9 new members include representation from labour, management and more
The Ontario Ministry of Labour has announced nine names who will take part in the newly formed 11-member Prevention Council, comprising of representatives from labour, non-union workers, employer and occupational health and safety field.
The nine new members are:
•Patrick Dillon, business manager and secretary treasurer, Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario
•Colin Grieve, occupational disease and Workplace Safety and Insurance Board worker advocate, Hamilton and Ontario Professional Firefighters Associations
•Nancy Hutchison, secretary treasurer, Ontario Federation of Labour
•Bryan Neath, regional director – Ontario, United Food and Commercial Workers Canada
•Linda Vannucci, director, Toronto Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic
•Michael Oxley, president and chief financial officer, DuPont Canada
•Gloria Rajkumar, CEO, Superior Independent Medical Assessment Centres
•Roy Slack, president, Cementation Canada Inc.
•Graeme Norval, associate chair and undergraduate coordinator, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Toronto
According to the Ministry of Labour, only nine of the 11-member council are being announced at this time. One employer representative and a representative from the WSIB are currently being finalized and will be announced in the near future.
The new Prevention Council will advise the Minister of Labour on a variety of health and safety issues, and support the efforts of Ontario’s chief prevention officer on the prevention of workplace injuries and illnesses, development of a provincial occupational health and safety strategy, and proposed changes to funding and delivery of services for prevention occupational injuries and diseases, the ministry said.
“This accomplished, dynamic group — selected from labour, employer and academic backgrounds — will work with the chief prevention officer to help improve workplace health and safety throughout Ontario. Our ultimate and shared goal is to eliminate work-related injury and illness," said Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Labour
Chief prevention officer George Gritziotis said, “I am looking forward to working closely with these prevention leaders to develop and implement a province-wide occupational health and safety strategy that will lead ultimately to safer workplaces for all workers in Ontario.”
The prevention council will report to the Minister of Labour through the chief prevention officer.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires the members of the Prevention Council to choose a chair by a date to be fixed by the minister.
