Legislation to Promote Occupational Health and Safety Offshore
TREASURY/POLICY BOARD--Legislation to Promote Occupational Health and Safety Offshore
The government of Nova Scotia introduced legislation today that will promote the implementation next year of new federal- provincial measures regulating occupational health and safety in the offshore.
The Offshore Occupational Health and Safety Act gives cabinet the authority to make regulations that may be necessary under planned federal-provincial legislation on occupational health and safety in offshore workplaces.
"We want to move quickly to clarify responsibilities for regulating occupational health and safety in the offshore," said David Morse, Minister of Environment and Labour. "Nova Scotia takes occupational health and safety very seriously, both onshore and offshore, and we are continually looking for ways to improve upon existing laws and regulations."
The governments of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Canada have been collaborating on a project to update legislation and regulations governing occupational health and safety in the offshore.
Officials are working on revisions to the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Accord and the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Accord that will make occupational health and safety policies and regulations consistent for all East Coast offshore workplaces. They are also looking at better defining the legal responsibilities of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board, which regulates the sector.
Consultation with industry and labour groups is expected to proceed early next year.
The changes will be supported by amendments to federal and provincial legislation that governs the offshore agreements -- the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation (Nova Scotia) Act and the Canada-Newfoundland Atlantic Accord Implementation Newfoundland Act.
Nova Scotia's Offshore Occupational Health and Safety Act is intended to facilitate the creation of regulations to support the federal-provincial measures as the process unfolds. The bill gives cabinet the right to make regulations on such things as penalties, inspection and investigation procedures, and enforcement of orders, as needed.
"We are fortunate that offshore workers already benefit from some of the most stringent safety standards anywhere," said Mr. Morse. "However, everyone agrees that we need to clarify some of the legal gaps in the jurisdiction over occupational health and safety in this sector."