SASKATCHEWAN WORKPLACE SAFETY RECORD SHOWS IMPROVEMENT

The number of people working in Saskatchewan is up and the number of workplace injuries is down.

Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board figures for 2004 show the time loss injury rate in Saskatchewan workplaces has declined by 11 per cent over the past two years. A time loss injury is an injury serious enough to require the worker to leave the job site for medical care.

"The 11 per cent decline in the time loss injury rate is good news indeed," Labour Minister Deb Higgins said. "It means we are on track to reach the target we set in 2002 of a 20 per cent reduction in the time loss injury rate by the end of 2007."

Higgins credits the declining injury rate to the increased efforts of workers and employers, but cautions "still more remains to be done because, even with the decline to date, too many people are being injured in provincial workplaces."

Higgins said Saskatchewan Labour's increased focus on education, enforcement and technical support complements health and safety efforts in individual workplaces.

In September 2003, Saskatchewan Labour released a five-point action plan to reduce the rate of injuries and illnesses in provincial workplaces. Since then, the number of workplace inspections in the province has increased 50 per cent and the number of prosecutions for occupational health and safety violations has tripled.

As well, there are now over 4,200 Occupational Health Committees (OHC) in provincial workplaces and Saskatchewan Labour has increased the number of training courses for employer and worker OHC members.

The Department of Labour is also providing workplaces in the province with more than 4,000 technical services annually in areas such as hygiene, ergonomics and radiation safety.

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For More Information, Contact:

Allan Walker Labour Regina Phone: (306) 787-4481