New provincial safety group launches in Newfoundland and Labrador

With a rate of 2.9 per 100 workers, the manufacturing sector in Newfoundland and Labrador had almost double the provincial lost-time incident rate due to workplace injury or illness in 2019.

The fish processing sector’s rate of 2.8 per 100 workers showed a similar trend, compared to the provincial rate of 1.6.

To combat these trends, WorkplaceNL approved $1.5 million in late 2019 — to be delivered over five years — for the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters NL Division (CME NL) to create Made Safe NL, a provincial manufacturing and processing safety sector council.

Made Safe NL’s mandate is to collaborate with sector employers, workers, and stakeholders to improve health and safety outcomes and enhance safety culture by bringing together industry employer and labour representatives with a unified focus.

Work safe. Home safe. Every day. This is Made Safe NL’s hope for its workforce.

According to a press release, the group’s vision is that together, collectively, businesses are stronger and through awareness, guiding, coaching, mentoring, and sharing real-life lessons learned and industry best practice, can improve health and safety outcomes for manufacturers and processors.

Made Safe NL will collaborate with sector workers, employers, and stakeholders throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.