A new organization to address safety concerns in the provincial manufacturing and fish-processing sectors was formally launched on Tuesday.
Made Safe NL is a new safety sector council created through a $1.5-million commitment from Workplace NL that was first announced little over a year ago. The new organization will function as an offshoot of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Newfoundland and Labrador Division (CME-NL).
According to a news release issued Tuesday, the organization will get employers, workers and stakeholders to collaborate on finding ways to improve health and safety outcomes and enhance safety culture in the work environment.
Some sobering data from 2019 suggests there is work to be done on that front. According to the release, the manufacturing and fish-processing sectors had lost-time incident rates due to workplace injury or illness of 2.9 and 2.8 per 100 workers respectively that year, well above the provincial average of 1.6.
The new organization’s first project happened earlier this year — the creation of a health and safety document called “Guidelines for Healthy and Safe Operations During COVID-19 Pandemic.” According to the release, it has been used widely across the province and elsewhere in Canada.
“Made Safe NL gratefully acknowledges all manufacturers and processors that have been on the frontlines since day one of the pandemic,” said Christina Marshall, representing Made Safe NL and CME-NL, in the release. “Employers and workers in these vital sectors continue to produce goods and services to keep our economy moving and the people of this province healthy and safe. Our mission is to support them by fostering a culture of safety in the manufacturing and processing sectors across Newfoundland and Labrador.”
