For Immediate Release
November 24, 2020
New Provincial Health & Safety Organization Launched to Foster Safety Culture in Manufacturing and Processing Sectors
ST. JOHN’S NL – With a rate of 2.9 per 100 workers, the manufacturing sector 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. It is Made Safe NL’s hope for our workforce, and our mission.
We would like to thank all employers and workers in the manufacturing and processing sectors for their tireless efforts during this pandemic. Our experience over the past eight months has taught us that by doing our part individually, we can collectively make a huge impact.
The essence of Made Safe NL is the same – we believe that together, collectively, we are stronger and through awareness, guiding, coaching, mentoring, and sharing real-life lessons learned and industry best practice we can improve health and safety outcomes for our manufacturers and processors.
By keeping shelves stocked and pivoting workflows to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) when it was critically needed, manufacturers and processors in this province stepped forward to support their fellow Newfoundlanders and Labradorians – their friends, family, and neighbours.
We recognized early in the pandemic that organizations were facing an incredible level of uncertainly for the health and safety of their workforce; so, our first order of business was to develop and release the Guidelines for Healthy and Safe Operations During COVID-19 Pandemic. This document draws on current science, established health and safety processes, as well as industry best practice to give workplaces a practical tool to assist them in managing the difficult decisions they faced each day since early March. The Guideline has been utilized widely throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, and across the country.
We look forward to collaborating with sector workers, employers, and stakeholders throughout Newfoundland and Labrador because together we are stronger and together, we can make a difference.
QUOTES
“Made Safe NL gratefully acknowledges all manufacturers and processors that have been on the frontlines since day one of the pandemic. 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.”
Christina Marshall CRSP, Made Safe NL, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
“On behalf of the team at Genoa, I want to congratulate our colleagues at CME-NL on the launch of Made Safe NL. Now more than ever, strong safety practices are so important, and this initiative is one we support wholeheartedly. We look forward to seeing the impact of this unfold among our province’s manufacturers and processors, and at Genoa, we commit to doing our part for our team, our families and our community.”
Gina Pecore, CEO, Genoa Design International
“I truly believe that Dynamic Air Shelters and other employers in our sectors will benefit greatly from Made Safe NL’s efforts. We all want the same thing – we are all employees; we want to go to work each day, to work safely and efficiently, and make a positive contribution to the economy of this province. I am honoured to be a part of this initiative and look forward to making a contribution by sharing best practices and learning from others.”
Kay Riggs, COO, Dynamic Air Shelters
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Learn more:
Made Safe NL Guidelines for Healthy and Safe Operations During COVID-19 Pandemic
WorkplaceNL Manufacturing Industry Highlights 2019
WorkplaceNL Fish Processing Industry Highlights 2019
