members will find this new course covers crucial information that is directly relevant to their work. In gaining the knowledge and awareness to carry out ground disturbance activities they’ll ensure the work is done safely and lead their projects to success.” 

The course is $50 for members with registration open now on the SCSA website. There is no prerequisite for the course and certification of training is valid for 3 years. To demonstrate competency, participants complete practical exercises, as well as a final exam requiring an 80% passing grade. 

The course is available year-round online and will be offered seasonally in person. Companies can contact Training Services if they would like to request an additional date or location for their workforce.

SCSA Selects AuditSoft for COR Auditing

Jun
15

CALGARY, AB, June 15, 2023 - AuditSoft, the leading Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) auditing software, has been selected by the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) for its Certificate of Recognition (COR®) auditing and data analytics capabilities.

COR® continues to grow in popularity and AuditSoft's user-friendly solutions have proven popular with safety associations looking for new ways to scale and meet demand.

AuditSoft's solutions will streamline the SCSA's COR® auditing process from end to end and benefit all key stakeholders involved in COR® audits:

  • A single audit workflow with built-in guidelines, automations, and features like one-click report generation will substantially reduce auditing time for safety professionals.
  • Standardized audit reports and electronic submission will bring efficiencies to the Quality Assurance (QA) process for audit reviewers at the SCSA.
  • SCSA member firms will gain access to new audit insights like peer-to-peer scoring for a more contextualized view of safety performance and to enable data-driven decision-making.

The SCSA serves close to 14,000 member companies that employ workers in building construction and are registered with the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) for residential, commercial and industrial construction, as well as construction trades.

"We're really excited to be working with the SCSA to bring efficiencies to their COR® auditing processes," said Ben Snyman, Cofounder and CEO of AuditSoft. "AuditSoft is enabling associations to scale auditing programs by eliminating many of the manual auditing tasks that consume time and cause errors, whilst unlocking a wealth of OHS information in the process. We're confident the SCSA and its members will gain a lot of value from our solution suite."

"AuditSoft's solutions will help improve member services for companies in our COR® program as we continue in our efforts to eliminate workplace incidents from Saskatchewan's construction industry," said Edward Pyle, Vice President at the SCSA. "The solutions will also add value to SCSA members by reducing auditing time and providing data that allow for more informed decision-making to drive improvements in their safety management systems."

About AuditSoft

AuditSoft is the leading OHS auditing software. Associations and Certifying Bodies partner with AuditSoft to supply their members with cutting-edge auditing tools and unlock valuable audit insights. Each year, AuditSoft is used to conduct thousands of audits in high-risk industries across Canada. Find more information on AuditSoft at www.auditsoft.co

About the SCSA

The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) is a non-profit organization funded by the construction industry to provide cost-effective, quality safety training, programs and advice. Established in 1995, the SCSA remains committed to injury prevention. By aiming to reduce the human and financial losses associated with injuries, the SCSA supports a safe, healthy and profitable industry.

Performance Audit of Saskatchewan WCB – Monitoring Safety Associations’ Use of Funding

Jun
12
Regina, SK – The Provincial Auditor’s Report was released last week, including a performance audit of the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) on monitoring the use of funding received by provincial safety associations. The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) is one of seven industry associations that receive WCB funding to provide safety training, services and programs to help prevent workplace injuries.
 
The SCSA encourages its members and customers to read the report, which can be found on the Provincial Auditor’s website at auditor.sk.ca
 
Though five of the seven industries represented by safety associations have a higher injury rate than the overall provincial injury rate, these industries also have a higher risk of injury due to the type of work employers deliver, such as construction, oil & gas, manufacturing, and healthcare.
 
The report showed that injury rates are declining across industries represented by safety associations. In the last five years, the SCSA saw injury rates for its members in residential, commercial & industrial, and construction trades decrease to 6.4 per 100 in 2022 from 8.1 per 100 in 2018.
 
Serving close to 14,000 member companies, the SCSA remains committed to injury prevention by providing quality safety training courses, safety certification programs for companies and individuals, and expert advice from a team of safety professionals in the field. 
 
The SCSA delivers effective injury prevention practices in the following ways:
  • The nationally recognized COR® designation helps companies see a 21-30% reduction in the cost and frequency of injuries compared to firms that are not COR-certified.
  • Training courses address crucial topics such as Fall Protection & Prevention, highlighting Saskatchewan legislation and regulations for workplace safety. Courses reference CSA and WorkSafe SK standards and reach about 12,000 people per year.
  • Custom analytics dashboards are available to every member company to easily view, report and improve on their safety performance using WCB injury reports, SCSA training records, audit history and safety culture survey scoring.
“The SCSA received clear direction from our industry in a 2022 member survey,” says SCSA vice president Edward Pyle. “Our member companies want a physically and psychologically safe environment for their employees. They also want to see well-managed finances. We know this level of performance involves strong measures of transparency and sound financial administration,” continued Pyle. “The SCSA has an over 25-year relationship with Saskatchewan WCB, and both organizations are driven by strategies to reduce and eliminate injuries in the workplace. Ultimately, this is a productive process and the SCSA looks forward to our part in implementing the Provincial Auditor’s recommendations.”
 
Key information on the SCSA’s funding agreement, financial statements, strategic plan and transparency reporting is available here: scsaonline.ca/corporate-reports

WCB Shares 2022 Results

May
30
Saskatoon, Sask., May 30, 2023 – Today, the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) shared its 2022 results at its annual general meeting (AGM) in Saskatoon. The WCB’s CEO, Phillip Germain, and members of the WCB’s executive team also provided an overview of the WCB’s financial, strategic and operating highlights, including 2022 workplace injuries and fatalities statistics.
 
The WCB has remained in a fully funded position at 114.8 per cent in 2022, an increase from 107.6 per cent in 2021. The improvement in the funded position is primarily related to the reduction in the benefits liability, based on changing claim cost experience compared to expectations, and changes in actuarial methods and assumptions. This position ensures that the organization has the capacity to cover the future costs of all claims in the system.
 
“Maintaining a strong funding position is vital to support injured workers in our province through benefits and programs to help restore their abilities,” says Germain. “A solid funding position also provides employers with the confidence that their needs will be met, as we strive toward enhancing our efficiencies and customer experience.”
 

Financial highlights of the WCB’s 2022 results include:

  • Claim costs were $189.4 million in 2022, down from $336.2 million in 2021. While claim costs were relatively flat, changes in actuarial methods and assumptions such as the discount rate, led to the decrease.
  • The WCB’s injury fund was at $436.0 million as of year-end 2022, compared to $549.4 million in 2021. The injury fund finances injured workers’ claims, including earnings loss, physical and vocational rehabilitation, prevention initiatives and other obligations under the WCB’s legislation, The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013.
  • Premium revenue was $304.0 million in 2022, an increase of $44.5 million from 2021.
  • The WCB recorded investment losses of $132.1 million in 2022, compared to investment income of $254.1 million in 2021. Global markets have experienced volatility as central banks raised interest rates in response to concerns regarding inflation.
  • The WCB covered 400,392 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2022, compared to 392,813 in 2021.

Injury data highlights in 2022 include:

  • In 2022, 90 per cent of Saskatchewan workplaces reported zero injuries or fatalities for the third consecutive year.
  • The workplace Total injury rate in 2022 decreased to 4.33 injuries per 100 workers, representing a five per cent decrease from the 2021 Total injury rate of 4.56 per 100 workers.
  • The 2022 Time Loss injury rate increased slightly to 2.04 injuries per 100 workers compared to the 2021 rate of 2.03 injuries per 100 workers.
In March of this year, WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the partnership between the WCB and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, launched a new strategy that focuses on two key streams of work that will be undertaken to reduce injuries and fatalities – a regulatory and enforcement stream, and a prevention and learning stream. Building on the success of the initial strategy launched in 2019, the new strategy lays out a direction for working together with stakeholders to address high-risk industries and occupations that are resulting in workplace fatalities and injuries.
 
“Without question, we must continue to work together to make all workplaces in Saskatchewan safe,” says Germain. “Working with our stakeholders – including employers, unions, researchers and associations – the updated Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy will guide us in our efforts to bring injury rates down. We will continue to work with our partners to enhance our workers’ compensation system and to ensure that every Saskatchewan worker returns home safely at the end of each work day.”
 
For more information on these results, the WCB’s 2022 annual report is available online at wcbsask.com.
 
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Media contact: 
Carolyn Van der Veen
Director, Communications
Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board
Email: cvanderveen@wcbsask.com
 

Serious Workplace Injury Results In $56,000 For Electrician Company

May
26

On May 15, 2023, Hergott Electric Ltd. pleaded guilty in Saskatoon Provincial Court to one violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996.

The company was fined for contravening clause 12(a) of the regulations (being an employer at a place of employment, fail to provide and maintain plant, systems of work and working environments that ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of the employer's workers, resulting in the serious injury of a worker). One other charge was withdrawn.

As a result, the Court imposed a fine of $40,000 with a surcharge of $16,000, for a total amount of $56,000.

The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on October 23, 2020, in Humboldt when a worker suffered serious injuries when a scissor lift drove off the ramps being used to load it onto a trailer.

The Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety works with employers and workers to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses through education, inspections and prosecutions.

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For more information, contact:

Gladys Wasylenchuk
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2411
Email: gladys.wasylenchuk@gov.sk.ca

Construction Company Fined $30,000 for Serious Worker Injury

May
24

On May 3, 2023, D'Amani Stucco Solutions Inc. pleaded guilty in Saskatoon Provincial Court to one violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996.

The company was fined for contravening clause 12(a) of the regulations (being an employer, failing to comply with the duties of an employer at a place of employment including the provision and maintenance of a plant, systems of work and working environments that ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of the employer's workers, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).

As a result, the Court imposed a fine of $21,428.57 with a $8,571.43 surcharge, for a total amount of $30,000.

The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on October 16, 2020 in Saskatoon when a worker suffered serious injuries when they fell over four metres while assisting in the installation of a tarp over a scaffold.

Employers are required to provide safe and healthy workplaces, and must provide information, training and experience necessary for employees to perform their jobs safely. For more information about workplace health and safety training and resources, visit www.worksafesask.ca or contact an industry safety association.

The Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety works with employers and workers to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses through education, inspections and prosecutions.

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For more information, contact:

Kate Crowley
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Phone: 306-570-2839
Email: kate.crowley@gov.sk.ca

Province Passes Amendments To Occupational Health And Safety Provisions

May
23

On May 17, 2023, amendments to occupational health and safety provisions of The Saskatchewan Employment Act came into force.

"The amendments passed today will ensure we are building a strong culture of workplace health and safety which is critical to helping reduce workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities," Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said. 

All of the amendments are in force with the exception of the requirement to have a violence policy and investigate incidents. This provision will come into force in one year to allow employers the time and opportunity to create and implement policies. Guidelines and sample policies are available on saskatchewan.ca.

The Saskatchewan Employment (Part III) Amendment Act, 2022 includes:

  • Clarifying the definition of a worker to include secondary and post-secondary students so that they are covered by the provisions in Part III of the Act.
  • Clarifying the employers' duty and responsibility to ensure that incidents of harassment are investigated.
  • Requiring all workplaces to have a violence policy in place that will also apply to students, volunteers and contract workers and investigate all incidents of violence in the workplace.
  • Clarifying the work and authority of occupational health officers to take photos and recordings during workplace inspections.
  • Authority for officers to exclude a person from an investigation interview if there is a perceived conflict. The person being interviewed would then be asked to nominate another person to attend the interview. 
  • Housekeeping and general amendments necessary to keep the legislation relevant and aligned with other legislative requirements.

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For more information, contact:

Gladys Wasylenchuk
Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2411
Email: gladys.wasylenchuk@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-519-8411

Saskatchewan WCB Releases 2022 Injury Stats

Apr
13
Regina, Sask., April 13, 2023 – The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) released its injury statistics today, announcing that workplace Total injury rates decreased in 2022. The workplace total injury rate for 2022 was 4.33 per 100 workers, a five per cent decrease from 2021. From 2009 to 2022, the WCB’s Total injury rate has decreased by 53.54 per cent.
 
“As a province, our Total injury rate has decreased over the past decade thanks to the efforts of workers, employers and safety leaders across the province,” says Don Morgan, Minister Responsible for the WCB. “Despite a decline in the total injury rate, we must continue promoting workplace safety so that every worker comes home safe at the end of the day.”
 
For the third year in a row, 90 per cent of workplaces across the province had zero injuries and zero fatalities. While the Total injury rate decreased in 2022, the Time Loss injury rate increased slightly to 2.04 per 100 workers. This is an increase of 0.49 per cent from the 2021 rate of 2.03 per 100 workers.
 
“In 2022, we had 184 additional time loss claims in various industries compared to 2021, which is a 2.31 per cent increase,” says WCB CEO Phillip Germain. “Also, the 2022 Saskatchewan workforce increased by 1.93 per cent from 2021. The net result is a 0.49 per cent increase in the Time Loss injury rate due to the larger increase in time loss claims relative to the workforce increase.”
 
2022 injury claims status:
  • Total claims accepted decreased by 3.23 per cent to 17,321 in 2022 from 17,899 in 2021. The total number of workers covered increased to 400,392 in 2022 from 392,813 in 2021.
  • Accepted No Time Loss claims decreased to 9,156 in 2022 from 9,918 in 2021.
  • Accepted Time Loss claims (excluding current-year fatalities) increased to 8,148 in 2022 from 7,963 in 2021.
There remains a consistent number of serious injury and fatality claims – approximately 2,400 annually – accepted by the WCB each year.
 
There were 39 workplace fatalities in 2022, compared to 31 in 2021. This is an increase of 25.81 per cent. These deaths occurred in a variety of Saskatchewan industries. Exposure to asbestos made up 16 of the fatality claims accepted in 2022. Six fatalities in 2022 were due to motor vehicle collisions.
 
“It is so tragic that 39 workers in Saskatchewan had their lives cut short because of a work-related injury. The impact of losing a loved one is felt most at home, but that devastating impact also extends into our communities and our province,” says WCB chair Gord Dobrowolsky. “Without question, we must continue to work together to make workplaces in Saskatchewan safe. It’s only together that we can create safe workplaces where lives are never at risk and loved ones always return home safely.”
 
To help address workplace injuries and fatalities, WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the partnership between the WCB and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, has released a new five-year Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy that builds on the success of the first strategy that ended in 2022. The new strategy lays out a direction for working together with stakeholders to address high-risk industries and occupations that are resulting in workplace fatalities and injuries.
 
Learn more about the strategy at worksafesask.ca/fatalities-and-serious-injuries.
 
“As a province, we have a shared goal to eliminate workplace injuries. We have seen improvements in our Total injury rate, which means more workers have remained safe on the job,” says Dobrowolsky. “I look forward to the day when Saskatchewan has no fatalities and the lowest injury rate in the country. This is possible if we work together.”
 
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Media contact:
Carolyn Van der Veen
Director, Strategic Communications
Saskatchewan WCB
cvanderveen@wcbsask.com

Mental Health Awareness Vital for Workplace Safety in Construction

Mar
28
Yorkton, SK – When it comes to workplace safety, physical health and eliminating visible hazards immediately come to mind. But mental health and substance use issues are growing concerns that affect those working in construction. The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) is holding an event in Yorkton on Thursday, March 30 to raise awareness for how mental wellness factors into worksite safety. 
 
The lunch event at the Gallagher Centre will feature guest speaker Brad Siroski to highlight the importance of opening up conversations around mental health. Siroski is a mental health and substance use educator who has a personal story of coping with mental health and addiction issues. Siroski’s life was forever changed by a boss who had an open mind and an open-door policy to support him in recovery. Through his experience, employers and employees will learn how to approach these issues, recognize when someone is struggling and reach out for help or support others. 
 
Stigma often works against those who need help and support. Siroski, who also overcame a battle with cancer, shares that “when I was struggling with mental health and addictions problems, people walked across the street to get away from me. When I was diagnosed with cancer, some of those same people showed up on my doorstep with gift baskets.” He acknowledges that “maintaining positive mental health, like recovery, is a lifelong process.” 
 
The nature of working in construction can impact psychological health–long hours, physical exhaustion, seasonal jobs, working away from home, and an environment where feelings aren’t discussed or men are expected to be “tough”. According to WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the industry has one of the highest rates of suicide and many do not reach out for help when experiencing mental distress. Male construction workers also have more mental health concerns than men in the general population.
 
“Mental health concerns are hidden hazards that we need to pay attention to as much as the physical, visible hazards seen every day on job sites,” says Collin Pullar, SCSA president. He encourages members of the construction community to foster open communication around mental wellness in the workplace and ensure that people have access to resources. 
 
The SCSA’s lunch event with guest speaker Brad Siroski takes place at the Gallagher Centre in Yorkton (455 Broadway St W) on Thursday, March 30 from 12 to 2 p.m. There is no cost to attend, but tickets should be reserved online in advance. SCSA members are also invited to attend the Annual General Meeting before the lunch and speaker, beginning at 11 a.m. www.scsaonline.ca/events

Notice of 2023 Annual General Meeting

Mar
14
The SCSA 2023 Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday, March 30 at the Gallagher Centre (455 Broadway St W) in Yorkton, SK beginning at 11 a.m.
 
The business meeting will take place between 11:15 and 11:45 a.m. with a catered lunch and guest presentation to follow.
 
The featured guest speaker will be Brad Siroski, an award-winning mental health and substance use educator who will present on Promoting Positive Mental Health & Substance Use Awareness in the Workplace.
 
Register to attend the lunch event by March 23 or register to view online here.
 
The 2022 financial audit was carried out by KPMG.
 
View the 2022 SCSA Annual Report 
View the 2022 SCSA Transparency Report 

Second strategy to continue reducing workplace fatalities and serious injuries

Mar
13
In 2019, WorkSafe Saskatchewan, a partnership between the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, launched the first three-year Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy in an effort to help eliminate workplace fatalities and serious injuries.
 
Today, a new five-year strategy is being launched that focuses on two key streams of work that will be undertaken to reduce injuries and fatalities – a regulatory and enforcement stream, and a prevention and learning stream.
 
“Workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility,” Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said. “This new strategy continues to make working with stakeholders to eliminate workplace injuries and fatalities in our province a priority. Everyone deserves to come home safely at the end of the day.”
 
“Collaboration with stakeholders is critical to bringing our injury rate down,” WCB Board Chair Gord Dobrowolsky said. “Building on the work of the last strategy, we will continue to engage workers and employers in finding ways to keep all workers safe on the job.”
 
Under this strategy, the three main priority workplace sectors of focus are:
  • Health care
  • Transportation
  • Construction
These industries were chosen due to the high-risk nature of their work.
 
Approximately 2,400 Saskatchewan workers are seriously injured each year in Saskatchewan. Copies of the 2023-2028 Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy are available at www.worksafesask.ca.
 
For more information, contact:
Kate Crowley
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Phone: 306-570-2839
Email: kate.crowley@gov.sk.ca
 
Carolyn Van der Veen
Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board
Phone: 306-787-4386
Email: CVanderVeen@wcbsask.com

Construction Company Fined For Workplace Injury

Mar
6

On February 22, 2023, Neu-Build Construction Inc. pleaded guilty in Swift Current Provincial Court regarding one violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996. 

The charge stemmed from a workplace incident that occurred on October 30, 2020, near Maple Creek. A worker suffered serious injuries as a result of being electrocuted while stabilizing trusses.

Neu-Build Construction Inc. was fined $25,000 and a $10,000 surcharge for contravening subsection 465(2) of the regulations (being an employer or contractor, fail to ensure that no worker works, no material is piled, stored or handled, no scaffold is erected or dismantled and no equipment or powered mobile equipment is used or operated within the minimum distance from any exposed energized electrical conductor set out in column 1 of table 22 of the appendix of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).

One additional charge was stayed.

The Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety works with employers and workers to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses through education, inspections and prosecutions.

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For more information, contact:

Gladys Wasylenchuk
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2411
Email: gladys.wasylenchuk@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-519-8411

Company Fined $126,000 For Serious Worker Injury

Dec
21
Released on December 21, 2022

 

On December 8, 2022, King Stud Contracting Ltd. pleaded guilty in Saskatoon Provincial Court regarding one violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996

The company was fined for contravening subsection 194(3) of the regulations (being an employer fail to ensure that a worker working from a work platform mounted on a forklift on which a worker may be raised or lowered or required or permitted to work, uses a personal fall arrest system, resulting in the serious injury of a worker). Four other charges were stayed.

As a result, the court imposed a fine of $90,000 with a $36,000 surcharge, for a total amount of $126,000.

The charge stemmed from an incident that occurred on February 19, 2021 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A worker suffered serious injuries when they fell from a work platform.

Employers are required to provide safe and healthy workplaces, and must provide information, training and experience necessary for employees to perform their jobs safely. For more information about workplace health and safety training and resources, visit www.worksafesask.ca or contact an industry safety association.

The Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety works with employers and workers to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses through education, inspections and prosecutions.

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For more information, contact:

Kate Crowley
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-3370
Email: kate.crowley@gov.sk.ca

New COR Standard and Harmonized Audit Tool

Dec
20

The national COR® accreditation standard has recently been updated by the Canadian Federation of Canadian Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA). In response to the updated standard, the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) collaborated with other provincial construction safety associations to design a new harmonized audit tool. The SCSA will be using this new tool for all COR® audits effective January 1, 2023.

COR® certification provides companies with effective tools to develop, implement, assess and improve their safety and health management systems to prevent injuries and reduce the associated human and financial costs. Companies who have COR® accreditation in more than one province, or are seeking equivalency in other provinces, should find the certification easier to obtain and maintain with the updated national standard.

The harmonized audit tool includes:

  • a new section for Procurement and Contractor Management
  • changes to scoring, so partial points can now be awarded on some questions
  • updated guidelines

All COR® external and internal audits, NCSO™ and NHSA™ maintenance audits, and self audits should use the new audit tool going forward in 2023. Auditors are encouraged to pay close attention to the updated guidelines and criteria, especially in reference to awarding partial points on certain questions.

For more detail on the harmonized audit tool see COR updates or download it from the SCSA Resources.

For guidance or assistance, contact program services by email at scsaprograminfo@scsaonline.ca or call the SCSA office at 800-817-2079.

Workers’ Compensation Act Committee of Review Legislative Recommendations

Nov
22

Released on November 22, 2022

The final report from the Workers' Compensation Act Committee of Review is now available.

The committee made 34 recommendations based on consultations held in 2021-22. The committee received 61 written submissions from organizations and 36 from individuals. In addition, the committee heard from 19 individuals and organizations through virtual consultations held in early 2022. 

"I would like to thank the members of the committee for their dedication in listening to the citizens of this province who shared their feedback on our workers' compensation system," Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said. "I would also like to thank the individuals and organizations who shared feedback and suggestions for improvement."

Twelve of the recommendations made by the committee were related to policies and coverage, five were health and wellness related, nine were customer service and communication related and eight were related to appeals.

The Workers' Compensation Act, 2013 requires a review be conducted five years after the previous report was submitted. The committee reviews and reports on all matters concerning the Act, regulations and the administration of the Act and regulations. They provide an opportunity for individuals and organizations to make suggestions for improvement to the Saskatchewan workers' compensation system.

Further consultations will be taking place based on the suggested legislative recommendations. The public is welcome to share their feedback on these recommendations by emailing  legislation.labour@gov.sk.ca by January 31, 2023.

To read the report and recommendations, visit: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/public-consultations/committee-of-review-workers-compensation-act 

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For more information, contact:

Kate Crowley
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina, SK
Phone: 306-787-3370
Email: kate.crowley@gov.sk.ca

Safety Awards Recognize Local Construction Leaders

Nov
15
The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) has announced the winners of the 2022 Constructing Safety Leadership Awards. 
 
The winners are:
  • Corporate Leadership in Safety—Ledcor Construction Ltd.
  • Safety Leader—Katherine Leslie of miEnergy in Saskatoon
  • Safety Practitioner—Amy Welder of Century West Renovations & Restorations in Regina
These annual awards recognize and celebrate companies and individuals in Saskatchewan’s building construction industry for their commitment to safety excellence. Winners are evaluated on their safety practices, achievements in safety leadership, contributions to positive safety culture, and their efforts toward the SCSA’s vision of creating the safest construction environment in Canada. 
 
“At the SCSA, we know that business owners have a lot on their plates, which is why we work to provide great tools and supports to assist companies in preventing injuries and saving costs,” said SCSA president Collin Pullar. “We appreciate the work done by our members to ensure a healthy workforce and show that safety contributes to a strong and profitable industry. We celebrate the winners’ impressive achievements with these awards.”
 
The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association is a non-profit organization funded by the construction industry to provide cost-effective, accessible safety training, programs and advice. The SCSA serves 14,000 companies that employ workers in building construction and are registered with the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) for residential, commercial and industrial construction or construction trades.

Legislation Introduced That Helps Make Workplaces Safer

Nov
4

Released on November 3, 2022

The Government of Saskatchewan introduced amendments to The Saskatchewan Employment Act that will help improve health and safety and better meet the needs of modern workplaces in the province.

The amendments come after engaging stakeholders in a review of the occupational health and safety provisions of the Act.

"It is important to regularly review our legislation and to hear directly from stakeholders on the impact of the legislation," Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said. "The amendments introduced today are another step forward in helping protect the health and safety of workers."

The Saskatchewan Employment (Part III) Amendment Act, 2022 includes the following changes:

  • The definition of a worker is being clarified to include secondary and post-secondary students so that they are covered by the provisions in Part III of the Act.
  • Require all employers to have a violence policy and investigate incidents of violence and harassment in the workplace.
  • Clarify the work and authority of occupational health officers to take photos and recordings during workplace inspections.
  • Authorize officers to exclude nominees from investigation interviews so the process is not influenced by third parties and workers are not led to believe that they are represented by a nominee who does not have the workers' best interest in mind.
  • Housekeeping and general amendments necessary to keep the legislation relevant and aligned with other legislative requirements.

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For more information, contact:
Gladys Wasylenchuk
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, Regina
Phone: 306-787-2411
Email: gladys.wasylenchuk@gov.sk.ca

WCB announces 2023 preliminary average premium rate

Oct
31

WCB announces 2023 preliminary average premium rate

 

Board proposes average premium rate at $1.28

Regina, Sask., Oct. 31, 2022 – The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) has announced the 2023 preliminary average employer premium rate at $1.28 per hundred dollars of payroll, compared to the 2022 rate of $1.23, an increase of 4.1 per cent. The announcement was made at the WCB’s annual preliminary rate information meeting with Saskatchewan employers, workers and stakeholders.

“While we are proposing a rate increase for 2023, our preliminary premium rate is likely to continue to remain among the lowest rates in Canada,” said the WCB’s chair Gord Dobrowolsky. “Claim costs and payroll are the two key drivers of the 2023 average preliminary premium rate. We are forecasting total costs to rise faster than employer payrolls in 2023, which is mostly driven by increasing long-term claim costs. As a result, we are proposing the five-cent increase to the 2023 board-level average preliminary premium rate.”

The WCB adjusted the average premium rate for 2021 and 2022 to help lift pressure on employers due to COVID-19. The 2022 average premium rate was $1.23, below the required rate of $1.25, and the 2021 average premium rate was held at $1.17, below the required rate of $1.23. Not charging the required premium rate in 2021 and 2022 saved employers $14.0 million in 2021 and is expected to save them another $4.8 million in 2022.

“After adjusting the premium rate for the past two years, the rate increases for 2023 will ensure we maintain our funded position,” said the WCB’s CEO Phillip Germain.

The WCB has a legal obligation to be fully funded. The WCB’s funding policy has a range between 105 per cent and 120 per cent funded.

With the 2023 rate proposal:

  • The overall 2023 proposed average employer rate will be $1.28 per hundred dollars of payroll.
  • Industry premium rates for approximately 65 per cent of Saskatchewan’s employers covered by the WCB will increase next year.
  • Industry premium rates for approximately 35 per cent of Saskatchewan’s employers covered by the WCB will see a decrease or no change for 2023.

Despite the preliminary rate increase in 2023, there are ways employers can influence their premium rates. Industry premium rates are affected by the degree to which employers in an industry are able to eliminate workplace injuries. Employers who have a fully functioning safety program and a solid return-to-work program can help prevent and manage work-related injuries.

In 2021, 90 per cent of employers achieved zero injuries and zero fatalities, however the WCB has been advising employers over the last few years that they could expect to see increases in the Saskatchewan premium rates if serious injuries, fatalities and claim durations did not improve. From 2015 to 2021, serious injuries accounted for 11.0 per cent of injuries and 82.4 per cent of costs in Saskatchewan’s workers’ compensation system.

“Workplace health and safety is a priority for building a strong Saskatchewan where everyone can benefit,” said Germain.

 

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Media contact:
Carolyn Van der Veen
Director, Strategic Communications
Saskatchewan WCB
cvanderveen@wcbsask.com

Construction Community Gathers to Redefine Tough and Address Mental Health

Oct
27
Saskatchewan – High suicide rates and mental health issues are growing concerns that affect workplace safety in the construction industry. The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) and the provincial network of construction associations are coming together for a lunch event on Wednesday, November 2 in Prince Albert to talk about mental health and encourage all members of the construction community to add their voices to the conversation. 
 
Mental health advocate Allan Kehler will deliver a keynote presentation based on his journey and the struggles of other Saskatchewan men featured in his bestselling book MENtal Health: It’s Time to Talk. Kehler acknowledges that in construction, where the onsite workforce is predominantly male, there is “a culture of toughness or strength, but the biggest thing for people to understand is that vulnerability equals strength. There’s nothing manly about suffering in silence.”
 
The construction industry historically has a reputation for demanding that men need to be tough, and this needs to be challenged, according to Shannon Friesen, CEO of the Saskatoon Construction Association. “The time is now to break through stigmas related to mental health and ensure we are all doing our part to create safe and supportive workplaces where all can thrive. People should not have to suffer in silence, chances are that if you are struggling with something, others are too.” 
 
The nature of working in construction can impact psychological health – long hours, physical exhaustion, seasonal jobs, working away from home, and an environment where feelings or stresses are kept inside. According to WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the industry has one of the highest rates of suicide and many do not reach out for help when experiencing mental distress. Male construction workers also have more mental health concerns than men in the general population.
 
“Mental health concerns are hidden hazards that we need to pay attention to as much as the physical, visible hazards seen every day on jobsites,” says Collin Pullar, SCSA president. He encourages members of the construction community to recognize that ensuring health and safety in the workplace includes mental wellness.
 
MENtal Health: It’s Time to Talk takes place on Wed. Nov. 2 from 12 to 3 p.m.
Prince Albert Golf and Curling Club (900 22 Street East Prince Albert, SK S6V 1P1)
 
Tickets for SCSA members are $25, $50 for non-members, lunch included. Everyone welcome.
Tickets to receive a post-event recording also available.
 
For more details and tickets: www.scsaonline.ca/events
 
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For more information:
Amber Huck
Communications Coordinator
306-652-0907 ext. 558

News Release: Two Companies Fined For OHS Violations Leading To Worker Injuries

Sep
26

Released September 22, 2022

Two companies were found guilty in separate workplace incidents to violations under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations,1996.

On September 2, 2022, Zbigniew Gromek (operating as Double G Painting) was found guilty in Weyburn Provincial Court of contravening clause 12 (a) of the regulations (being an employer at a place of employment, provide and maintain plant, systems of work and working environments that ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of the employer's workers, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).

They were also found guilty of contravening clause 253(2)(b) of the regulations (being an employer, fail to ensure that a portable ladder is secured against accidental movement during use, resulting in the serious injury of a worker). 

As a result, the Court imposed fines of $3,000, along with surcharges of $1,200 for each violation, for a total amount of $8,400.

The charges were the result of a workplace incident that occurred on June 18, 2020, in Fillmore, Saskatchewan. A worker suffered serious injuries while standing on a ladder that slipped and fell to the floor.

In an unrelated matter, on September 8, 2022, Bill Goodtrack pleaded guilty in Assiniboia Provincial Court to contravening clause 12(c) of the regulations (being an employer at a place of employment, fail to provide any information, instruction, training and supervision that is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers at work, resulting in a serious injury to a worker).

As a result, the Court imposed a fine of $10,000, along with a $4,000 surcharge, for a total amount of $14,000. 

The charge was the result of a workplace incident that occurred in Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan on November 14, 2019. A worker suffered serious injuries after making contact with an energized power line.

Employers are required to provide safe and healthy workplaces, and must provide information, training and supervision necessary for employees to perform their jobs safely.

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For more information, contact:

Kate Crowley
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-3370
Email: kate.crowley@gov.sk.ca

Safety Culture Survey Helps Companies Improve Health & Safety

Sep
1
Over 500 Saskatchewan construction companies have participated in the SCSA’s Safety Culture Survey in the past last year. The semi-annual survey helps organizations assess and improve their health & safety performance using a short questionnaire.
 
Members are encouraged to take part in the survey September 19-30.  
 
SIGN UP NOW
 
 
Why do the Safety Culture Survey?
  • Assess the perspectives and attitudes of employees towards health and safety priorities. 
  • Give workers a chance to voice their thoughts about company safety culture.
  • Predict areas that need improvement before injuries occur. 
Companies gain insight into their organization and how it compares in safety to other Saskatchewan construction companies. For best results, share and encourage employees across departments to complete the survey. The larger the company, the more respondents give more accurate results.
 
Safety Culture Survey Results
Request access or log in to SCSA Analytics here
 
All results are anonymous and can be viewed in each company’s custom analytics dashboard, along with industry results. Results help show what current safety culture looks like in the Saskatchewan construction landscape and can reveal trends over time.
 
Infographic of results from October 2021 and April 2022
April 2022 webinar of survey results
 
 
Survey developed by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) and is administered by technology partner EHS Analytics

Survey on Safe Manual Material Handling

Aug
23

Members are invited to participate in an online survey that aims to identify Manual Material Handling (MMH) implementation barriers and facilitators. This questionnaire is part of the research study being conducted by the researchers at the University of New Brunswick. It should take approximately 15-20 mins to complete the survey.

The purpose of the research is to develop a strategy to improve the implementation of safe MMH practice by understanding the gap between evidence-based ergonomics knowledge and practices to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). This study aims to identify and understand perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing safe MMH work practices adherence from regulations/standards to training for safe MMH work practices to individual behaviours to prevent WMSDs.

Survey questions are based on the information gained through semi-structured interviews conducted with the targeted population (i.e., managers, supervisors, ergonomics and OHS practitioners, and regulators from the provincial compensation boards) to examine perceived barriers and facilitators and to inform critical thinking that will enable the researcher to begin developing appropriate strategies to enhance the adoption of ergonomics practices.

Participation in this survey is voluntary. You may decline to answer any questions that you do not wish to answer and you can withdraw your participation at any time by not submitting your responses without consequences.

Any information that you provide will be confidential. All of the data will be summarized and no individual could be identified from the summarized results. The data, with no personal identifiers, collected from this study will be maintained on a password-protected computer database in a restricted access area of the university. Additionally, the data will be electronically archived after completion of the study and may be made available anonymously as part of the scientific publication process.

Why am I being invited to participate?
To gain insight into the facilitators and barriers to implementing MMH ergonomic approaches into practice, it is important to hear from individuals who have different responsibilities related to ergonomic delivery in the workplace. Various stakeholders including managers, supervisors, ergonomics and OHS practitioners, and regulators from the provincial compensation boards are invited to respond to obtain various perspectives nationally.

Take the Survey

For questions about the study, please contact the researcher, Mehboob Reza (mehboob.reza@unb.ca

Safety Bulletin: Protection of Potable Water Systems

Jul
26
This bulletin is being issued for safety purposes as low compliance has been observed related to the installation of cross connection control and backflow protection devices, in accordance with the National Plumbing Code of Canada (NPC). 
 
Compliance with safety standards established under the Construction Code Act and the Plumbing Code Regulations will ensure safe plumbing systems throughout Saskatchewan. 
 
Section 2.6.2 Division B of the NPC outlines requirements for the protection of potable water systems through the selection and installation of backflow preventers. Appendix A of the Saskatchewan Plumbing Code Regulations amends sentences 2.6.2.4. (1), (2), (3) and (4) pertaining to the requirements for the protection from backflow on fire protection systems. 
 
Effective October 1st, 2022, Technical Safety Authority of Saskatchewan (TSASK) plumbing permit holders constructing new plumbing systems must ensure installations are completed in accordance with 2.6.2 Division B of the 2015 edition of the NPC and the Saskatchewan Plumbing Code Regulations. 
 
The cities of Regina, Saskatoon, Lloydminster, and the Global Transportation Hub are subject to local bylaws and jurisdiction. 
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your local inspector, email geis@tsask.ca or call 1- 866-530-8599. 
 
Stephen Friedt 
Chief Gas & Plumbing Inspector 
Technical Safety Authority of Saskatchewan
 
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 
• Saskatchewan Plumbing Code Regulations: TSASK Act & Regulations (tsask.ca) 
• National Plumbing Code of Canada: Information Archived on the Web (publications.gc.ca) 
• American Water Works Association, Western Canada Section: WCSAWWA (www.wcsawwa.net) 
• Government of SK, Cross Connection Control and Backflow Prevention Program Guidelines: Publications Centre (saskatchewan.ca) 
 

2022 WorkSafe Health and Safety Leadership Charter Event

Jun
3
The Saskatchewan Health and Safety Leadership Charter launched in 2010 and is aimed at creating a cultural shift among community leaders and positioning injury prevention as a core value.
 
Each year, signatories participate in a health and safety leadership learning community that shares information and best practices. Today, more than 600 safety leaders have signed the Health and Safety Leadership Charter.
 
The event takes place:
 
June 15, 2022
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

at Queensbury Convention Centre (1700 Elphinstone St. Regina, SK)

Charter members will be served lunch.

Register now for the 2022 Health and Safety Leadership Charter event! Registration closes June 10.
 
Questions can be emailed to askWCB@wcbsask.com

Innovation Challenge Winner Presents Vergo

Apr
28
Betterworks Technology, the winner of the Innovation Saskatchewan Innovation Challenge, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA), presented their solution Vergo at the SCSA's Constructing Safety Leadership Conference. 
 
Vergo is a software product that aims to prevent injuries in the workplace. Vergo integrates with existing worksite cameras to automatically perform ergonomic risk evaluations from the images. These risk assessments can help workers identify behaviours that lead to injury. With the technology, employers and employees can create safer work environments and prevent injuries. 
 
The challenge was launched in June 2021, and invited Saskatchewan's technology startups, entrepreneurs, and researchers to propose technology solutions to address the Government of Saskatchewan's priority of creating healthy, safe, and productive workplaces in the construction industry. 
 
"It is always exciting to see what Saskatchewan innovators develop through Innovation Challenges," Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Jeremy Harrison said. "Vergo is another example of the strong technology solutions that are developed through this process right here in Saskatchewan."
 
Through a competitive process, Betterworks Technology was selected as the winner. Following a 16-week residency with SCSA and IS, the company showcased their solution.
"In the context of a tight labour supply, the construction industry has been looking for ways to gain productivity by adopting technology and leading management practices that also improve safety outcomes," SCSA President Collin Pullar said. "These productivity gains require investments in innovation, new materials, techniques and management processes that can enable safer and more productive workforces."
 
Innovation Challenges encourage Saskatchewan-based tech companies to find innovative answers to issues facing the public. Previous projects introduced tech responses to rural crime, online permissions for hunting and fishing on private land and tracking landfill waste.
 
Find previous Innovation Challenge winners and program information at https://innovationsask.ca/initiatives/innovation-challenge/previous-innovation-challenges.
 
For more information, contact:
Rebecca Gibbons
Innovation Saskatchewan
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-527-8836
rebecca.gibbons@innovationsask.ca

News Release: WCB releases 2021 operating results

Apr
26

 

Regina, Sask., April 25, 2022 – The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) remained fully funded in 2021 with the ability to cover the future costs of all claims in the system. The WCB’s 2021 annual report was tabled in the provincial legislature today.

In 2021, the WCB announced that it would begin a multi-year transformation of how the organization serves the workers and employers in the province. The WCB recognizes its customers’ needs are changing and because of that, through the WCB’s Business Transformation Program, the organization will work to adapt its business processes. The WCB will make necessary changes in a thoughtful and staged manner to technology, processes and service delivery models, so that it can meet the current and future expectations of all customers.

“Over the coming few years, our staff, customers and partners will work together to reimagine how we serve our customers and improve their experience,” says the WCB’s CEO Phillip Germain. “All of this work supports our vision of eliminating injuries and restoring abilities.”

Despite the many challenges presented by the pandemic, the WCB has remained fully funded, which means it was within the targeted funding percentage range of 105 per cent to 120 per cent in 2021.

“In Saskatchewan, the WCB is legislated under The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013 to maintain an injury fund sufficient to finance injured worker claims, including earnings loss, physical and vocational rehabilitation, prevention initiatives and other obligations under the Act,” says Germain. “This range ensures sufficient funds are available to meet required benefit levels and protects against unexpected claim activity or potential fluctuating economic conditions, like we saw during the pandemic.”

The WCB continued to provide additional COVID-19 support to workers and employers in the province through 2021.

“Many employers around the province suffered due to the impacts of the pandemic,” says Gord Dobrowolsky, chair of the WCB. “To ease the burden placed on Saskatchewan employers, we implemented a number of initiatives, including providing more than $5.6 million in 2020 and 2021 in cost relief related to claims from COVID-19. We’ve extended this cost relief to June 2022.”

The WCB also reported that it held employer premium rates at $1.17 when the required rate was $1.23, providing more than $13 million in financial relief to employers.

Injury data highlights in 2021 include:

  • In 2021, 90 per cent of Saskatchewan workplaces reported zero injuries or fatalities for the second year in a row. Last year, 31 workplace fatalities were reported, down from 34 in 2020.
  • The workplace Total injury rate in 2021 increased to 4.56 injuries per 100 workers, representing a two per cent increase from the 2020 Total injury rate of 4.46 per 100 workers.
  • The 2021 Time Loss injury rate increased to 2.03 injuries per 100 workers, up 14 per cent from the 2020 rate of 1.78 injuries per 100 workers. One of the major factors that contributed to the Time Loss injury rate increase was the number of COVID-19 claims that impacted the rate in 2020 and 2021. Without COVID-19 claims, the Time Loss injury rate would have been 1.78 per 100 workers in 2021 (compared to 2.03 per 100 workers with COVID-19 claims) and 1.70 per 100 workers in 2020 (compared to 1.78 per 100 workers with COVID-19 claims). In 2021, the WCB accepted 1,035 compensation claims related to COVID-19, compared to 347 in 2020.
  • The WCB continued to implement initiatives outlined in its Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy, launched in December 2019.

Financial highlights of the WCB’s 2021 results include:

  • Claim costs were $336.2 million in 2021, up from $319.6 million in 2020.
  • The WCB’s injury fund was at $549.4 million as of year-end 2021, compared to $479.6 million in 2020.
  • The WCB had premium revenues of $259 million in 2021 (up from $256 million in 2020) and investment income of $254 million in 2021 (up from $77 million in 2020). Investment income includes realized investment income of $113 million plus an increase in unrealized gains on investments of $141 million.
  • The WCB covered 392,813 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2021, compared to 402,306 in 2020.

For a more detailed look at last year’s results, the WCB’s 2021 annual report is available online at wcbsask.com.


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Media contact:
Carolyn Van der Veen
Director, Strategic Communications
Saskatchewan WCB
cvanderveen@wcbsask.com

Build a Resilient Future with the SCSA

Apr
21
The SCSA presents the Constructing Safety Leadership Conference on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, beginning at 8 a.m. The conference will be streamed out to the SCSA's website and social media pages, so attendees can watch from their preferred social media accounts by using the links found here.
 
The conference is an excellent educational and networking opportunity for attendees from the construction industry with sessions on supporting mental health, creating meaningful connections, navigating legal trends and a panel discussion with construction leaders. There is no cost to attend.
 
Online conference takes place 8:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 
The conference schedule includes:
  • Greetings from Regina Mayor Sandra Masters and SCSA Past Chairperson Ryan Smotra
  • Legal Trends with Robbie McLellan, MLT Aikens
  • Construction Leadership Panel with Janis Dubreuil, Allan Construction; Colin Olfert, Westridge Construction; Nick Walbaum, All-Rite Mechanical; and Stu Niebergall, Regina & Region Home Builders’ Association
  • Networking Skills with Jolene Watson, Clarity Coaching and Development
  • Focus on Mental Health with Shannon Patton, Canadian Mental Health Association of Regina
In-person event begins at 2:15 p.m. with reception to follow until 5 p.m.
 
Attendees are invited to join the SCSA, Innovation Saskatchewan and Betterworks Technologies at the U of R's Innovation Place Rotunda in Regina for a technology demonstration and networking. A reception with appetizers and a cash bar will follow the demonstration. See map and parking info. 
 
More information can be found here: conference schedule and featured speakers.
 
Questions about the conference can be sent to comm@scsaonline.ca

News Release: Take Precautions Against Hantavirus During Spring Cleanup

Apr
7

Saskatchewan residents are being reminded to take precautions against hantavirus as they start spring cleanup of enclosed buildings or vehicles.

Hantavirus infection is caused by breathing in contaminated airborne particles from the droppings, urine and saliva of infected deer mice. It can cause a rare, but potentially fatal lung disease known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. 

"Exposure most often occurs when cleaning up sheds, barns, garages, cabins, or vehicles after winter," Saskatchewan's Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Julie Kryzanowski said. "Particles can become airborne after sweeping, but it's also possible to get the virus by touching something that has been contaminated, and then touching your nose, mouth or eyes."

Symptoms usually start within one to six weeks of exposure. They include fever, muscle aches, cough, headaches, nausea and vomiting. 

Some people develop severe symptoms that can be life threatening. Seek medical attention immediately if you have a cough, fever and shortness of breath. 

Take the following precautions when cleaning rodent infested areas: 

  • ventilate the building by opening doors and windows, and then leave the area for at least 30 minutes before cleaning;
  • avoid using dry cleaning methods such as dusting, sweeping, vacuuming or air-hosing;
  • use wet mopping methods and wear rubber or plastic gloves;
  • wear goggles and a well-fitting N-95 type filter mask when cleaning areas contaminated by droppings;
  • dampen areas contaminated with rodent droppings with bleach disinfectant and remove droppings with a damp mop or cloth;
  • steam clean, shampoo or spray upholstered furniture with a detergent, disinfectant or a mixture of bleach and water; and
  • wash exposed clothes and bedding with detergent in hot water.

Prevention is also recommended to reduce rodent infestations: 

  • block openings that might allow rodents to enter a building;
  • store human and animal food, water and garbage in pest-proof/resistant containers with tightly-fitted lids; and
  • move woodpiles or other potential hiding places for mice away from your home.

Between 1994 and 2021, 36 cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome were reported in Saskatchewan; 12 of those cases were fatal.

 

For more information on hantavirus, visit https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/health/diseases-and-conditions/hantavirus and HealthLine Online at www.healthlineonline.ca

For advice on symptoms or when to seek care, call HealthLine 811.

For more information, contact:

Phone: 306-787-4083

Email: media@health.gov.sk.ca

SCSA Invites Members to Complete Safety Culture Survey

Mar
22
SCSA members are once again invited to complete a short 6-minute Organizational Performance Metric (OPM) safety survey. The OPM survey is an evidence-based questionnaire used to help organizations assess and improve their health and safety performance. OPM scores indicate where companies can make improvements to health and safety policies and practices to prevent injuries or illnesses.
 
Members are encouraged to have three or more staff members complete the survey to gain a better understanding of their company’s safety culture and how they compare to industry standards. Register below to receive the survey by email.
 
The survey will be open from Monday, April 4 to Friday, April 22*. The SCSA will share survey results with member organizations. 
 
*Deadline extended.
 
 
 
Please contact the SCSA for more information. The survey was developed by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) – click here to learn more. Data will be gathered and analyzed by EHS Analytics.
 
 

News Release: Serious Worker Injury Leads to $70,000 Fine for Company

Mar
21

On March 9, 2022, Ryderz Contracting Inc. pleaded guilty in Saskatoon Provincial Court to one violation of occupational health and safety regulations.

The company pleaded guilty to contravening subsection 129(a) of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996 (being an employer, contractor or owner, fail to ensure that no material or equipment is placed, stacked or stored so as to constitute a hazard to workers, resulting in the serious injury of a worker). 

The charge stemmed from a workplace incident that occurred on April 21, 2020, at a worksite in Saskatoon. While loading concrete forms, the form cage tipped over and injured the worker.

As a result of this violation, the Court imposed a fine of $50,000, along with a surcharge of $20,000, for a total amount of $70,000.

Employers are required to provide safe and healthy workplaces, and must provide information, training and experience necessary for employees to perform their jobs safely. For more information about workplace health and safety training and resources, visit www.worksafesask.ca or contact an industry safety association.

The Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety works with employers and workers to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses through education, inspections and prosecutions.

For more information, contact:

Kate Crowley
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-3370
Email: kate.crowley@gov.sk.ca

Notice of 2022 Annual General Meeting

Feb
25

The SCSA 2022 Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday, March 24 at AGT Lounge of Mosaic Stadium, beginning at 12 noon.

The keynote speaker will be Greg Tuer, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety.

Lunch will be provided, with meeting agenda and keynote speaker to follow. To register please email eadmin@scsaonline.ca by Wed. March 16.

2021 Financial Statements can be viewed here. The financial audit was carried out by KPMG.

News Release: Workplace Injury Results in $28,000 Fine for Company

Feb
22

A Saskatchewan company pleaded guilty to one charge under occupational health and safety legislation in North Battleford Provincial Court on February 14, 2022. 

Gardiner Plumbing Ltd. pleaded guilty to contravening clause 12(a) of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996 (being an employer at a place of employment, fail to provide and maintain plant, systems of work and working environments that ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of the employer's workers, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).

The company was fined $20,000 plus a surcharge of $8,000. One other charge was stayed. 

The charge stemmed from an incident that occurred on August 7, 2020 at a worksite near Île-à-la-Crosse. A worker was seriously injured in a fall when a roof structure collapsed.

Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, in partnership with the Workers' Compensation Board, supports and promotes Mission: Zero - zero workplace injuries, zero fatalities and zero suffering. We are all responsible for keeping ourselves and each other safe and healthy at work.

For more information, contact:

Gladys Wasylenchuk
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2411
Email: gladys.wasylenchuk@gov.sk.ca

WCB extending COVID-19 cost relief for employers with accepted COVID-19 claims

Jan
27

Extended support for workers and employers due to the Omicron variant

As the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread in the province, the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) is further extending cost relief to June 30, 2022 for employers to cover costs for accepted work-related COVID-19 claims.

“We’re continuing to do what we can to care for injured workers and employers impacted by the pandemic,” said the WCB’s CEO Phillip Germain. “We’re accepting eligible workplace COVID-19 claims and given the recent Omicron surge, the WCB is also extending temporary financial support for employers to cover COVID-19 claim costs. By taking a proactive response to the higher transmissibility of the Omicron variant, we believe this decision will help assist workers and employers affected by COVID-19 injury claims.”
 
The WCB has implemented relief measures for employers and workers since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing cost relief for employers. For claims that occurred in 2020 and 2021, the WCB has provided more than $5.6 million in cost relief for COVID-19 injury claims. The cost relief is funded through the WCB’s occupational disease reserve as a temporary measure to aid Saskatchewan employers.
 
“This most recent extension of the cost relief to June 30, 2022 is a temporary measure to provide relief to employers. We are utilizing our occupational disease reserve so that these COVID-19 claims do not affect the specific employer’s experience rating,” said Germain. “We are constantly monitoring the rapidly shifting pandemic landscape and making decisions to balance the needs of employers and injured workers.”
 
The WCB will cover employer costs for accepted COVID-19 claims that occur between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022. Workers will receive the support they need and the costs that employers would have been assigned will be covered through the WCB’s occupational disease reserve. This reserve is being used to address the unanticipated negative impact of the COVID-19 virus and the costs that result from any COVID-19 workplace claims. The WCB will continue to assess the impact of the pandemic to employers and workers, and will communicate next steps prior to June 30.

In Saskatchewan, the WCB is legislated under The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013 to maintain an Injury Fund sufficient to finance current and future injured worker claims, including earnings loss, physical and vocational rehabilitation, prevention initiatives and other obligations under the Act.

WCB continues to cover workplace COVID-19 injury claims

Workers and employers continue to be able to submit eligible COVID-19 workplace injury claims to the WCB. A worker may be entitled to WCB benefits if there is a confirmed link between the worker’s exposure and their employment, and they contract COVID-19.

“WCB injury claims submitted for work-related COVID-19 exposures are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis,” said Jennifer Norleen-Beitel, the WCB’s vice-president of operations. “Each injury claim will be assessed on its own merits with consideration to relevant medical information. This includes a diagnosis, the nature of the occupation and the extent of exposure. We gather information from the worker and the employer to confirm the injury and the source of exposure.”

“After almost two years, the COVID-19 pandemic is still changing how employers across Saskatchewan do business,” said the WCB’s chair Gord Dobrowolsky. “We recognize the impact and will work to continue supporting workers and employers as we all navigate through the pandemic. Together, we can help keep everyone safe at work.”
 
Frequently asked questions for workers and employers on COVID-19 cost relief and COVID-19 workplace injury claims are available at www.wcbsask.com.

WCB will cover costs associated with COVID-19 adverse vaccination reaction injury claims
 
To provide additional assistance for employers, the WCB is temporarily offering cost relief to cover all claim costs for accepted adverse reaction injury claims to COVID-19 vaccinations if an employer requires workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

If a worker is required by their employer to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and as a result, the worker is required to seek medical care or is medically required to miss work, the WCB will accept this claim and the employer would receive cost relief for all related claim costs. 
 
“To further support employers in the pursuit of workplace safety, the WCB is providing cost relief for COVID-19 vaccination adverse reaction injury claims for employers who have, or are planning to, make COVID-19 vaccinations required in the workplace. These associated claim costs will not affect the employer’s experience rating,” said Germain.
 
Accepted adverse reaction COVID-19 vaccination workplace injuries that occur from Dec. 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2022 will be eligible for cost relief for claim costs through the occupational disease reserve. During this temporary period, these claims will not need a link to a pre-existing condition as would normally be required.
 
For information on how to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 at work, visit www.worksafesask.ca.

Media contact:
Carolyn Van der Veen
Director, Strategic Communications
Saskatchewan WCB
cvanderveen@wcbsask.com


The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce (SCC) applauds the WCB for continuing cost relief for employers with accepted COVID-19 claims. The SCC believes it is unfair to unduly penalize employers for COVID-related claims, especially as most workplaces have made significant physical modifications, implemented mandates, and/or modified practices to protect employees from the virus to the best of their ability. Those following all public health orders, or going beyond them, should be protected. WCB claims not only cost employers’ money, but they also often impact the ability of a business to receive contracts, thus sparking a multitude of indirect consequences.

“The SCC discussed the concerns of the business community with the WCB,” explained SCC CEO Steve McLellan. “We truly appreciate that the WCB heard these concerns and then incorporated new information regarding the Omicron variant to re-evaluate its position. The WCB Board and staff have shown thoughtful leadership and strong decision-making considering a changing environment, and we appreciate their responsiveness.”

“In addition, the SCC and its members are very appreciative of everything the WCB has done within its scope to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on employers. Providing more than $4.3 million in cost relief related claims from the COVID-19 pandemic is truly significant and we thank the WCB for its stewardship of employer premiums to make this possible,” continued McLellan.

While the WCB has indicated it will continue to monitor the rapidly shifting pandemic landscape, the organization intends to revisit the decision to provide cost-relief in May 2022 and will communicate any changes to WCB customers and stakeholders in advance of June 30, 2022.

As per the extended policy, COVID claims will continue to only be accepted if there is substantiated workplace exposure and accepted claims will not go against the premium rating for individual employers. Funds from the WCB Injury Fund will be used to ensure injured workers are supported. The SCC also appreciates that the WCB is temporarily offering cost relief for employers with vaccine mandates for accepted adverse reaction COVID-19 vaccination workplace injuries. During this temporary period, from December 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022, these claims will not require a link to a pre-existing condition, as would normally be required.

Beyond advocating for the continuation of cost relief for employers with accepted COVID-19 claims, the SCC recently provided input to The Workers’ Compensation Act Committee of Review. The SCC’s recommendations focused on enhancing the system while fairly treating benefit recipients, minimizing employer costs, maintaining premium stability, and improving clarity. Click here to read the complete submission.

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce is the Voice of Saskatchewan Business and represents the interests of over 10,000 individual businesses, industry associations, and local chambers across the province through its chamber network. Information on the Low Carbon Economy and more can be found at SaskChamber.com or @SaskChamber on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Contact:

Steve McLellan
CEO, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce
306-533-7686
smclellan@saskchamber.com

 

Workplace Injury Leads to $19,600 Fine for Regina Company

Jan
4

On December 16, 2021, Mackenzie Art Gallery Inc. pleaded guilty in Regina Provincial Court to one violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996. 

The company was charged with contravening subsection 137(1) of the regulations (being an employer or contractor, fail to provide an effective safeguard where a worker may contact a dangerous moving part of a machine, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).

One other charge was stayed. 

As a result of this violation, the Court imposed a fine of $14,000 with a $5,600 surcharge, for a total amount of $19,600.

The charge stemmed from a workplace incident that occurred on January 20, 2020. A worker was injured while using a table saw.

Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, in partnership with the Workers' Compensation Board, supports and promotes Mission: Zero - zero workplace injuries, zero fatalities and zero suffering. We are all responsible for keeping ourselves and each other safe and healthy at work.

 

For more information, contact:

Kate Crowley
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-3370
Email: kate.crowley@gov.sk.ca

WCB’s 2020-21 COVID-19 cost relief to conclude at year end

Dec
14

WCB’s 2020-21 COVID-19 cost relief to conclude at year end

 

Regina, Sask., Dec. 13, 2021 – The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) provided COVID-19 cost relief for employers with accepted COVID-19 claims in 2020 and 2021. This cost relief will conclude for accepted COVID-19 workplace injuries that occur on or after Jan. 1, 2022. Accepted COVID-19 workplace injuries that occur on or prior to Dec. 31, 2021 will still be eligible for cost relief, which means the WCB will cover claim costs.

“Over the last 20 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WCB has taken a number of steps to support Saskatchewan employers through this difficult time, including providing cost relief for accepted COVID-19 workplace injury claims,” said the WCB’s CEO Phillip Germain. “While the WCB is financially sound and able to absorb the claim costs related to the COVID-19 virus in the short term, the organization is unable to continue this practice in the long term.”

The cost relief for COVID-19 claims was funded through the WCB’s occupational disease reserve as a temporary measure to support Saskatchewan employers. When the WCB’s cost relief for COVID-19 claims came into effect on March 2, 2020, vaccines were not yet approved or available and many safety measures that exist today were not in place.

The pandemic landscape has changed this year. In 2021, vaccines are readily available and vaccination or negative testing policies are now in place in many locations. These steps have helped reduce the overall risk of catching COVID-19 in the workplace. This is why, after almost two years, the WCB has decided it is time to wrap up cost relief for accepted COVID-19 workplace injury claims.

“We recognize that we have been dealing with extraordinary circumstances in the province and we have supported employers to help lift some pressures they were facing,” said Germain. “While these temporary measures are wrapping up after two years, employers and workers will still be able to submit eligible COVID-19 workplace injury claims. We are exploring the idea of temporarily offering cost relief for adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccinations.”

The WCB’s decision-making process on whether a case of COVID-19 is eligible for compensation will not change. A worker may be entitled to WCB benefits if there is a confirmed link between the worker’s exposure and their employment, and they contract COVID-19. Based on WCB policy Injuries – Communicable Disease (POL 02/2010), the following conditions must be met:

There is confirmed exposure to the disease in the workplace;
The time period that the illness is contracted is in close proximity to the confirmed workplace exposure and;
The nature of employment creates a greater risk of exposure for the worker than to the general population.

“The COVID-19 pandemic impacted, and continues to impact, the way we do business across this province. We applaud the health and safety efforts of people around the province,” said the WCB’s chair Gord Dobrowolsky. “Working together, we can all contribute to keep workers safe on the job.”

 

Lisa Goudy
Information Officer, Communications
Saskatchewan WCB
Phone: 306.787.6714
Email: lgoudy@wcbsask.com

 

Background information:

In 2020, the Government of Saskatchewan had announced various measures to support provincial businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. To provide further relief for Saskatchewan employers, the WCB implemented a number of temporary initiatives, including:
Providing more than $4.3 million in cost relief related to the 1,302 accepted claims from the COVID-19 pandemic, as of Nov. 5, 2021.
Waiving interest on unpaid premiums and removing penalties applied in 2020 for late filing, late registration and underestimate penalties.
Offering payment plans for employers and suspending payroll audits for a time in 2020.
Holding the 2021 average premium rate the same as 2020. The WCB held the 2021 average premium rate at $1.17 rather than raising it to the calculated rate of $1.23. Employers are expected to save more than $13 million in WCB premiums in 2021 as a result of holding the rate.
Many of the WCB’s employer relief measures, with the exception of the COVID-19 cost relief, wrapped up on July 31, 2020.
The WCB has continued to monitor the situation and made decisions that balance the needs of employers and injured workers.

Frequently asked questions for employers on COVID-19 cost relief and COVID-19 workplace injury claims are available at www.wcbsask.com.

 

WCB announces 2022 preliminary average premium rates

Dec
7


Regina, Sask., Dec. 7, 2021 – The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) has approved the 2022 average employer premium rate of $1.23 per hundred dollars of payroll. This is the first increase to the average premium rate since 2004. The 2021 rate was $1.17. Despite this increase, the province’s premium rates remain among the lowest in Canada.
 
“While the 2022 rate increase will affect most employers covered by the WCB, we are mitigating its impact by setting the average premium rate below the rate model requirement of $1.25,” said the WCB’s CEO Phillip Germain. “The principal drivers of the 2022 increase are claim costs and payroll. While the number of injury claims has gone down, claim-related costs like health care have increased more quickly than payroll. This difference is reflected in our premium rates.” 
 
He added that what was a positive downward trend in claims experience over the last several years has flattened out and, in some cases, reversed. 
 
The board’s decision to set the average premium rate below the rate model requirement of $1.25 is similar to its decision last year to hold the 2021 rate below the then-required rate $1.23. 
 
“We recognize that employers are continuing to confront tough economic hurdles due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Germain. “By not charging the required premium rate in both 2021 and 2022, we will save employers about $13.4 million in 2021 and $3.3 million in 2022.” 
 
Industry premium rates are affected by the extent to which employers in an industry are able to eliminate workplace injuries. In 2020, 90 per cent of Saskatchewan employers achieved zero injuries, an increase over the 88 per cent of employers who achieved Mission: Zero in each of the previous three years. 
 
Despite this accomplishment, the number of serious injuries, fatalities and durations has not improved. For the last several years, serious injuries accounted for approximately 12 per cent of total injuries, but more than 80 per cent of compensation costs. In response, WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the partnership between the WCB and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, launched its Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy in 2019. Learn more at www.worksafesask.ca/prevention/serious-injuries-and-fatalities/.
 
The WCB’s Business Transformation Program will also play a key role in reducing durations and serious injuries. Launched in early 2021, the five- to seven-year program will transform all major facets of the organization as they relate to the WCB’s people, processes and technology. Through the program, the WCB is working with customers, employers’ associations, labour organizations and safety associations in improving injury and disability prevention outcomes and customer service. With effective safety and disability prevention programs, employers can help prevent and manage the impacts of work-related injuries. 
 
“It’s heartening to know that so many workers and employers are committed to working together to create safer workplaces in the province” said the WCB’s chair Gord Dobrowolsky. “But we still have a stretch to go to reach our goal of zero injuries in 100 per cent of Saskatchewan workplaces. As we head into the new year, let’s redouble our efforts in getting our work done on time, on budget and without injuries.”
 
 
-30-
 
Media contact:
Lisa Goudy
Communications, Saskatchewan WCB
lgoudy@wcbsask.com
306.787.6714
 


 

SCSA Launches Updated Effective Claims Management Training

Dec
1

SCSA Announces Updated Claims Management Training: 

The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) would like to announce that the association will be offering an updated claims management course titled "Effective Claims Management Training." The updated course was developed in collaboration with the Safety Association of Saskatchewan Manufacturers (SASM), Service Hospitality and the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board.  The new course is an effort to improve the quality of training.

Effective claims management involves a proactive approach towards minimizing costs associated with workplace illness and injuries while supporting workers and their families throughout the process. Having an effective Claims Management Program requires a combined effort of an effective safety program and injury management. Safety programs support the prevention of work-related illness and injury. In contrast, injury management focuses on returning to work through modified duties, employers' legal obligations to maintain workers' confidentiality, communication with the injured worker, and the use of standardized documents.

The SCSA has designed this one-day course to help employers, managers, supervisors, and Human Resource personnel involved in Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) claims. This course will provide participants with the understanding of establishing an effective Claims Management program and managing costs associated with claims. Participants will become familiar with incident reporting per WCB requirements, costs associated with claims, and the advantages of having a modified and return-to-work program. By the end of this course, participants will understand the importance of an effective Claims Management program.

Enrollment for Effective Claims Management Training will be available on www.scsaonline.ca starting on December 2, 2021.

The construction industry funds the SCSA to provide cost-effective, accessible safety training and advice.  The SCSA aims to reduce the human and financial cost of injuries.  The SCSA was founded on March 22, 1995, and today serves almost 10,000 member companies.
 

Press Release: Abco Elevator receives SCSA Safety Leadership Award

Nov
22

Abco Elevator is honored to have been chosen as a recipient of the 2021 Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association “Corporate Leadership in Safety Award”.

The annual award is an acknowledgment of Saskatchewan individuals, companies, and committees who have promoted the SCSA’s mission of “Constructing Safety Leadership” and vision of “Creating the Safest Construction Environment in Canada.”

“This is an enormous privilege,” said Abco CEO Lonnie Mackenzie. “To be chosen of all the many excellent businesses in Saskatchewan is a sincere compliment on the work we’ve been doing.”

The Corporate Leadership in Safety Award recognizes the dedication, outstanding contribution, commitment, and leadership to increase health and safety in the workplace.

“Safety is and always has been a foremost element in the Abco culture,” Mackenzie said. “The safety of our employees and customers is of the greatest concern, and recently, the company, through its UpLift Learning subsidiary, has developed a training program for First Responders who are called out to elevator entrapment situations.”

He said that Responder Elevator Training (or RET) Level 1, is unique in that it is delivered entirely online, so fire rescue personnel anywhere in North America can take the course without having to travel.

“With today’s pandemic concerns and budgetary restrictions, RET Level 1 is an innovative solution to a safety training gap.”

Having been chosen for the Corporate Leadership in Safety Award, Mackenzie said, will prove an even greater incentive for the company to lean into a safety leadership role.

“We are very grateful to the SCSA and the adjudication panel for their work, and will continue to do what we can to make Saskatchewan’s elevator industry the safest it can be.”

SCSA Announces Annual 2021 Safety Award Winners

Nov
22

REGINA- Each year, the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) acknowledges individuals, companies, and committees throughout Saskatchewan for efforts made to promote the SCSA's mission and vision.

The SCSA presents the Corporate Leadership in Safety Awards to a member company – recognizing their dedication, outstanding contribution, commitment and leadership to support the SCSA's mission and vision to enhance health and safety in the workplace.   For the first time in SCSA history, our independent panel of judges declared a tie in our Corporate Leadership in Safety award. 

The SCSA Constructing Safety Leadership Awards winners are Triple A Directional Drilling,  Westridge Construction (Colin Olfert) and Abco Elevator.

The SCSA presents the Safety Leader Award and the Safety Practitioner Award to an employee of a member company – recognizing their dedication, outstanding contribution, and commitment to safety and their embodiment of the SCSA's mission and vision to create a healthy and safe workplace.  The Winner of the Safety Leader Award is Corey Johnson of Flyer Electric. And winning the Safety Practitioner Award, also from Flyer Electric, is Danni Kohl.  The SCSA would also like to extent congratulations to finalists Devon Adams of Flyer Electric  and to Alex Losos of Balzers Canada for your achievements in safety leadership.

The Regional Safety Committee Distinguished Progress Award is presented to one Regional Safety Committee by the SCSA Board of Directors to recognize their dedication and outstanding contribution to support the SCSA's mission and vision to improve health and safety in the construction industry.  The Winner of the Regional Safety Committee Distinguished Progress Award is the Saskatoon Regional Safety Committee.

"The work done by our members demonstrates that all companies, regardless of size, can reduce risks and costs through improved safety," says SCSA President Collin Pullar. "And we congratulate our award winners on their outstanding achievements in constructing safety leadership."

 

WCB announces 2022 preliminary average premium rate

Oct
14

Regina, Sask., Oct. 13, 2021 – Today, the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) announced the 2022 preliminary average employer premium rate at $1.23 per hundred dollars of payroll, compared to the 2021 rate of $1.17. The announcement was made Oct. 13 at the WCB’s annual preliminary rate information meeting with Saskatchewan employers, workers and stakeholders.

To help mitigate this increase in the 2022 preliminary average premium rate, the board will set the preliminary average premium rate at $1.23, which is below what the rate model is requiring at $1.25.

“While this is a rate increase, the decisions we have made have allowed us to continue to have among the lowest premium rates in Canada,” said the WCB’s CEO Phillip Germain. “The two key drivers of the 2022 average premium rate are claim costs and payroll. The positive downward trend in claims experience over the past several years is flattening out and, in some cases, reversing. While the number of injury claims has gone down, inflation in claims-related costs, like health-care, are increasing faster than payroll. This has put upward pressure on our premium rates in 2021 and 2022.”

Despite this year’s increase, Saskatchewan’s premium rates are likely to continue to remain among the lowest rates in Canada behind Manitoba and Alberta.

In 2021, the average premium rate was held at $1.17, below the required $1.23, to help lift pressure on employers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not charging the required premium rate in 2021 and 2022 will save employers about $13.4 million in 2021 and $3.3 million in 2022. The 2022 preliminary average premium rate is the first increase to the average premium rate since 2004.

While 90 per cent of employers achieved Mission: Zero in 2020, the WCB has been advising employers over the last couple of years that they could expect to see increases in the Saskatchewan premium rates if serious injuries, fatalities and durations did not improve. For the past several years, serious injuries accounted for approximately 12 per cent of total injuries, but more than 80 per cent of compensation costs. Learn more about WorkSafe’s Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy at www.worksafesask.ca/prevention/serious-injuries-and-fatalities/.

“We recognize the difficult economic situation employers faced in 2020 and many are continuing to face in 2021 as we slowly begin to recover and adjust to the new pandemic norms,” said Germain. “Economic and investment market uncertainty, a consistent number of serious injuries and fatalities, and increasing health-care costs are putting this pressure on premium rates. However, recent positive economic announcements in agriculture, construction, government, and mining have signaled that 2022 is likely to be more positive than 2020 and 2021.”

With the 2022 rate proposal:

  • The overall 2022 proposed average employer rate will be $1.23 per hundred dollars of payroll.
  • Actual industry premium rates for approximately 95 per cent of Saskatchewan’s employers covered by the WCB will increase next year.
  • Actual industry premium rates for approximately five per cent of Saskatchewan’s employers covered by the WCB will see a decrease or no change for 2022.

Despite this increase in 2022, there are ways employers can influence their premium rates. Industry premium rates are affected by the degree to which employers in an industry are able to eliminate workplace injuries. In early 2021, the WCB launched its Business Transformation Program, which is focused on how the organization serves its customers and will transform every major aspect of the organization as it relates to the WCB’s people, processes and technology. Through the program, the WCB is working with customers, employers’ associations, labour organizations and safety associations to further reduce durations and serious injuries, as well as improve customer service. With a fully functioning safety program and a solid return-to-work program, employers can help prevent and manage work-related injuries.

“With 90 per cent of employers achieving Mission: Zero in 2020, it’s evident that Saskatchewan workers and employers are focusing their attention on safety efforts and creating safer workplaces in the province,” said the WCB’s chair Gord Dobrowolsky. “But we know there is still more work to be done to eliminate fatalities, injuries and suffering. As the economy continues to ramp up, let’s all focus on getting this work done on time, on budget and without injuries."

 

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Media contact:

Carolyn Van der Veen
Director, Communications

Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board

Email: cvanderveen@wcbsask.com

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Vaccine Policies and Employers Rights

Oct
5

There have been several questions about what SCSA members can do to implement vaccine policies. The Government of Saskatchewan has introduced new regulations to allow employers to choose to require evidence of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result from employees before they enter the workplace.  The legislative framework for creating a vaccine or testing policy is available at this link: and the government has supplied several links and resources for employers, including frequently asked questions. 

Under these regulations, developing and following a written COVID-19 Vaccination or Negative Test Policy would be good practice.

Policy templates are available at this link (links to CODC). 

For specific advice on developing a suitable COVID-19 Vaccination/Negative Test or connected Human Resources Policies, SCSA members should seek professional legal or human resources advice.  Industry associations may also assist.

Vaccine Mandates & Employers Rights FREE webinar

Sep
30

Now that the Government of Saskatchewan is recommending vaccine mandate policies for employers, there have been lots of questions around employment law, rights, and responsibilities.  Your construction network and partners have teamed up to host a free webinar with experts to shed some light on this issue. There will be an opportunity for open Q & A with our panellists.


Monday, October 4, 2021 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

For More Information about panelists and presenters click here

Register Now: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_V8N8n4ZDTRunt4k-SJBNKw

 

Innovation Challenge 2021 Winner: Identifying Hazards and Reducing Injuries in the Construction Industry

Sep
29

Innovation Saskatchewan, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association, launched this year's Innovation Challenge June 25, 2021. This year's Challenge aims to address government's priority of creating healthy, safe, and productive workplaces in the construction industry.

This Innovation Challenge asked technology startups, entrepreneurs, researchers, and/or students to find technology solutions to the following question: "How can technology be used by the construction industry to identify hazards and reduce injuries?"  

"We would like to congratulate the team at Humo for winning this year's Innovation Challenge," Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Jeremy Harrison said. "This Challenge demonstrates our government's ongoing commitment to creating safe workplaces. Humo's innovative wearable device and mobile platform not only highlights the ingenuity of tech entrepreneurs in the province but will hopefully further increase safety for construction workers going forward."

There were eight submissions this year, which were shortlisted based on the highest potential to solve the problem. A pitch competition was held August 27 and determined the winner.  Humo will receive funding of $10,000 and a 16-week residency to develop their solution in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association. Following the residency, a Demonstration Day will showcase their solution, which is planned for early 2022.

"We believe that most injuries are preventable. We have learned that leaders need better, and more manageable sources of information to make decisions that prevent injuries," Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association President, Collin Pullar said.  "We believe Humo accomplishes these goals by analyzing movement and providing reporting that can help employers and employees understand parts of their workday which may result in musculoskeletal injuries so they can prevent them from occurring.  The economic burden of musculoskeletal injuries is $22 billion in Canada and they can impact any construction company, project or worksite.  We're excited by the potential applications of this technology and the intelligence that it provides."

Amendments to First Aid Requirements

Sep
23

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 came into force on April 1, 2021. Part 5 of the regulations (First Aid) now require workplaces to comply with the CSA standard Z1220-17 to meet first aid requirements in the workplace.

This link provides the answers to Frequently Asked Questions (from the Government of Saskatchewan) about the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.

Please contact Occupational Health and Safety at 1-800-567-7233 with any additional questions.

INSPECTION NOTICE 3M™DBI-SALA® Delta™ Vest-Style Harness - CANADA CSA VERSIONS ONLY

Aug
25

3M Fall Protection has identified a potential manufacturing issue with a limited number of the DBI-SALA® Delta™ Vest-Style Harness on harnesses produced between November 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 that were assembled with the webbing improperly routed through the dorsal D-ring.

This manufacturing issue will result in the harness not performing properly in the event of a fall, which could result in severe injury or death. Due to this, we are sending out an inspection notice so this issue can be detected by inspecting the harness.

For the full notice and instructions on proper inspection please view the full pdf information sheet.

Keeping Safety Top-of-Mind as COVID-19 Restrictions Ease

Jul
8

REGINA - Saskatchewan will be lifting all of its public health orders on Sunday July 11, 2021, but COVID-19 will still be on the minds of health officials for months into the future.

Premier Scott Moe warned residents that the end of restrictions does not mean the end of COVID-19. There is no 'mission accomplished' banner that is hanging behind me," said Moe. "And that's because, although the restrictions are coming to an end, COVID is not … This fight against COVID does need to continue, but it will shift into a new and somewhat different phase."

Potential sources of COVID-19 exposure include having close contact with a coworker or member of the public who is ill with COVID-19 and touching your nose, mouth, or eyes after touching surfaces contaminated with the virus or handling items that others infected with COVID-19 have touched.

While the Government of Saskatchewan has lifted several public health measures, please note:

  • Companies should have a COVID-19 Exposure Control Plan in place, which includes policies and procedures. 
  • For obligations of employers, refer to Regulation 6-22 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.
  • If workers feel ill before work, they should contact their employer and not come to work. Individuals should stay home while sick and seek a COVID-19 test if necessary.
  • Any employee who starts to experience COVID-19 symptoms should report to their supervisor immediately, go home, and seek a COVID-19 test if necessary.
  • Companies should maintain effective sanitation measures, including handwashing stations with posted handwashing protocols, hand sanitizer stations, disinfectant wiping products, etc.
  • Individuals are reminded not to touch their eyes, nose, or mouth and use tissues when coughing or sneezing and practice good handwashing.
  • While COVID-19 is primarily airborne, keeping high-touch surfaces and reusable PPE clean can help reduce infectious disease transmission.
  • Maintain physical distancing when possible.
  • Individuals can still wear masks to reduce the transmission of airborne viruses.

For more information about COVID-19 measures, please visit: https://scsaonline.ca/resources/covid-19-coronoavirus

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For More Information Contact:

Edward Pyle

Manager of Corporate Development

edp@scasonline.ca

306-525-0175 ext 237

Press Release: The SCSA and Saskatchewan WCB Funding Agreement Commits Organizations to the Highest Standards of Workplace Safety and Governance Excellence

Jun
28

The SCSA and Saskatchewan WCB Funding Agreement Commits Organizations to the Highest Standards of Workplace Safety and Governance Excellence

June 28, 2021

New Funding Agreement strengthens collaboration between SCSA and Saskatchewan WCB (WCB) on Injury Prevention

REGINA - The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA), the safety association for the construction industry and one of the jurisdictional authorities for COR® in Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan WCB (WCB), has signed a new funding agreement to strengthen the collaboration and partnership between the organizations.

“The SCSA has a productive, longstanding relationship with Saskatchewan WCB, going back over 25 years,” says SCSA President Collin Pullar. “Our recent partnerships with WCB have improved the availability of Asbestos training and made timely, high-quality data and information available to our mutual members and customers. We believe that today’s agreement will facilitate two-way conversations about effective practices in construction safety management that will improve stewardship of construction industry funds and formalize the SCSA’s role in driving down injury rates”. Collin Pullar.

The SCSA brings empirically proven practices to its new relationship with WCB. A study conducted by the University of British Columbia’s Partnership for Work, Health and Safety show that COR certification from the SCSA is associated with a 21% reduction in injury rates. Industry research confirms that SCSA auditing and courses are also highly effective. Partnering SCSA more closely with WCB is expected to facilitate initiatives with the construction industry that will improve injury rates flattened in recent years.

A Board of Directors leads the SCSA from the residential, industrial and commercial construction sectors with directors from both employers and labour who value accountability standards comparable to a publicly traded firm. The SCSA ratified its current strategic plan in 2019 following extensive consultation with the construction industry run by an outside consultant. The new funding agreement supports the mission, vision and values of the SCSA identified by its Board of Directors.

“As a Board, the message we received from our industry in 2019 was loud and clear,” says SCSA Chairperson Ryan Smotra. “Our member companies want a safe environment for their employees and the public. They also want to see good governance of the association and strong stewardship of construction industry funds.” Continued Smotra. “We know this level of performance and accountability necessitates strong levels of transparency as well as a well-trained, well-informed Board. We’re no strangers to partnering with other organizations that bring leading practices to the association. We’ve used a public accounting firm to monitor financial reporting and internal controls for years, and many of our Board directors have received third-party governance designations and accreditations. The SCSA works to a high standard.”

“Ultimately, both organizations believe in Mission Zero, and we feel this agreement moves us closer to the goal of creating the safest construction environment in Canada,” says Pullar.

Read the full funding agreement in our corporate reports.

For more information:
Edward Pyle
Manager of Corporate Development
Phone: 306-525-0175 
Email: edp@scsaonline.ca

Innovation Challenge 2021: Identifying Hazards and Reducing Injuries in the Construction Industry

Jun
28

Innovation Challenge 2021: Identifying Hazards and Reducing Injuries in the Construction Industry

Jun 25, 2021

Innovation Saskatchewan, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association, is launching the latest Innovation Challenge.  This year's Challenge aims to address government's priority of creating healthy, safe and productive workplaces in the construction industry.

This Innovation Challenge is asking technology startups, entrepreneurs, researchers and/or students to find technology solutions to the following question: "How can technology be used by the construction industry to identify hazards and reduce injuries?"  

"The Innovation Challenge is a great way to tap into the growing and vibrant tech sector in Saskatchewan," Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Jeremy Harrison said.  "This Challenge ties into our government's commitment to create safe and productive workplaces.  By developing an innovative solution to identifying hazards, we will further increase safety for construction workers across the province."

Selected submissions will be shortlisted based on the highest potential to solve the problem, and a pitch competition will determine the winner.  Innovation Challenge winners will receive funding of up to $10,000 and a 16-week residency to develop their solution in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association.  Following the residency, a Demonstration Day will showcase their solution.

"The construction industry should benefit from productivity gains if it adopts new technology and management practices that improve safety," Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association President Collin Pullar said.  "Those potential gains will require innovative investments in computer technology, new materials, techniques and management processes which enable safe, productive worksites."

A public information session will be held virtually on July 6, 2021.  The deadline for submission is July 14, 2021.  Further information on times will be posted on Innovation Saskatchewan's website.

Find previous Innovation Challenge winners and program information at https://innovationsask.ca/initiatives/innovation-challenge.

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For more information, contact:

Tyler Dunn
Innovation Saskatchewan
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-933-7389
Email: tyler.dunn@innovationsask.ca

Sask WCB: Asbestos exposure remains leading cause of work-related deaths in Sask.

Jun
22

 

 

 

 

 

Asbestos exposure remains leading cause of work-related deaths in Sask.

WorkSafe Saskatchewan urges contractors, homeowners to test for asbestos before beginning renovation/construction projects

Regina, Sask., June 22, 2021 – Asbestos exposure is the leading cause of workplace deaths in Saskatchewan and was responsible for almost 30 per cent of all 2020 work-related fatalities in Saskatchewan according to WorkSafe Saskatchewan (WorkSafe), the partnership between the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. Despite a 10 per cent reduction in Saskatchewan’s 2020 workplace total injury rate, asbestos exposure continues to be a hidden danger for construction workers, contractors and homeowners undertaking renovations or demolition.

“Unfortunately, asbestos exposure continues to claim lives, but it is preventable,” says Annette Goski, director of prevention with the WCB. “We are appealing to homeowners, contractors and workers, anyone in the construction field to be aware that asbestos is still a very present and silent killer in our province’s homes and workplaces. Unfortunately, we see the impacts this hidden, yet very serious, health threat has on families who lose loved ones prematurely to diseases related to asbestos exposure.”

It is critical to test all home materials suspected of containing asbestos before starting any construction project or renovation.

With more Saskatchewanians working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, homeowners are at a greater risk of exposure to toxic construction materials, such as asbestos, during renovations or do-it-yourself (DIY) projects.

Protecting and educating workers on asbestos is a top priority of WorkSafe’s three-year Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy, which was developed in partnership with employer and labour representatives. Launched in 2019, the strategy prioritizes and addresses the safety of workers in high-risk industries and occupations, with the goal of reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on the job. Asbestos has been banned in Canada since Dec. 30, 2018, however asbestos was used in many common building materials before 1990 and its impact is still felt today. When asbestos is disturbed, such as during renovations, tiny fibres are released into the air and can cause severe – even fatal – lung diseases like lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Testing for asbestos before renovations or building projects will identify any asbestos in common household areas and materials that contain it, such as vinyl floor tile, plaster, popcorn ceilings and loose-filled vermiculite insulation.

To prevent unnecessary and harmful exposure to asbestos, WorkSafe has launched an extensive campaign to build much-needed safety awareness around the real dangers of asbestos exposure, which can lead to chronic or life-threatening diseases, or even death. The campaign also focuses on when to test for asbestos, where asbestos could be hiding in your home, when to hire an asbestos abatement professional and how to check the asbestos registry for Saskatchewan.

For a broad range of asbestos resource materials for companies and homeowners, visit worksafesask.ca/asbestos.

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Annette Goski, the WCB’s director of prevention, is available for interviews on June 22 by phone or Zoom.

For more information, please contact:

Lisa Goudy

Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board

Phone: 306.787.6714

Email: lgoudy@wcbsask.com

 

 
 

The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) says Don’t Fall Short on Safety

Jun
15

REGINA - The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) is announcing its Fall Protection & Prevention Training Course update.  Falling from heights accounts for hundreds of injuries in the construction industry, many of which are preventable.  This new Fall Protection & Prevention Training course is expected to help reduce injuries in the construction industry.

“The SCSA has been offering training and advice to the construction industry in Saskatchewan for over 25 years, and we advise our members on the importance of having effective safety programs to improve their company’s safety management systems continually,” says Thomas Archer, Vice-President of Operations of the SCSA. “We want to model that behaviour by updating our Fall Protection & Prevention Training,” Archer continues.  The new course is designed to reflect the current need for instructor-led training held online or in person. “This class incorporates online instructor-led training and practical assignments that meet the needs of many industries,” Archer says, adding that “our members will receive training that meets provincial legislation and references CSA standards.  Overall, the workforce will benefit from more transferable training”.

The new Fall Protection & Prevention Training course will continue to discuss Saskatchewan OHS Regulations regarding fall protection systems and equipment, identification and uses of different fall protection systems, creation of a written fall protection plan, an inspection of a lanyard and harness, donning a fall arrest harness and effective ladder safety.  SCSA’s Fall Protection & Prevention Training is an optional course for the National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO®) program and meets the needs for job-specific training for the Certificate of Recognition (COR®) or Small Employer of Recognition (SECOR®) programs.

Archer said, “one of the SCSA’s corporate values is that Safety is top-of-mind in everything we do.” “We were inspired by a need to evolve our course and industries’ desire to collaborate, so we introduced our new Fall Protection & Prevention Training course,” continues Archer.  “Cross-industry collaboration is innovative in the safety training industry, and I’d like to thank our partner associations for their vision and excellent contributions in developing and delivering this training.”  The new course is recognized by the SCSA and HCSAS, MSA, SASM, Service Hospitality and SASWH and will require recertification every three years.

SCSA members can register for Fall Protection & Prevention Training by visiting www.scsaonline.ca. Workers from other industries are advised to contact their safety association to register or learn more about the training.

The construction industry funds the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) to provide cost-effective, accessible safety training and advice. The SCSA aims to reduce the human and financial cost of injuries. Registered March 22, 1995, the SCSA is, since inception, committed to injury prevention. Today the SCSA serves almost 10,000 member companies.

The vision of the SCSA is to create the Safest Construction Environment in Canada through its mission of Constructing Safety Leadership.

Companies registered with Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and who fall under the CLASS B – BUILDING CONSTRUCTION rate code are automatic members of the SCSA.

News: Saskatchewan WCB Compensation Institute Announcement

May
10

 

 
 

 

Topics cover workplace health and safety, mental health and leadership issues

Regina, Sask., May 10, 2021 –The COVID-19 pandemic has created extreme circumstances for everyone and it’s important to ensure workers and employers have awareness, tools and resources to promote workplace safety and prevention. That’s why the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) is virtually hosting the 2021 Compensation Institute, which provides a free, one-of-a-kind opportunity for attendees to learn about injury prevention in the workplace and the province’s compensation system. The event will take place May 25-26.

“Workers and employers are constantly striving to adapt to emerging issues in the workplace, such as psychological health and safety and occupational diseases. The pandemic has created many new challenges, including ergonomic safety while many workers continue working from home,” said Kevin Mooney, the WCB’s vice-president of prevention and employer services. “We are excited to bring a range of world-class local and international keynote presenters to share their insights and experiences at this year’s Compensation Institute.”

Participants will hear from presenters such as:

  • Dr. Joti Samra, one of Canada’s foremost psychological health and wellness experts. Dr. Samra is a national expert on issues relating to psychological health, wellness and resilience. Her research has contributed significantly to the evolution and development of a national standard for psychological health and safety in the workplace. She is also the CEO and Founder of MyWorkplaceHealth, a full-suite national workplace consulting firm and Clinic Founder of Dr. Joti Samra, Psych. & Associates, a clinical counselling practice.
  • Rachael Robertson, an Australian author and keynote speaker who shaped a resilient, safe and successful team in the most remote and dangerous workplace in the world, Antarctica. Strangers are thrown together 24/7 and live in complete isolation, with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Mental and physical safety is paramount, but so is the requirement to meet targets while being productive and efficient. Robertson faced these challenges head-on and created a culture characterized by respect and safety.
  • Lee Shelby, an American author and featured speaker, whose story about his own work-related incident is deeply impactful. Lee is passionate about helping people understand the importance of staying focused, eliminating distractions and not taking shortcuts.
  • Jason Anker, a speaker from Great Britain who will discuss his own unique story that covers health, safety and wellbeing by looking at how each can influence, positively or negatively. Jason openly talks about his workplace incident and the effect this had on himself, his family, friends and work colleagues.

The WCB relentlessly pursues safety to ensure all workers within our province have the healthy, safe workplace they deserve. Every injury is predictable and preventable, and Compensation Institute is an important vehicle that helps provide tools for WCB customers to eliminate injuries. The event will include the WCB’s 2021 annual general meeting, where the WCB will report on its 2020 financial and operating results, as well as new and continuing initiatives.

The Saskatchewan WCB is the only one in Canada that holds a free educational event like Compensation Institute and is open to workers, employers, WCB partners and members of the media.

Please contact Lisa Goudy at the phone number or email below if you plan to (virtually) attend any or all of Compensation Institute.

 

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For more information:

Lisa Goudy

Information Officer, Communications

Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board

Phone: 306.533.9746

Email: lgoudy@wcbsask.com

 

 
 

 

WCB releases 2020 operating results

May
3
 

 

 
 

 

WCB releases 2020 operating results

 

Ninety per cent of Sask. employers had zero injuries and zero fatalities

 

  • The WCB remains fully funded at 112.4 per cent
  • Workplace Total injury rate decreases to 4.46 per 100 workers
  • Time Loss injury rate decreases to 1.78 per 100 workers

 

Regina, Sask., April 30, 2021 – The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) remained fully funded in 2020 with the ability to cover the future costs of all claims in the system. The WCB’s 2020 annual report was tabled in the provincial legislature today.

 

“Having a solid funding position is important to ensure continued benefits and programs to help workers who are injured at work,” says Gord Dobrowolsky, the WCB’s chairperson. “As well, employers can be sure they are protected from lawsuits and that they will continue to have an effective, efficient compensation system.”

 

The WCB’s 2020 results include:

  • The workplace Total injury rate (total number of new workplace injury claims reported to, and accepted by, the WCB in the year) in 2020 decreased to 4.46 injuries per 100 workers. This is a 10 per cent decrease from the 2019 Total injury rate of 4.95 per 100 workers.
  • The 2020 Time Loss injury rate (total number of new workplace injury claims reported to, and accepted by, the WCB in the year that resulted in time lost from work) decreased to 1.78 injuries per 100 workers, down from the 2019 rate of 1.86 injuries per 100 workers. This represents a decrease of 0.08 per 100 workers, or of 4.3 per cent, from the 2019 rate. The 2020 Time Loss injury rate is the lowest rate in more than a decade.
  • Claim costs were $319.6 million in 2020 (up from $281.0 million in 2019). The benefits liabilities, which represent legislated obligations to pay the costs of all existing claims into the future, increased to $1,420.4 million in 2020 (compared to $1,328.1 million in 2019).
  • Claim durations and the number of Time Loss claims are two key drivers of compensation costs paid. The average duration of Time Loss claims increased to 45.27 days in 2020 (compared to 41.52 days in 2019). The WCB accepted 7,134 Time Loss claims in 2020. This is down from 8,036 Time Loss claims accepted in 2019.
  • The WCB’s Injury Fund was at $479.6 million as of year-end 2020 (compared to $567.3 million in 2019).
  • The WCB had premium revenue of $255.6 million in 2020 (down from $267.2 million in 2019) and investment income of $77.4 million in 2020 (compared to $277.1 million in 2019).
  • The average premium rate for 2020 remained at $1.17 per hundred dollars of payroll. This is the same premium rate as 2019.
  • The WCB covered 402,306 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2020, compared to 433,622 FTE workers in 2019.

In 2020, the WCB’s focus remained on its staff and customers – both workers and employers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the WCB has worked to maintain its service to injured workers, with a particular focus on psychological health, by fully launching the psychological injuries unit to better serve workers with psychological health claims. As well, the WCB launched the Psychological Health and Safety Resource Centre on the WorkSafe Saskatchewan website for workers and employers, as part of a three-year partnership with renowned Canadian psychologist Dr. Joti Samra.

The WCB’s Employer Resource Centre, established in 2019, continued to provide support for employers across the province. The centre provides support materials and connects employers with the right person at the WCB to ensure employers have the tools they need.

In 2020, 90 per cent of employers achieved zero injuries and zero fatalities in the workplace, a slight improvement over the 88 per cent recorded each of the last four years.

“Despite the many challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented to us, we are continuing to make real progress in meeting the WCB’s vision of eliminating injuries and restoring abilities,” says the WCB’s CEO Phil Germain. “In 2008, Saskatchewan had the second highest workplace injury rate in Canada. Now, thanks to the health and safety efforts of people around the province, our workplace injury rate has dropped by more than 56 per cent since then. Last year, fewer people and their families were affected because someone was hurt at work.”

The 2020 Time Loss injury rate improved to 1.78 per 100 workers, compared to the 2019 rate of 1.86 per 100 workers.

“The 2020 rate is an improvement. However, we cannot become complacent in our efforts to ensure the safety of all Saskatchewan workplaces,” says Germain. “Sadly, we lost 34 individuals in work-related deaths last year. Of those, 16 were from occupational disease and 18 were from motor vehicle crashes, traumatic events and heart attacks. Each one of these deaths had a shattering impact on the workers’ families and communities.”

In December of 2019, WorkSafe Saskatchewan launched the three-year Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy. This strategy works to address the high-risk industries, occupations and the tasks within those industries that are resulting in fatalities and serious injuries.

“Collaboration with our stakeholders is critical to understanding industry needs and delivering sustainable injury prevention outcomes,” says Germain. “By working together on initiatives like the strategy, we can all contribute to bringing our injury rates down and keeping all workers safe on the job.”

The WCB’s 2020 annual report is available at www.wcbsask.com and the WCB’s executive will provide further details at its annual general meeting teleconference scheduled for May 26.

 

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Media contact:
Carolyn Van der Veen

Director, Communications
Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board
Email: cvanderveen@wcbsask.com

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

WorkSafe Saskatchewan launches online psychological resource centre for Saskatchewan employers and workers

Apr
14

Regina, Sask., April 14, 2021 – In the past five years, psychological health claims have been on the rise across the province. To address these issues, WorkSafe Saskatchewan (the partnership between the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety) has launched a comprehensive online psychological health and safety resource centre. The centre provides employers and workers with resources to help develop psychologically healthy and safe workplaces.

“We’re very excited to launch the Psychological Health and Safety Resource Centre in partnership with Dr. Joti Samra,” said Kevin Mooney, the WCB’s vice-president of prevention and employer services. “Over the past several years, we’ve seen Saskatchewan workplaces dealing with unique psychological health and safety challenges. That reinforces the importance of providing Saskatchewan employers and workers with the tools they need to support mental health and safety in their workplaces.”

The resource centre is part of a long-term strategy developed in partnership with Samra, one of Canada’s foremost psychological health and wellness experts. Samra is a national expert on issues relating to psychological health, wellness and resilience. Her research has contributed significantly to the evolution and development of a national standard for psychological health and safety in the workplace. She is also the CEO and founder of MyWorkplaceHealth, a full-suite national workplace consulting firm and clinic founder of Dr. Joti Samra, Psych. & Associates, a clinical counselling practice.

Psychological health claims still only account for a small percentage of the workplace claims submitted in Saskatchewan, but in recent years, those numbers are on the rise. From 2016 to 2020, the WCB has accepted 1,128 psychological injury claims. The number of accepted psychological injury claims has increased to 274 in 2020 from 109 in 2016.

The resource centre offers a variety of tools and resources to help Saskatchewan employers and workers develop psychological health and safety programs in their workplaces or enhance their existing efforts. In addition to tools for leaders and workers, the resource centre has a comprehensive list of provincial mental health resources, as well as webinars and workshops.

The centre also provides answers to some commonly asked questions about psychological health and safety and lists contact information for community mental health resources in Saskatchewan.

“Our team is very honoured to be working with WorkSafe Saskatchewan towards creating this publicly available resource centre on psychological health and safety that organizations are able to freely access to help them through their journey," says Samra. "Research statistics don’t lie – conservatively, one out of five of us will experience a psychological or mental health issue or illness every single year. Over the past year, we have witnessed increased rates of alcohol use, rates of depression have doubled and rates of anxiety have quadrupled. Now, more than ever, we have a critical imperative to take action towards enhancing our psychological health, wellness and resilience – as individuals and as organizations. Ultimately, healthy, resilient and thriving organizations and teams are comprised of healthy, resilient and thriving workers – both physically and psychologically."

The resource centre is located on the WorkSafe website, under the “Resources” tab.

 

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For more information, please contact:

Bonnie Monteith

Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board

Phone: 306.787.4651

Email: bmonteith@wcbsask.com

 

Regina & District Chamber of Commerce  Responds to Provincial Budget

Apr
6

April 6, 2021
For Immediate Release

Regina & District Chamber of Commerce Responds to Provincial Budget

The Regina & District Chamber of Commerce responded to the budget by indicating that the budget really reflected the government’s election commitments like the Home Renovation Tax Credit, the SaskPower reduction, and the Active Families incentive. 

In addition, the budget reflects the environment that Saskatchewan people and businesses are facing, the continuation of COVID-19. 

The budget strongly focuses on COVID-19 initiatives from a health and safety perspective as well as programs which look to help businesses in the recovery process. 

“While the deficit of $2.6 billion is significant, once one takes into account that $1.5 billion is a response to COVID-19, and a further $415 million for a pension adjustment the deficit is much smaller than first viewed," said John Hopkins CEO of the Regina & District Chamber of Commerce.

One of the more interesting items within the budget is a $150 annual fee for those who use electric vehicles. The fee accounts for the use of Saskatchewan roadways which are at least in part funded by the Saskatchewan fuel tax. 

The same type of fee is charged in approximately 15 states including California. The policy reflects the growing trend toward electric vehicles and the need to maintain transportation infrastructure.

"The Regina & District Chamber of Commerce is strongly of the view that the government’s primary focus must be the health and safety of the people and businesses of the province as well as the economic recovery of the province," added Hopkins. “At the end of the day our province and the vast majority of the people of the province rely upon a healthy economy, one that is positioned for growth. We are on that trajectory with a great deal more to be done."


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For more information please contact:  
John Hopkins  
Chief Executive Officer  
Regina & District Chamber of Commerce  
306.533.6464  
 

CCA welcomes its 2021-22 board of directors with Ray Bassett at the helm as chair

Mar
12

OTTAWA, March 12, 2021 — The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is pleased to announce that Ray Bassett is the Chair of the 2021-22 Board of Directors. CCA sincerely thanks outgoing chair, Joe Wrobel, for his dedicated leadership.

Bassett is the Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer at Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, where he manages client relationships with national and larger regional construction companies, leads strategic initiatives in product development and technology, and guides the business strategy of the Construction Services Group for Travelers in North America.

A 37-year veteran of the construction surety industry, Bassett has led both claims and underwriting practices for leading national surety companies in Canada and is focused on improving collaboration and value among stakeholders in the construction industry, including public and private project owners, the construction and project finance lending community, financial ratings agencies, consultants, the construction law bar, and the surety industry.

Bassett joined the CCA Board of Directors in 2010, has chaired the Manufacturers, Suppliers & Services Council, as well an executive committee focused on federal prompt payment, which was instrumental in having industry concerns and recommendations addressed in the Federal Prompt Payment for Construction Work Act.

In his address to members at the annual general meeting, Bassett articulated one of CCA’s advocacy focuses for the association over the next year. “(We need) a long-term federal infrastructure plan, that is evidence-based, and is better aligned with the needs and priorities of provincial and municipal governments, and has a clear and uncluttered funding mechanism – this will bring more public and private projects to the market in a more predictable flow,” he said. “This is good for our industry and good for Canada.”

Joining Mr. Bassett on CCA’s 2021-22 Board of Directors are:

Jean François Arbour, President, Groupe SCV

Andrew Arnill, Operations Manager, West-Can Seal Coating Asphalt Products

David Bowcott, Global Director, Growth, Innovation & Insight, AON

Rob Carvell, Chief Operating Officer, Trane

Charles Caza, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Bird Construction

Nicole Chabot, Vice President, L. Chabot Enterprises Ltd

Leslie Doka, Director of Construction, Wright Construction

Trevor Doucette, Vice-President Stakeholder Management, Graham Construction & Engineering

Wayne Ferguson, Senior Vice President, EllisDon Corporation

John Flemming, President, Ocean Contractors

Nadine Fullarton, President, CANB, Moncton Northeast

Eric Gaulin, President & CEO, Telecon

Quentin Huillery, Chief Operating Officer, Ledcor

Russ Kerr, Branch General Manager, Vipond

Branden Kotyk, Division Manager, Western Canada, Victaulic

Patrick Lafrenière, Director of Projects, Atlantic, JCB Construction Canada

John Mollenhauer, President & CEO, Toronto Construction Association

Brendan Nobes, Director Major Projects, Rcs

Francis Roy, President, Groupe Humaco

CCA thanks these leaders for their generous commitment to the industry and to advance our united vision to Build a better Canada.

Media Release - Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Applauds Business Focus on Indigenous Engagement

Jan
13

MEDIA RELEASE – For Immediate Release

Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Applauds Business Focus on Indigenous Engagement

January 13, 2021

Regina, SK – Following a year of upheaval, the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce (SCC) continues its important work on the Indigenous Engagement Charter and applauds Saskatchewan business for their increased focus on Indigenous engagement despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
“Saskatchewan businesses are recognizing that Indigenous engagement is important not only for the growth of their organizations, but also for the province’s economy,” said Steve McLellan, CEO, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce. “While COVID-19 has certainly been a distraction for some of our Indigenous Engagement Charter signatories, for others it allowed them to dedicate considerable time to their individual Indigenous engagement strategies. With businesses like JNE Welding, PCL, Meridian Surveys and Bit Service Company and many others encouraging staff to take Indigenous Awareness Training, we are very optimistic that more businesses are recognizing the importance of Indigenous engagement.”
 
Starting in 2019, the SCC embarked on several new projects to enhance Indigenous engagement for Saskatchewan businesses, including the launch of an Indigenous Engagement Charter, the creation of an Indigenous-owned business directory and offering several levels of Indigenous Awareness Training.
 
“The Indigenous Engagement Charter simply would not have been possible without the support of the investors, Saskatchewan businesses that stepped up to launch the charter in a big way”, said McLellan. “I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Nutrien, SaskPower, CIBC, Graham, Meridian Surveys, RBC, WorkSafe Saskatchewan, Farm Credit Canada, PCL, Cameco, and Scotiabank for their contributions.”
 
Sponsored by Nutrien and led by SCC Director of Indigenous Engagement Nick Crighton, the SCC’s Indigenous Awareness Training sessions are designed to inform members of the business community about the culture and history of Indigenous peoples in Saskatchewan. Current courses range from Level 1 to Level 3 with advanced courses offering an in-depth look at HR practices and cultural traditions.  
 
With the shift to online webinars because of COVID-19 restrictions, the SCC has seen a substantial increase in registrations and is reaching a broader audience throughout Saskatchewan with their virtual offerings. In 2020, the SCC saw over 1,200 registrations for their Indigenous Awareness Training, representing over 100 businesses in the province, and issued almost 500 Certificates of Participation.
 
Winter 2021 dates for Indigenous Awareness Training are open for registration and can be found on our Upcoming Events webpage.
 
Visit our website for more information on the Indigenous Engagement Charter.
 

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The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce serves as the voice of business and represents the interests of over 10,000 individual businesses, industry associations, and local chambers across the province through its chamber network. Information on the SCC’s Indigenous Awareness Training, Indigenous Engagement Charter and Indigenous Business Directory can be found at saskchamber.com or @SaskChamber on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
 
Contact:

Steve McLellan
CEO, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce
Cell: 306-533-7686
Email: smclellan@saskchamber.com

Regina Company Fined $14,000 for Violating OHS Regulations

Dec
21

On October 14, 2020, Josh Senger Construction Inc. pleaded guilty in Carlyle Provincial Court to violating one count under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (OHS), 1996.

The Regina company was fined for contravening clause 12(c) of the OHS regulations (being an employer, fail to provide any information, instruction, training and supervision that is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers at work, resulting in the serious injury to a worker).

On December 11, 2020, the Court imposed a fine of $10,000, along with a $4,000 surcharge, for a total fine of $14,000.

The violation stemmed from an incident that occurred on September 20, 2018 near Wawota, Saskatchewan.  A load of material fell from the forks of a skid steer, injuring a worker.

Employers are required to provide safe and healthy workplaces, and must provide information, training and experience necessary for employees to perform their jobs safely.  For more information about workplace health and safety training and resources, visit www.worksafesask.ca or contact an industry safety association.

The Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety works with employers and workers to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses through education, inspections and prosecutions.

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For more information, contact:

Kate Crowley
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-3370
Email: kate.crowley@gov.sk.ca

MEDIA RELEASE SASK WCB: WCB holds 2021 average premium rate at 2020 rate

Dec
8

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Regina, Sask., Dec. 7, 2020 –The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) announced today that it will hold this year’s average employer premium rate at the 2020 rate of $1.17 and will cap industry level rates at 10 per cent. This board level hold is to provide a measure of economic relief to Saskatchewan businesses struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the WCB’s rate model, the 2021 average required rate should have been $1.23 per hundred dollars of payroll without the board level hold. The increase was driven by a combination of factors, including the economic slowdown caused by COVID-19 and an increase in compensation and health-care costs.

“Given the level of uncertainty surrounding Saskatchewan's economy as a result of the pandemic, the WCB board proposed a hold for 2021," said Minister responsible for the WCB Don Morgan. "By holding the rate at $1.17, the WCB will save employers approximately $13.4 million in 2021 premiums. This is in addition to approximately $1 million employers saved on interest and penalties in 2020."

Premium rates are generally determined by two key factors – claims costs and payroll.

“We recognize the impact of the COVID-19 virus across the province. Payroll is down, as many businesses struggle to stay afloat,” said WCB CEO, Phil Germain. “This assistance from the WCB will benefit those employers. This is just another example of how we all – including workers, employers and government – work together to overcome the many challenges caused by the current pandemic and subsequent economic slowdown.”

The 2021 average employer premium rate is $1.17 per hundred dollars of payroll, unchanged from 2020.

Prior to the premium rate plateauing in 2019, the average premium rate had been steadily declining, in conjunction with an overall reduction in work-related illnesses and injuries. In fact, the current average premium rate is 43 per cent below the 17-year high of $2.05 in 2004. However, WCB officials advise the rate may rise in 2022 if payroll costs remain low while claims costs continue to rise.

“We’ve seen a tremendous collective effort in recent years by workers, employers, safety associations and stakeholders to bring down the number of workplace injuries in our province,” said WCB chair Gord Dobrowolsky. “We’re making significant progress. In 2019, for the fourth year in a row, 88 per cent of Saskatchewan employers reported zero injuries in their workplaces. As well, the workplace total injury rate in our province has dropped by over 50 per cent since 2008.”

While overall injury rates are down, the number of serious injuries continues to be a concern. In 2019, serious injuries accounted for 12 per cent of total workplace injuries in the province, but more than 80 per cent of compensation costs. The WCB is working with customers and stakeholders to innovate the WCB’s claims and injury prevention strategies. The development of the Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy in 2019 was the first major step toward reducing injuries and improving disability management, and return to work in Saskatchewan. Find out more about the strategy at www.worksafesask.ca.

Employers can also play a significant role in keeping their premium rates down. Work-related injuries can be prevented by instituting a comprehensive workplace safety program. A solid disability management and return-to-work program will also help reduce costs and assist injured workers to recover and return to work safely and as soon as possible.

Employers can log into their secure WCB online account starting on Dec. 7, 2020 to view their 2021 industry premium rate, including their experience rating and certificate, if eligible. Employers who don’t have a secure WCB online account can sign up for one today at www.wcbsask.com.

 

 

 

Media contact:

Carolyn Van der Veen

Director, Communications, WCB

cvanderveen@wcbsask.com

 

 
 
 
 
 

WorkSafe Saskatchewan hosts virtual psychological health and safety learning event

Nov
26

 

 

 
 
 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOV. 26, 2020

 

WorkSafe Saskatchewan hosts virtual psychological

health and safety learning event

 

Regina, Sask., Nov. 26, 2020 – Mental health injuries continue to rise across the province and country. In response, WorkSafe Saskatchewan is hosting its third one-day psychological health and safety in the workplace learning event that was offered free to the public. Attendees include Saskatchewan employers, human resource professionals and mental health experts who are interested in psychological health and safety in the workplace.


As of Nov. 16, the WCB has accepted 206 mental health claims from Saskatchewan workers in 2020. While mental health claims only account for a small percentage of the workplace claims submitted in Saskatchewan, those numbers are on the rise. The number of mental health claims accepted by the WCB has increased by more than 213 per cent from 2015 to the end of 2019.


“We’re pleased to bring this event to participants once again, especially this year, as it has presented challenges to psychological health and safety in workplaces across the province,” said Kevin Mooney, vice-president of prevention and employer services at the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). “The response to this event and the increase of mental health WCB claims shows the need for these types of conversations and resources in workplaces throughout Saskatchewan.”


Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to maintain physical distancing, WorkSafe will be hosting this year’s event virtually. The virtual event allows individuals who have not been able to participate in-person in the past to attend. Last year’s event hosted nearly 350 participants and this year over 800 attendees have registered for the event.

 

The morning sessions include Mary Ann Baynton, principal of Mary Ann Baynton & Associates, presenting on Stress, work and a pandemic and Janice Decelles, senior consultant at MNP, on Supporting successful return to work following a psychological injury. In the afternoon, Dr. Graham Lowe, president of Graham Lowe Group Inc., will present Planning healthy change in uncertain times.


Dr. Joti Samra will finish the day with a presentation on Enhancing individual and organizational change: Actionable steps to cultivate psychologically healthy and safe work environments. Dr. Samra is one of Canada’s foremost psychological health and wellness experts and the chief executive officer and founder of MyWorkplaceHealth. WorkSafe has formed a partnership with Dr. Samra and MyWorkplaceHealth for a long-term psychological health and safety strategy for the province. Part of this strategy includes the development of an online Psychological Health and Safety Resource Centre, to be officially launched on the WorkSafe website, worksafesask.ca, in 2021 and of which participants of the psychological learning event will get a sneak peek.


“We hope this event, as well as the resources provided through WorkSafe, help employers gain a better understanding of workplace psychological health and safety,” said Mooney. “The information shared here today and the mental health initiatives launched by not only WorkSafe, but by many of the workplaces attending today’s event, are key to tackling the rising number of mental health issues in workplaces.”

 

About WorkSafe Saskatchewan

 

WorkSafe Saskatchewan is an injury prevention and workplace safety partnership between the WCB and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. Through the partnership, both agencies offer programs and support that help employers and workers develop workplace safety and health programs. You can reach WorkSafe Saskatchewan at 1.800.667.7590. Follow us on Twitter: @worksafesask, YouTube: youtube.com/worksafesask or on Facebook: facebook.com/WorkSafeSK for real-time updates.

 

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For more information, please contact:
Jenna Boychuk
Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board
Phone: 306.787.1859
Email: jboychuk@wcbsask.com

 

 

Download the news release.

 
 

WorkSafe Saskatchewan offers tips for homeowners and contractors to avoid asbestos exposure.

Nov
19

 

 

 
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOV. 19, 2020

 

Regina, Sask., Nov. 19, – WorkSafe Saskatchewan has released a number of tips for homeowners and contractors to stay safe and aware of the potential for asbestos in their home before starting construction and renovation projects. Asbestos exposure is the leading cause of work-related deaths in Saskatchewan. It is dangerous to construction workers and do-it-yourself (DIY) homeowners alike.

Asbestos has been banned in Canada since Dec. 30, 2018. However, asbestos-containing materials were common building products in homes built before 1990. Although asbestos-containing products are generally safe when left undisturbed, they become brittle over time and can crumble. The popularity of DIY projects has heightened the likelihood of asbestos exposure for homeowners.

Inhaling asbestos fibres can cause chronic, irreversible and life-threatening lung diseases. These diseases, which can appear several decades after exposure, include asbestosis (a lung scarring disease), lung cancer and mesothelioma. This year alone there has been 10 asbestos work-related deaths in Saskatchewan.

“Unfortunately, asbestos-related fatalities continue to dominate Saskatchewan statistics on work-related deaths,” says Kevin Mooney, vice-president of prevention and employer services at the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board. “It’s one of the invisible hazards every worker, homeowner and business owner needs to be aware of. It’s important they understand and know what is expected of them before any construction is started on an existing building.”

WorkSafe Saskatchewan’s asbestos awareness materials include safety tips for homeowners and contractors to keep in mind as they work on renovations during the fall and winter seasons. Topics include:

  • the danger of asbestos
  • when you should test for asbestos
  • where asbestos could be hiding in your home
  • hiring an asbestos abatement professional
  • checking the asbestos registry for Saskatchewan

For more information about asbestos, including a complete list of safety tips, visit worksafesask.ca/asbestos.

 

About WorkSafe Saskatchewan

WorkSafe Saskatchewan is an injury prevention and workplace safety partnership between the WCB and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. Through the partnership, both agencies offer programs and support that help employers and workers develop workplace safety and health programs. You can reach WorkSafe Saskatchewan at 1.800.667.7590. Follow us on Twitter: worksafesask, YouTube: youtube.com/worksafesask or on Facebook: facebook.com/WorkSafeSK for real-time updates.

 

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Contact:

Jenna Boychuk

Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board

Phone: 306.787.1859

Email: jboychuk@wcbsask.com

 

 

Download the news release.

 
 

Two employers pleaded guilty to charges in separate violations under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996.

Nov
18

Released on November 16, 2020

Two employers pleaded guilty to charges in separate violations under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996.

On November 3, 2020, 101063698 Saskatchewan Ltd., pleaded guilty in St. Walburg Provincial Court of two counts under the regulations.

The company was charged with the following:

For contravening subsection 465(2) of the regulations (being an employer or contractor, fail to ensure that no worker works, no material is piled, stored or handled, no scaffold is erected or dismantled and no equipment or powered mobile equipment is used or operated within the minimum distance from any exposed energized conductor as set out in column 1 of Table 22 of the Appendix of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).

For contravening subsection 17(1) of the regulations (being an employer or contractor, fail to ensure that all work at a place of employment is sufficiently and competently supervised, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).

The company was subsequently fined $8,571.43 with a $3,428.57 surcharge for each count, for a total of $24,000.

The charges stemmed from a worksite incident that occurred on August 13, 2018, in Turtle Lake, Saskatchewan.  A worker was injured while working on a platform attached to a forklift.

In an unrelated matter, on October 26, 2020, Rosengren Farms pleaded guilty in Estevan Provincial Court to one count under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996.

The company pleaded guilty to contravening clause 12(c) of the regulations (being an employer, fail to provide any information, instruction, training and supervision that is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers at work, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).

The company was fined $8,500 with a $3,400 surcharge, totaling $11,900.

Charges resulted from a worksite incident that occurred on October 31, 2018, at Midale, Saskatchewan.  A worker was seriously injured while a pallet was being lifted.

To report an incident to the Occupational Health and Safety Division at the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, please call 1-800-567-SAFE (7233).

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For more information, contact:

Kate Crowley
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-3370
Email: kate.crowley@gov.sk.ca

The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) today announced The Regina Bypass Partners team is the recipient of the association’s Inaugural President’s Award

Nov
2

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 2, 2020

Regina Bypass Partners Awarded SCSA’s Inaugural President’s Award

 

REGINA – The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) today announced The Regina Bypass Partners team is the recipient of the association’s Inaugural President’s Award for Outstanding Safety Leadership.

With more than five million hours of construction over four years on the newly constructed Regina Bypass and only one time-loss incident, SCSA President Colin Pullar says Regina Bypass Partners was the perfect fit for the new award. The project’s safety record, however, is not the main reason for recognizing the partners with the award, Pullar admits.

“Beyond the incredible safety record, it was the fact that that as a team, they learned how to become more innovative, how to plan exceptionally well, and how to build an effective team,” Pullar said. “They had thousands of people and hundreds of contractors that all had to work from the same song sheet. When that came together, they really started to see great performance, and safety was one of the most recognizable elements of that success. We really wanted to recognize the leadership team for this particular project because there were some fascinating results.”

The SCSA’s President’s Award is presented to an individual or company with exceptional involvement in the promotion and practice of construction safety and recognizes outstanding efforts and work that advances the betterment of safety practices province-wide. The winner also demonstrates excellent safety practices and outstanding leadership in construction. The SCSA’s President’s Award will not necessarily be presented annually, but rather under certain circumstances.

“The SCSA presents the President’s Award in unique circumstances to teams that have done something extraordinary – not so much the size of a project, but the complexity of it,” Pullar said. “Building bridges and roads doesn’t sound complex, but in this case, the complexity came from the size, the scope, the visibility of the project, the politics, and of course, the sheer number of partners, contractors, and workers. I think this was a great display of the types of things that others can aspire to.”

Pullar said there are also other parts of that project that make the Regina Bypass Partners deserving of the award: the team was able to get the project completed on budget and ahead of time. He also noted that Regina Bypass Project Director and Graham Construction Human Resources VP Allisdair Dickinson was a key driver in the project’s ultimate success.

“Allisdair was the person who really engaged and said I am championing this project.

He lead the meetings, he was the supervisor, and while he had a large budgets to look after, he always made people the centre of it acknowledging, if we don't get this right, the rest of it will fail,” Pullar noted. “He really understood that safety is an integration between really strong business and the importance of people. You cannot have one without the other.”

Government of Saskatchewan: Mining Company Fined $150,000 For Workplace Injury

Sep
28

Mining Company Fined $150,000 For Workplace Injury

Released on September 24, 2020

Saskatchewan company Nutrien Ltd. pleaded guilty to one count under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996 in Moosomin Provincial Court on September 17, 2020.

The company, operating as Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc., pleaded guilty to contravening clause 12(c) of the regulations (being an employer, fail to comply with the duties of an employer at a place of employment including the provision of any information, instruction, training and supervision that is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers at work, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).  One other charge was withdrawn.

The company was fined $107,142.85 plus a surcharge of $42,857.15.

Charges resulted from an incident that occurred on August 2, 2018, at the Nutrien Rocanville Mine Mill.  A worker experienced serious injuries while working on a solid bowl centrifuge (a machine used to separate substances that are mixed together).

Employers are required to provide safe and healthy workplaces, and must provide information, training and experience necessary for employees to perform their jobs safely.  For more information about workplace health and safety training and resources, visit www.worksafesask.ca or contact an industry safety association.

To report an incident to the Occupational Health and Safety Division at the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, please call 1-800-567-SAFE (7233).

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For more information, contact:

Jennifer Toews
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1331
Email: jennifer.toews3@gov.sk.ca

Saskatchewan Polytechnic School of Continuing Education Launch

Sep
11

                               
 
 
Saskatchewan Polytechnic School of Continuing Education Launch

Featuring Monica Kreuger (Chair, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors), Dr. Larry Rosia (President & CEO, Saskatchewan Polytechnic), Honourable Tina Beaudry-Mellor (Minister, Advanced Education), Collin Pullar (President, Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association) & Paul Carter (Dean, School of Continuing Education, Saskatchewan Polytechnic).

Please join us for an exciting new chapter for Saskatchewan Polytechnic as they launch the School of Continuing Education. The launch will take place virtually on Zoom; please register in advance here. The school will focus on meeting the needs of the local business community by providing training solutions tailored towards industries in which professional training is in high demand. The School of Continuing Education brings together internal expertise to advance professional development programs, corporate training and micro-credential offerings. Courses are market-driven and consistently updated to reflect emerging trends and best practices.

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce has been a long-time advocate for enhanced continuing education offerings such as micro-credentials and professional training and is proud to support Saskatchewan Polytechnic in this exciting venture.

Agenda
 
1:30 p.m. - Welcome & Opening Comments 
1:50 p.m. - Q&A
1:55 p.m. - Thank-You & Closing Comments

Register early for the launch event to be eligible to win one of two free tuition certificates to any of the School of Continuing Education programs.
 
Date: September 16, 2020
Time: 1:30 – 2 p.m.
Click here to register
 
*Confirmation e-mail containing the Zoom link will be sent to all registered guests

Media Release: 2020 ABEX Awards Recipients Announcement

Sep
10

Media Release: 2020 ABEX Awards Recipients Announcement

September 10, 2020

Regina, SK – The ABEX Awards are Saskatchewan’s largest and longest-running business awards program, celebrating business excellence since 1984. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 ABEX Awards will be shifting from its traditional celebration of Saskatchewan business success to recognizing businesses and individuals who have become Saskatchewan’s everyday heroes.

This year’s awards will be taking place virtually on November 14, 2020 and the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce is encouraging nominees, recipients and the public to host viewing parties in accordance with Saskatchewan Health Authority guidelines. In honour of the chamber’s 100th anniversary, the theme of this year’s awards is Roaring Twenties and viewers at home are encouraged to host 1920’s-themed viewing parties of their own.
 
Saskatchewan is navigating the challenges brought about by the global pandemic and economic slowdown by working together, supporting communities, and looking ahead with optimism. The Saskatchewan spirit of resilience is more evident than ever and the ABEX Awards will be celebrating the businesses and individuals who have exhibited this spirit of resilience.

In March 2020, the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce encouraged the public to nominate businesses that supported the community, demonstrated resilience, or have been strategic and innovative in their approach to serving clients and engaging customers. Over the coming weeks leading up to November 14, nominees and their stories will be featured on the ABEX Awards social media channels and the recipients will be honoured during the virtual awards show.

Congratulations to this year’s ABEX Awards recipients. They went above and beyond when our community needed them most and I admire the perseverance and innovation displayed by these Saskatchewan businesses. The chamber is certainly proud of their accomplishments and they should be too,” said Steve McLellan, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO.
 
2020 ABEX Awards Recipients

Community Leader of the Year – Chief Cadmus Delorme – Cowessess First Nation

The Community Leader of the Year Award honours and recognizes someone who has made a positive contribution to our community through volunteerism and philanthropy. This individual will have taken a lead role in developing solutions to social challenges in Saskatchewan.

Business Leader of the Year, sponsored by University of ReginaGreg Yuel, PIC Investment GroupSaskatoon

The Business Leader of the Year Award is awarded to an individual who exemplifies the qualities of a business visionary. This person has shown outstanding success in business or industry through the development of a new process, product or service, or for meaningful contributions to the local business community.

Saskatchewan Business Hall of Fame Inductee – Flaman Group of Companies – Saskatoon
The Saskatchewan Business Hall of Fame was established in 1990 to recognize businesses that have demonstrated excellence over an extended period of time, contributing to the economic well-being of the people and the province.

Roger Phillips Chamber Builder Award – Richard Ahenakew – Northern Lights Casino – Prince Albert

The Roger Phillips Chamber Builder Award is presented to a person with a long-standing history of committing time, intelligence and leadership to the chamber network in Saskatchewan. This award was created in honour of past Saskatchewan Chamber Board member and ABEX founder Roger Phillips, and its recipient is chosen by the current Saskatchewan Chamber Chair with input from Directors and other members of the chamber network.

Innovation Award, sponsored by Saskatchewan Polytechnic Deveraux Group of Companies – Regina

Marketing Award Pile O’ Bones Brewing Company – Regina

Export Award, sponsored by Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership VIDO-InterVac – Saskatoon

Community Involvement, sponsored by Grant Thornton LLP – Spiro’s Family Restaurant – Lloydminster

Priority Focus (Resilience) – Tangerine Group of Companies – Regina

Young Entrepreneur of the Year, sponsored by Cameco The Everyday Kitchen – Regina

Growth and Expansion, sponsored by PFM Capital Inc. Dutch Growers – Regina

New Venture, sponsored by Saskatchewan Ministry of Trade and Export Development SANOZONE by Ground Effects Environmental Services – Regina

Service, sponsored by CN Indian Head Bakery – Indian Head

Awards of Merit

  • Harbour Landing Village – Regina
  • Melissa Carson – Weyburn
  • Fast Trucking - Carnduff


The 2020 ABEX Awards will be a celebration of the stories of everyday heroes in Saskatchewan communities and will take place virtually on November 14, 2020. All nominees, recipients and the public are invited to watch the awards online and celebrate Saskatchewan business! For more information, visit saskchamber.com or @ABEXawards on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 

News Release from Sask WCB

Sep
10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REGINA, SK, Sept. 10, 2020 – Many Saskatchewanians are staying close to home these days, which means construction projects, renovations and repairs are likely in full swing. WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the partnership between the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, is urging contractors and homeowners to take the proper steps to protect themselves and others against the risks of asbestos exposure.

“Asbestos exposure is the leading cause of work-related deaths in Saskatchewan” says Kevin Mooney, vice-president of prevention and employer services at the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board. “That’s why WorkSafe launched a new awareness campaign ‘Asbestos kills. It’s best to test.’ We believe this message is critical as some continue to think asbestos is an issue of the past. It’s important for people to know that asbestos exposure continues to happen and is preventable.”

Asbestos is common in homes and commercial buildings built before 1990. It is commonly known that asbestos is found in insulation like vermiculite, but it can also be found in materials like vinyl flooring, popcorn or stipple ceilings and walls, acoustic tiles and drywall joint compound. It doesn’t matter how much or how little asbestos is present – once the tiny fibres are airborne, they can cause life-threatening diseases like lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

In 2019, almost 45 per cent of all work-related deaths in Saskatchewan were from asbestos exposure.

Testing for asbestos before commercial projects or home renovations begin is critical.

Wade Dieno, a 70-year old Chitek Lake resident knows all too well the dangers of asbestos exposure in the workplace. Diagnosed with stage three mesothelioma in Nov. 2019, doctors gave him 12-14 months to live. As a young man, Wade had pursued a career in the trades, starting in plumbing, and often worked around asbestos.

“I was like a lot of guys, especially in my younger days, and thought I was invincible. If I could go back in time, I’d wear every bit of PPE I could, especially when working around asbestos. Did I cut corners on safety to get my work done? Yes, I did. Do I wish I hadn’t? Yes, I do.”

Contractors and homeowners should never put themselves at risk by trying to remove asbestos themselves. If damaged asbestos-containing materials are not properly removed, they can endanger your life and the lives of others who come into contact with asbestos dust, fibres or raw asbestos materials.

When reflecting on his past, Wade knows the choices he made not to protect himself from the dangers of asbestos caught up to him eventually. “Oh sure, I was angry and bitter at first,” Wade says. “But really, what’s the point? In the end, it was me. I made the decisions [not to wear PPE] that cost me my future.”

“That’s why I’m telling my story now,” Wade said. “If I can prevent some young workers, even just one, from making the same mistakes I did, I suppose that would be a pretty good legacy to leave behind.”

“We want to remind and educate construction contractors and homeowners that asbestos remains a serious health threat,” says Mooney. “If you take the step to test for asbestos before starting any construction or renovation project, you can protect yourself and others from asbestos exposure.”

For more information including an asbestos abatement guide, free e-course and additional resources, please visit worksafesask.ca/asbestos.

Wade Dieno is available for interviews, health permitting, Sept. 10 between 1-4 p.m by phone.

Contact: Lisa Goudy

Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board

Phone: 306.787.6714

Email: lgoudy@wcbsask.com

 

Download the news release and backgrounder.

 

 

Backgrounder – Wade Dieno’s Story

 

Wade Dieno is available for interviews, health permitting. Please contact Lisa Goudy.

The dangers of asbestos exposure hit home for one Saskatchewan man

Asbestos kills. That is much more than a WorkSafe safety campaign slogan for Wade Dieno. The 70-year old Chitek Lake resident knows all too well about the dangers of asbestos exposure in the workplace, the leading cause of work-related deaths in the province. He was diagnosed with stage three mesothelioma (a cancer of the lungs and chest wall, most often caused by exposure to asbestos) in Nov. 2019, and was given 12-14 months to live. The news hit him like a bolt of lightning.

“Shock, anger, bitterness - I went through them all,” Wade says. “I had only retired two years before that, and had a great retirement planned with my wife Colleen, including spending six months a year at our retirement property in Mexico. It was devastating to realize I won’t be around for any of that.”

Wade’s story mirrors those of many young men in rural and small-town Saskatchewan in the 1960s. He left school after grade 10 to pursue a career in the trades, starting out as a labourer at a potash mine in 1968. He went on to acquire a journeyman qualification in plumbing, gas and pipe fitting. In 1982 he went to work at a uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, and spent the next 35 years there – eventually acquiring a power engineer ticket.

“We were around asbestos all the time,” Wade recalls. “But, to be fair, the companies provided us with all the personal protective equipment (PPE) that we needed to stay safe. Did I always use it? No. Do I wish that I did? Absolutely.”

“I was like a lot of guys, and thought I was invincible. So, I cut corners on safety to get my work done. And now, that decision is costing me the ultimate price.”

Asbestos was used in many common building materials up until the late 1990s, and its impact is still felt today. When asbestos is disturbed, like during renovations, tiny fibres are released into the air and can cause severe – even fatal – lung diseases like lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. According to the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB), in 2019, almost 45 per cent of all work-related deaths in Saskatchewan were from asbestos-related diseases.

Oh sure, I was angry and bitter at first,” Wade says. “But really, what’s the point? In the end, it was me. I made the decisions that are costing me my future.”

“That’s why I’m telling my story now,” Wade continues. “If I can prevent some young workers, even just one, from making the same mistakes I did, I suppose that would be a pretty good legacy to leave behind.”

Wade enthusiastically supports the “Asbestos kills. It’s best to test.” campaign recently launched by WorkSafe Saskatchewan. The campaign aims to raise awareness that asbestos exposure continues to be a problem and that it’s best to test if asbestos is suspected to be present.

“We want to remind and educate construction contractors and homeowners that asbestos remains a serious health issue,” says Kevin Mooney, vice-president of prevention and employer services at the Saskatchewan WCB. “If you take the time to test for asbestos before starting any construction or renovation project, you can protect yourself and others from asbestos exposure.”

For more information including an asbestos abatement guide, free e-course and additional resources, please visit worksafesask.ca/asbestos.

INSPECTION NOTICE 3M™ PROTECTA® Rebel Self-Retracting Lifelines (ANSI Versions)

Aug
31

3M™ PROTECTA® Rebel Self-Retracting Lifelines (ANSI Versions) 3M™ Fall Protection has identified a potential manufacturing issue with a limited number of 3M™ Protecta® Rebel Self-Retracting Lifelines (with galvanized or stainless-steel lifelines) produced between October 14, 2019 and February 25, 2020. There have been no reports of injuries or accidents associated with this issue. This manufacturing issue could result in the SRL not engaging properly but can be easily detected through the pre-use inspection as specified in the Protecta® Rebel Instruction for Use (IFU) document. Impacted Part Numbers can be found at www.ProtectaRebelInspect.com

Full bulletin

WCB shares financial results during AGM

Jun
24

WCB shares financial results during AGM

Sask. workplace injury rate drops from second highest in Canada to fourth among provinces

Regina, Sask., June 24, 2020 – At the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB)’s annual general meeting (AGM) teleconference today, the WCB shared its 2019 financial and operating results with Saskatchewan workers, employers and partners.

“In 2019, the WCB remained fully funded to support our customers, the workers and employers of Saskatchewan. At 115 per cent funded at 2019 year-end, we were able to cover costs of all claims in the system. This upheld the WCB’s commitment to workers and employers to operate an effective and efficient compensation system,” said the WCB’s Chairperson Gord Dobrowolsky. “Because of COVID-19 and the impact of the pandemic response on global, Canadian and Saskatchewan economies, a decrease in employer payroll in 2020 – combined with a decline in investment markets – has put pressure on the WCB’s strong financial position.”

The WCB’s 2019 funded position was within the targeted range of 105 to 120 per cent.

WCB CEO Phil Germain gave an overview of the WCB’s 2019 operational highlights. In 2019, 21,473 workers were injured in Saskatchewan workplaces and sadly, 36 individuals lost their lives in work-related incidents. Of those, 17 were from occupational disease, seven were from traumatic events, five were from heart attacks, four were from motor vehicle incidents and three were from medical complications.

“Every single one of these work-related deaths is a tragedy. The impact of each loss is felt by family members and communities,” said Germain. “It is so important for all of us to continue working to keep our workplaces safe.”

The 2019 Total injury rate decreased to 4.95 per 100 workers in 2019, while the Time Loss injury rate decreased to 1.86 per 100 workers in 2019. In 2019, for the fourth year in a row, 88 per cent of Saskatchewan employers had zero injuries and zero fatalities in their workplaces.

“Thanks to the health and safety efforts of workers, employers, safety associations and labour unions, our workplace injury rate has dropped from the second highest in Canada to fourth among Canadian provinces,” said Germain. “While this suggests we still have plenty of work to do, it also demonstrates that we are heading in the right direction.”

At the meeting, Germain spoke about the WCB’s upcoming challenges and opportunities for 2020 and beyond. The leading challenges include the new operating paradigm because of the COVID-19 pandemic, financial management and market volatility.

“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected workers and businesses across the province and it is likely we will continue seeing the fallout for quite some time,” said Germain. “The pandemic response has also created opportunities for us to improve our customer service.”

The WCB has outlined key strategic objectives in its three-year strategic and operational plan. The WCB’s 2019 annual report and the strategic and operational plan are available online.

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SCSA To Host Asbestos Awareness Panel for the Construction Industry

May
21

Many homes and buildings in Saskatchewan were built before 1990, so they might contain asbestos. This means contractors and homeowners planning renovations could be putting themselves at risk of asbestos exposure, if they don’t take the proper steps before starting a construction project.

When asbestos is disturbed during renovations, tiny asbestos fibres are released into the air and inhaled. Asbestos fibres can get trapped into the lungs and cause serious health problems in the future, such as asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Asbestos-related lung diseases are the cause of many workplace fatalities in the province of Saskatchewan. In particular, mesothelioma and other asbestos-related lung diseases were responsible for approximately 26 per cent of the 390 fatalities accepted by the Saskatchewan WCB in the last decade (2010-2019). In 2019, 47 per cent of workplace fatalities were a result of occupational diseases.  Many of these deaths occurred in the construction industry and can be prevented.

To address the need for improved information and awareness, the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) is hosting an online Asbestos Awareness Panel on June 2, 2020 at 09:00 on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/98153798690).  Joining the panel will be Dr. Paul Demers from the Occupational Cancer Research Centre and David Kanciruk from Associated Asbestos Abatement a Division of Place-Crete Systems LLP,  a COR™ certified company and SCSA member as well as representatives from the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety.

To pre-submit a question, please contact comm@scsaonline.ca with questions to be addressed on the live webinar.

Paul Demers is the Director of the Occupational Cancer Research Centre.. He a Professor (status) with the Institute for Medical Sciences and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Paul Demers has a Ph.D. in epidemiology and a M.Sc. in Industrial Hygiene, both from the University of Washington. His research has focused on occupational and environmental cancer, lung disease, and heart disease. In addition, he has an interest in both occupational carcinogen and cancer surveillance. He has been a member of many national and international expert panels dealing with occupational and environmental cancer for organizations such as the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the U.S. National Toxicology Program, the U.S. Institute of Medicine, the Royal Society of Canada, and the Council of Canadian Academies.

SCSA Moves Training Records For Students Online

May
19

Release Date:  19-May-2020

SCSA Moves Training Records For Students Online

For Immediate Release

Studies by McKinsey and Company show that the construction industry would realize productivity benefits from increased digitization and improved access to business intelligence. To address the need for better information and a desire to execute tasks on-site, the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association is launching a service to make its training database available to students and employers through an online tool.

"Saskatchewan is a big province,” said Collin Pullar, President of the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association.  "We know it is not always convenient for our members and students to visit SCSA offices when an employer or regulatory body asks for training records," he continued.  "Most people already carry a smartphone in their pockets or nearby in a vehicle or locker.  Starting today, this tool will allow managers and supervisors to execute a check of training records while on the jobsite." 

By visiting my.scsaonline.ca SCSA students can log on and view their training history and provide it to others.  This tool makes over 140,000 training records readily available to students and employers with a smartphone, tablet, or computer and an internet connection.

"In the past, paper copies of training records were provided to students.  These paper records get lost or damaged easily.  We know that about 40% of the people who read our electronic newsletter use a smartphone," said Pullar, "Let's leverage this tool to improve safety and productivity on the job site."

This new user experience allows an SCSA student to log on, get the information they need, and get back to work.  Effectively, using the online training history provides more information with fewer steps.  This service improvement helps keeps the construction industry building instead of searching for records.

The SCSA is making a number of moves to improve access to business intelligence on the job site over the life of the Association’s current strategic plan.  "This is the first of many announcements about new online tools," said Collin Pullar.

The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) is an industry-funded, membership-based, non-profit organization that provides cost-effective, accessible safety training and advice to employers and employees in the construction industry throughout the province to reduce the human and financial losses associated with injuries. Registered March 22, 1995 the SCSA is, and has been since inception, committed to injury prevention. Serving almost 10,000 member companies, the vision of the SCSA is to create the Safest Construction Environment in Canada through its mission of Constructing Safety Leadership.

For Techncial Support or questions:

epassport@scsaonline.ca

 

 

 

Communciations Contact:

Ed Pyle, Manager of Corporate Development

edp@scsaonline.ca

306-519-2193

 

 

# # #

YXE NAOSH & MENTAL HEALTH WEEK VIRTUAL CELEBRATION.

May
6

This week is North American Occupational Safety and Health Week. This week also stands as Canadian Mental Health Week. As many across our country and the continent celebrate these events, the Saskatoon Regional Safety Committee has organized a special event for us to celebrate at home on Thursday, May 7 from 12pm -1:30pm.

Blending the two ideas together as the YXE NAOSH & MENTAL HEALTH WEEK VIRTUAL CELEBRATION. The event will feature representation from the Saskatoon branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Provincial and City Government, the SCSA and Worksafe Saskatchewan.

You can register for the event (Zoom meeting) or attend on Facebook Live, via the SCSA facebook page.

Details and Registration is on our website:

Or join on facebook

Webinar: The effectiveness of OHS management systems: Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts?

May
6

The effectiveness of OHS management systems: Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts?

Lessons from an investigation of the BC Construction Safety Alliance COR™ audit

Webinar | May 19, 2020 | 11 am – 12:30 pm PDT

Presented by Chris McLeod, Co-Director, Partnership for Work, Health and Safety

View this announcement online: http://pwhs.ubc.ca/

Occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) audits, such as the Certificate of Recognition (COR™) audit, are used worldwide to assess employers’ OHS performance. In BC and Alberta, COR™ certification is associated with lower injury rates. In the BC construction sector, the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) is the certifying partner that oversees the design and implementation of the COR audit. The Partnership for Work, Health and Safety examined the performance of the BCCSA COR™ audit tool to identify how the audit performed overall, where and under what circumstances better scores were associated with lower injury rates, and whether better performance on specific aspects of the audit were more predictive of lower injury rates. The BC findings will be considered in the national and international context, identifying characteristics of audit certification that will lead to improved health and safety performance.

Who should attend?

  • Managers and directors of OHSMS certification programs
  • Auditors
  • Safety officers
  • Anyone involved in the administration and implementation of COR™

Presenter

Dr. Christopher McLeod is an associate professor and co-director of the Partnership for Work, Health and Safety at the UBC School of Population and Public Health and a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health in Toronto. He has led evaluations of COR™ programs in BC and Alberta and he is currently evaluating the COR™ program in Saskatchewan. His research focuses on the program and policy evaluation of occupational health policies and practices and on the causes and consequences of work-related injury and disease.

Webinar details

Please join from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/894063669

You can also dial in using your phone.

Canada: +1 (647) 497-9373

Access Code: 894-063-669

More phone numbers

United States: +1 (646) 749-3117

Australia: +61 2 9091 7603

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:

https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/894063669

Upcoming Webinar: Residential Fall Protection

May
5

When: May 12, 2020 9:00 AM Saskatchewan 

Where: https://zoom.us/j/98153798690

What: Residential Fall Protection. This webinar is hosted by the SCSA, the Regina and Region Home Builders' Association, Saskatoon & Region Home Builders' Association for Certified Professional Home Builders (CPHB).

Why it is Important: Falls cause a large number of injuries in the construction industry.  About half those injuries were time loss injuries with a total  injury cost  into the tens of millions of dollars. This increases the cost of every project and those costs are eventually passed on to home buyers.

Many of these residential construction injuries are preventable.  Workers should always be outfitted with safety gear appropriate for the job they are doing.  Equipment should be inspected daily, and any worn or damaged equipment should be replaced.  

This webinar will talk about fall protection in the residential construction sector and share specific strategies and tactics for reducing injuries from falls.

SCSA Advisors and panelists will provide time for a question and answer session.

 

 

Congrats to Northern Mat and Bridge on 2020 Safe Employer Award

May
4

Today Worksafe Saskatchewan announced that Northern Mat and Bridge Limited Partnership was named the Safe Employer of the Year. Congratulations to Northern Mat and Bridge Limited Partnership, an SCSA COR-registered company.

According to the WCB, Northern Mat & Bridge Limited Partnership (NMB) was chosen as this year’s safe employer because they believe and practice active participation, training and education, for the elimination of workplace injuries.  “We are pleased to see the steps workers and employers are taking to keep workers safe on the job,” said Annette Goski, WCB Director of Prevention. “Congratulations to the winners and the finalists. Together, we can continue bringing our province’s workplace injury rates down.”

“The Safe Worker and Safe Employer Awards are one way that we encourage workers and employers to create safe workplaces in our province. Implementing effective health and safety management systems and practices saves lives.” said Goski.

COR provides companies witih verification of a fully implemented safety & health program which meets national standards. The objectives of COR are to provide industry employers with an effective safety and health management system to reduce incidents, accidents and injuries as well as their associated human and financial costs. COR is now frequently used as a pre-qualifying and/or condition of contract by public and private project owners across Canada.  For more information on COR, click here.

COR is nationally trademarked and endorsed by participating members of the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA). The SCSA has jurisdiction in Saskatchewan to grant and verifiy that the utmost diligencein safety practices and COR standards are upheld.

To read the full WCB news release, click here.

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), May 4th -10th.

May
4

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Mental Health Week is taking place this week, May 4th -10th.  Every May, people in Canadian communities, schools, workplaces and legislatures rally around CMHA Mental Health Week. First marked by CMHA in 1951, 2020 marks the 69th annual Mental Health Week. Mental Health Week helps to shift societal beliefs and perceptions about mental health. It helps promote behaviors and attitudes that foster well-being, support good mental health and create a culture of understanding and acceptance.

The theme of this year’s Mental Health Week is social connection. Connecting with other people and our communities doesn’t just feel good. It’s good for our mental health.

  • Research shows that social connection and social support are factors that protect and promote good mental health.
  • Feeling socially connected means you feel close and connected to others, and you don’t have to be in physical proximity to nurture a sense of closeness and connection.
  • Social isolation and loneliness are bad for everyone’s mental health.

So today, this week and the days following, let’s #GetReal with #MentalHealthWeek.

Keep an eye out this week for more info and resources, but in the meantime you can read more about this nationally recognized social movement in the Mental Health Week Fact Sheet

SCSA Update on Programs, Training and Advisory Services

Apr
29

As situation with the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, the SCSA has been adjusting services and re-opening some services that have been withhdawn.  If members require additional assistance or have questions about services please contact scsainfo@scsaonline.ca.

Program Services Available:

  • Manual Reviews:  The SCSA is accepting electronic Health & Safety manuals for review at this time.  Manuals should be sent to:  scsaprograminfo@scsaonline.ca
  • Maintenance audits for auditor certification:  The SCSA is accepting scanned and emailed maintenance audits.  Audits should be sent to: scsaprograminfo@scsaonline.ca
  • COR and SECOR Internal audits:  The SCSA is accepting scanned and emailed maintenance audits.  Audits should be sent to: scsaprograminfo@scsaonline.ca
  • Self audits for safety auditor certification:  The SCSA is accepting scanned and emailed maintenance audits.  Audits should be sent to: scsaprograminfo@scsaonline.ca
  • COR and SECOR Registrations:  Companies wishing to register for these programs should visit the COR and SECOR pages to complete the online submission form.
  • HSA & NCSO Registrations:  Individuals wishing to register for these programs should visit the HSA & NCSO pages on our website and complete the online submission form.

Training Available:

  • To view and register for online courses, visit this page
  • A number of Instructor-Led online training courses are being offered.  For details please visit this link.

Advisory Services Available:

  • Developing resources to help companies deal with the COVID19 pandemic.
  • Assisting companies, individuals and organizations that have been contacting the Association through phone and email, regarding questions and concerns that they have about the current pandemic.  Promoting and sharing \ website resources.
  • Contacting member companies to promote services, while offering assistance with Health and Safety programs. 
  • Manual development and manual revisions with companies through Microsoft Teams.
  • Assisting registered companies through their COR and SECOR process by answering questions, providing and reviewing policies, forms, manuals etc.
  • With assistance from other areas of The Association leading online Ask the SCSA webinars

COVID 19 Safety Protocols for Saskatchewan

Apr
16

The SCSA along with Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations, WorkSafe Saskatchewan, Merit Contractors Association Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Construction Association and Regina & Region Home Builders' Association have published COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Saskatchewan.

The creation of this document acknowledges that Saskatchewan construction firms have already made a number of changes to operations to keep their workers and the public safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.  This document captures some of the excellent practices that have been put in place by construction and will allow for greater consistency of information and team work in the industry. 

Download the protocol at this link and visit the SCSA COVID-19 resources page for more information.

SCSA - OHC Level One Online Instructor-Led Training Now Taking Registrations

Apr
13

In response to industry requests and to make this training available during the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the Association is offering online instructor-led training in Occupational Health Commitee Level One on April 16, 2020.

Date – Thursday April 16

Start – 9:00 a.m.

Finish- 2:30 p.m.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH COMMITTEE (OHC) TRAINING LEVEL 1

This one-day course is designed for managers, supervisors and workers that are going to be part of an Occupational Health and Safety Committee or assume the role of a Health and Safety Representative.

This course meets the requirements of section 46 of the Saskatchewan OHS Regulation for training of representatives and committee members.

Course Focus:

  • Locate legislation regarding occupational health and safety issues in your workplace
  • How the committee functions
  • Requirements for establishing and operating an effective OHC
  • Duties and roles of the OHC
  • Identifying and assessing workplace hazards
  • Corrective actions
  • Refusal to work investigations

To enroll, register at this linkhttp://www.scsaonline.ca/classroom-course-registration

Media Release: Provincial Chamber Welcomes ‘New Tools for the Recovery Toolkit’

Apr
9



For Immediate Release

April 09, 2020

Regina, SK: The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce (SCC) applauds the Government of Saskatchewan’s announcement of a new support program that will assist businesses with their fixed cost obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“We have been working with our members non-stop over the past month to better understand the unique challenges businesses are facing, and we continue to advocate for programs to support Saskatchewan businesses during this time of tremendous economic hardship. We welcome the news from the Province and see it as a much-needed new tool for businesses to sustain their operations until things get back to normal,” said Steve McLellan, CEO of the SCC.

The SCC has been speaking to government about the acute challenges for businesses and has made several recommendations. One of these recommendations was changes to lay-off provisions under the Saskatchewan Employment Act, which was announced on March 20. These recommendations will assist in managing the overhead costs that many businesses have. This program is also important to many small businesses whose ability to take on additional debt during a time of greatly reduced revenues is severely constrained.  

“We thank Minister Harrison and Premier Moe for their ongoing commitment to Saskatchewan businesses,” added McLellan.

Find information on government programs and announcements on our website at www.saskchamber.com. Please check back often for updates.
 
The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce serves as the voice of business and represents the interests of over 10,000 individual businesses, industry associations, and local chambers across the province through its chamber network. Information on COVID-19 and all other business issues can be found on www.saskchamber.com. 
 

-30-

Contact:
Steve McLellan, CEO
C- 306-533-7686
E- smclellan@saskchamber.com

Update from from ISNetworld regarding Saskatchewan COR/SECOR

Apr
2

With COVID-19 impacting the certification capabilities for ISNetworld customers, ISNetwork is granting extensions from March 31st to June 30th for Saskatchewan COR/SECOR/LOI holders until operations have resumed as normal.

SCSA Members are Invited to an Ask the Advisor Webinar

Apr
1

The Ask an Advisor webinar  will give SCSA members the chance to talk to SCSA Advisory Services and Programs Services about questions on safety or SCSA programs.  

On April 2, 2020 at 9:00 - 10:00 AM

This webinar will also be streamed to Facebook Live.  A recording will be posted to SCSA Social Media after the event for those who cannot attend.

Please click the link below to join the webinar: 
https://zoom.us/j/554093421

Or iPhone one-tap :
    Canada: +17789072071,,554093421#  or +14388097799,,554093421# 
Or Telephone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        Canada: +1 778 907 2071  or +1 438 809 7799  or +1 587 328 1099  or +1 647 374 4685  or +1 647 558 0588 
    Webinar ID: 554 093 421
    International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/aepe0qkZuA
 

Hand Sanitizer Available for Members

Mar
30

Merit Contractors Association of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association have learned of the recent shortage of hand sanitizer and cleaning products  members are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to keep work sites and offices clean and safe during this time to ensure that essential construction can continue,  this partnership has located supplies of hand santizer for member companies.

Most distilleries in the province have shifted production to provide cleaning and sanitation resources to first responders and medical personal in the province and our Associations support this work. At the same time, a few suppliers are making their products available to the construction industry:

 

1.Smooth 42 Distillery: Smooth 42 is producing hand sanitizer that they can ship in various sizes and quantities. Please submit orders through email to a orders@smooth42.ca   In an order, please include an email address, contact information, physical address and  quantity of product .   Smooth 42 Distiller is currently accepting credit card and electronic funds transfers.

 

2. EECOL Electric: EECOL has bulk supply and is willing to sell in smaller amounts to members.  EECOL prefers that the member has an account, as they are limiting face-to-face transactions at this time. Each cash transaction would need to be considered at the time. Please contact Rob McNeil for more information:

Rob McNeil
2906 Millar Ave Saskatoon,
Call: (306) 933-3131
Email: mcneilrl@eecol.com

 

3. MCK Equipement: MCk has regular sales but always keeps spare products around just in case. Please contact them to purchase and check on availability as supplies come in. 

Assaad Dagher
#4 3603 Millar Ave Saskatoon
Call: 1 -833-978-8833
Email: sales@mckequipment.ca 

 

4. Levitt Safety: Levitt Safety is coordinating a mass national order which will use our joint buying power to reduce shipping costs and take advantage of bulk order discounts. They have created Emergency Supply Sourcing to display products we are sourcing and the lead times. To take advantage of this large national order, we are asking for all orders to be submitted by 5pm local time on Thursday, April 2.

Anyone who wishes to place an order can call 1-888-453-8488 or submit a web inquiry through the form on the Emergency Supply Sourcing page.

 

5. Black Fox Farm and Distillery: Black Fox Farm and Distillery now has sanitizer available. 200ml pouches, $3.50 each, and bulk format coming.

Meghan Mulder
245 Valley Road, Comp117 Site 319 RR#3, Saskatoon
Call: 306 955 4645
Email: hello@blackfoxfarmanddistillery.com

 

6.Outlaw Trail Spirits: Outlaw Trail Spirits current batch of hand sanitizer is dedicated to the Emergency Services and shelters in our community and will soon have 1 L and 18.9 L refill sizes of liquid sanitizer available on a first-come-first-serve basis for purchase.

Charmaine Styles
1360 Scarth St. Regina, SK
Call: 306 527 6533
Email: cstyles@outlawtrailspirits.com 

 

 

Sask. WCB offers relief measures for employers

Mar
30

 

     

 
 
 

 

 

 

Sask. WCB offers relief measures for employers 

 

Premium penalties waived for employers effective April 1 until June 30, 2020 during the COVID-19 crisis

 

Regina, Sask., March 30, 2020 – The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) is introducing additional relief measures for employers who are unable to pay their WCB premium payments. Effective April 1 until June 30, 2020, the WCB will waive penalties and interest charges for late premium payments.

 

The Government of Saskatchewan announced various measures to support provincial business owners during the COVID-19 crisis. To provide further relief for Saskatchewan employers, the WCB is:

  • Forgiving interest and penalties for late payments on 2020 premiums applied in the month of March.
  • Prioritizing employer payroll revisions to help employers reduce their premiums.
  • Suspending payroll audits until further notice except in situations where an employer may be eligible for a refund.

“We are dealing with extraordinary circumstances throughout the province of Saskatchewan. Recognizing the economic challenges many employers are facing, we are introducing these relief measures for covered employers while balancing our financial obligations,” said the WCB’s CEO Phil Germain. “By giving employers extra time to submit their payments without facing any penalties, they will be able to communicate their revised payroll estimates to the WCB and determine payment plan options.”

 

Employers who have reduced their workforce are encouraged to submit revisions to their 2020 assessable payroll estimates, which the WCB will use to recalculate their required premiums. Employers who have concerns about paying their 2020 premiums should contact the WCB to discuss their options.

 

Effective immediately, to ensure employers can release payment to their contractors promptly during the COVID-19 crisis, clearance letters will be available for employers that meet specific criteria, even in cases where the contractor’s WCB account has not been paid. Employers will not be liable for any outstanding WCB premiums the contractor owes.

 

Under the WCB’s legislation, The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013, the WCB is required to be fully funded at all times.  

 

The WCB will continue to monitor this situation and make decisions that balance the needs of employers and injured workers. 

 

- 30 -

 

Media contact:
Carolyn Van der Veen

Director, Communications

306.787.4386 or cvanderveen@wcbsask.com

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Upcoming Webinar: Worksite safety & COVID 19 for Residential Construction 

Mar
30

When: Apr 1, 2020 11:00 AM Saskatchewan 
Topic: Virtual Town Hall - Worksite safety & COVID 19 for Residential Construction 

This webinar will aid member firms in ensuring worksites are safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.  This webinar is hosted by the SCSA, the Regina and Region Home Builders' Association and Saskatoon and Region Home Builders' Association.

Industry must recognize that these truly are unprecedented times and the residential construction industry needs has a part in supporting the health and safety of the greater community. This webinar will provide safety information about the COVID-19 and assist construction firms with making safe decisions.

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fCukThg3RFey2InzZHksBw 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Virtual Safety Meeting March 31, 2020

Mar
30

 

 

 

 

 

You are invited to an important virtual safety meeting
March 31, 2020

 

Presented by SCA, Merit Contractors Association,

 Home Builder Associations, SCSA

and WorkSafe

 


               

Keeping your workplace and worksites safe during the COVID-19 pandemic

 

Construction has been identified as one of the allowable industries that can continue working during the COVID-19 pandemic. As you continue to work on your job sites, we want to ensure you have the knowledge and a solid understanding of what is required to work safely. A collaborative group from your industry is coming together on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 to share best practices to follow as we work through the pandemic. Please join us for this important information session on:

 

Tuesday, March 31, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

 

Use this link to join the meeting on this date and time: https://zoom.us/j/923088315

 

This meeting will be led by safety experts from the non-residential construction sector in Saskatchewan and will focus on advice to support non-residential construction sites.

 

For those who work primarily in the residential construction sector, a second town hall meeting will be held. Details to follow once those arrangements have been finalized.

 

 

 

                      
               

 

Residential Construction Considered an Allowable Business by Saskatchewan Government

Mar
26

The Saskatchewan Government announced the ‘Allowable Business to be Open’ list through the COVID-19 pandemic. This list included residential construction.

While the list of Allowable Business will be reviewed daily by the Provincial Government and can expand or contract  as the situation evolves, it is now upon the industry to ensure worksites maintain effective safety practices, and that the 2 meter physical distancing is effectively occurring.

The Regina and Region Home Builders' Association along with the Saskatoon and Region Home Builders' Association have developed a COVID 19 Safety Protocol to assist companies with staying open during the COVID-19 pandemic.  These resources can be located at reginahomebuilders.com and links have been placed on the SCSA's Coronavirus resource page

2020 Final Annual Report Now Available

Mar
25

Construction Specific COVID-19 Coronavirus Resources Now Available

Mar
23

The SCSA has posted a number of construction specific resources to the COVID-19 Coronavirus page

The following resources are now available:

  • Construction Site COVID Prevention
  • COVID-19 Advanced Cleaning
  • Exposure Control Plan for COVID-19
  • Employer Protocol for Pandemic
  • Safety Notice for Workers
  • Health Questionnaire COVID-19
  • Site Posters COVID-19
  • Contact Sanitation Checklist

The SCSA COVID-19 Coronavirus page is being updated constantly. 

A Call to the Construction Industry for N95 Masks

Mar
23

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has expressed a desire to plan ahead for Saskatchewan’s battle with COVID-19.  To improve the available supply of “N95” masks to assist with the treatment of COVID-19 patients, construction companies are being asked to help augment the supply of these masks.  The SCSA knows how important it is for members to support front line healthcare workers.

If your organization has a supply of "N95" masks that could be made available to health care workers, please drop off donations at the RRHBA Administration Office 1801 MacKay Street, Regina, Saskatchewan from Monday to Friday 9:00am - 12:00pm.  The RRHABA offices are closed to the public but donations of masks can be placed in the foyer area (between the front door and the door to the Office).  The SCSA will provide donation drop-off locations in other communities when they become available.

As industry knows, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a last line of defense.  The SCSA is offering a number of resources about COVID-19 prevention such as hand hygiene, cleaning practices, and identifying workers who are ill.  SCSA Safety Advisors (Regina, Saskatoon) are also available by phone and email to provide advice, guidance to our members who need assistance with toolbox talks, safe job procedures and emergency planning.

EAP or SAP to ensure safety?

Mar
23

EAP (Employee Assistance Programs) have traditionally been seen as the “go-to”, “one-stop” resource when it comes to workplace health. However; when it comes to workplace safety, and reducing risks of unproductivity, injury, fatality, and liability, there is a growing recognition that (SAP) Substance Abuse Professional processes may provide greater value. While EAP and SAP may share some roots, there are some very big differences that employers may wish to clearly understand.

Opportunities to prevent unnecessary injury and fatality occur regularly on worksites; yet how employers capitalize on these opportunities varies. When an employee presents to work not fit for duty due to substance use or impairment, self-discloses struggles with alcohol or drugs, or fails an alcohol or drug test (pre-employment, pre-access, post-incident or near miss, random, follow-up/unannounced, or reasonable suspicion), utilizing a SAP instead of, or in addition to EAP can provide a framework for both employer and employee for next steps without compromising safety.

EAP has long been and will continue to be a great employee service that is accessed voluntarily and confidentially for employees to get professional help for a wide-range of stressors. Unlike EAP professionals, SAPs are specifically trained to protect workplace safety by assessing employees, determining whether they meet criteria for a SUD (Substance Use Disorder) or not, and making recommendations concerning specific and most appropriate substance misuse education, treatments, aftercare, and follow-up testing. This framework helps to ensure employees get the right type and intensity of intervention, and allows employers to illustrate due process which can close otherwise open gaps for potential liability, litigation and grievances. Due to the voluntary and “client-centered” nature of EAP, matters of confidentiality often keep employers in the dark regarding an employee’s progress as the employee controls the flow of information. This is especially evident as some professional disciplines are bound by ethical dictates that limit the amount of information shared even in mandatory referral situations. This can lead to uncertainty in several areas and employers often have no assurance that an employee is getting substance misuse specific help, nor assurance that an employee is any safer to return to work. Alternatively, SAPs are “safety-centered”; processes and compliance are mandatory. This helps to increase employee motivation for participation and gives the employer certain assurance in regards to safety and confidence to take next steps. With SAP process, should employees not comply or fail to complete recommendations, an employer has more legal options available for discipline up to termination.

The WCB (Workers Compensation Board of Saskatchewan), states that the average number of workplace fatalities each year in Saskatchewan over the last 15 years is 37, and the average number of “serious injuries” each year over that period is 2400. While there are certainly many potential factors involved in causation, a portion will be directly or indirectly related to substance misuse. According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, roughly 12% of Canadians have a SUD (Substance Use Disorder), yet less than 1% ever access help. This may be due to the continued stigma around substance misuse and psychological health disorders and/or insufficient employer processes in managing these situations. A much larger percentage of the working population without a SUD may also report to work unfit for duty, which can be commonly overlooked, neglected, or mismanaged. For true prevention, it is vital that these situations be identified and effectively addressed earlier to prevent future unproductivity, injury and long-term costs.

Many employers may still be operating without sufficient alcohol and drug policies and processes to manage these situations. Employers that do have a policy may still be overly reliant on traditional practices and resources, or terminate employees without due process risking litigation and grievances. In an ever-changing and evolving world of safety and labour law, and with what is at stake, utilizing SAP processes can be very advantageous. After all, every employee deserves to go home safe and sound. This means employers must have the ability to help employees with physical, psychological, or substance related struggles without compromising safety.

 

Scott Heil, ICADC, CCAC, SAP/SAE
Qualified Substance Abuse Professional (U.S. DOT)
For more information please contact:
Scott@2bsure.ca (306) 260-4551

 

COVID-19 Update March 19, 2020

Mar
19
  • Access to SCSA offices in Regina and Saskatoon is closed and most SCSA staff are working from home.  SCSA staff are available by phone, email and electronic meeting to answer your questions and provide services.  See the following links for a staff directory of our Regina and Saskatoon offices.  General inquires can be submitted to scsainfo@scsaonline.ca
  • COR and SECOR Audits are being rescheduled.   Firms with a COR/SECOR status of "audit pending" are considered to be in good standing.  For inquiries please contact Program Services scsaprograminfo@scsaonline.ca
  • The SCSA web site will provide toolbox talks, safe job procedures and business information for member firms. A COVID-19 resource page is available at this link and will be updated on an ongoing basis
  • SCOT training can be accessed at any time.  SCSA online and classroom training is not available for the next two weeks
  • External meetings are being moved online. To reach SCSA staff please consult staff directories for Regina and Saskatoon or contact scsainfo@scsaonline.ca
  • The SCSA leadership team supports the work of the COVID-19 Task Force 
  • The SCSA mobile app is available on Google Play and the App Store

Safety is top-of-mind in everything the SCSA does, and the Association will continue to monitor developments from public health agencies to ensure the health and safety of members, employees, and the public

2020 SCSA Board of Directors Welcomes John Desjarlais

Mar
19

John brings a wealth of industry knowledge and governance experience to the SCSA Board of Directors.  Welcome John!

COVID-19 Coronavirus Resources

Mar
18

On this page is advice and links on:

  • Self-Assesments
  • When Workers Should Not Work
  • Tips for Protection
  • At the Office Tips
  • Best Practices for Business Owners
  • Additional Best Practices
  • Business Continuity Planning
  • Mental Health and Fitness
  • Policies

Regional Safety Committee Meetings Cancelled

Mar
17

Given the current environment and rapidly evolving circumstances relating to COVID-19, The SCSA Board of Directors has decided to cancel all upcoming Regional Safety Committee meetings. These meetings will resume at a later date.


The Board of Directors and SCSA staff are focused on ensuring that our membership, industry and communities can get through this crisis together. The SCSA has implemented operational measures to limit the spread of COVID – 19 such as suspended all staff travel, Advisors are available for online and telephone meetings as well as each office will be restricting access to the public. SCSA online training and SCOT will not be affected and can be accessed at any time.


As the situation surrounding COVID-19 rapidly changes, we will continue to evolve our response to it. Please visit www.scsaonline.ca for updates.