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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News-Record, 1978-01-19, Page 8PAGE 8—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 1978 Jottings from Queen's Park BY JACK RIDDELL, M.P.P. During the past session, there was considerable debate on Bill 70, the Occupational Health and Safety -Act, one of the most important pieces of legislation to come before the Legislawture in recent years. In the past, many Liberal Members have challenged the government on its inaction in this area. We have suggested major amend- ments to strengthen existing legislation to improve em- ployee protection in the province - amendments which Would not involve expenditure of additional public funds or endanger the employment of a single worker. The NDP wished to block passage of Bill 70, but we believed that it would be more constructive to support the legislation, albeit in an amended form. We were, however, concerned that the high degree of ministerial discretion which is envisaged would exclude thousands of workers from the bill's protection. People such as hotel and hospital workers, municipal workers, teachers and sup- port staffs of educational institutions, farm workers, staffs of provincial in- stitutions such as psychiatric, hospitals, mental retardation centres and correctional facilities, and workers in medical laboratories con- tinue to be excluded, yet many are exposed to hazardous substances such as pesticides and laboratory_ chemicals,as well as dangerous work practices. Some American authorities have suggested that farming has the third highest accident rate of any occupation, ex- ceeded only by mining and construction. Of course, special circumstances apply to the agricultural com- munity with respect to weather conditions, seasonal work, long hours during peak periods and machinery and equipment's designed and manufactured to different standards. For example, apparently the detailed regulations now in effect for industrial machinery and equipment simply do not exist for the agricultural sector. Last January, the Minister promised that an agrici 1tural repregentative would be appointed to the advisory council on occupational health and ,.afety - almost a year later this was done. - In -joint briefs to the Minister, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the Ontario Farm Safety Association and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association gene ---ally sup- ported an extension of health and safety legislation • to agriculture, provided that it is developed by the Minister in consultation with the agricultural advisory com- mittee. We have also urged the Minister to take a more ac- tive role in encouraging development of suitable regulations covering such working conditions as roll- over protection for tractors, guarding and shielding of farm equipment and personal protection equipment. While we realize that it will take some time to develop regulations suitable for the farming community, we feel the Minister should give a commitment to a specific timetable for the drafting of such regulations and the protection of agricultural workers. She has stated that dispassionate consideration has convinced the govern- ment that expansion of coverage would be • inap- propriate at this time. What more logical time}s there to consider expansion of coverage than when in- troducing supposedly com- prehensive legislation on this subject? In our view the legislation is lacking with respect to the involvement of both em- ployers and employees in achieving high standards of health and safety at work. Under Bill 139, the Minister was empowered to establish health and safety com- mittees, Composed of an equal number of employee and employer. represen- tatives, and to appoint worker safety representatives. To our knowledge, the MORE NEWS – MORE FEATURES Keep irlforimed with the Now * Racord Minister has not appointed a single such committee or representative. We feel these committees would be par- ticularly important for non- union employees, who may have no other effective channel of communication with their employer, and that the powers of health and safety committees and worker safety represen- tatives are unclear and inadequate. These groups should have access to both information and training from the occupational health and safety division of the Ministry or other sources. Thus there would be more reliance on accurate on-site monitoring and less reliance on inspection by the Ministry of Labour. On-site discussions, in- spections and recom- mendations .may not be §ufficient in some cases. Perhaps there should be some mechanism linking the role of the joint committees and safety representatives with the activities bf the Ministry. In the event that an employer refuse,s to accept the recommendations of a joint committee or a safety representative, perhaps an inspection from the Ministry of Labour within a short time, possibly three days. could be made obligatory. We believe that the 'aill is particularly deficient With. respect to id.entifying and preventing indusitrial health hazards. It contains a provision whereby an em- ployer shall accurately keep and maintain such records of exposure of. a worker to biolQQgical, chemical or physical agents as may be prescribed. What does the Minister have in mind in this connection?' Will these records be available to in- dividual workers, health and . safety committees and worker representatives? 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