Mandate
The mandate of the safety association would directly relate to enhancing safety, making the industry more attractive for new employees and keeping the existing employees safe and healthy. The association’s work will result in a reduction of accidents/injuries, along with workers compensation rates for the fishing industry.
Objectives
The objectives of the safety association would be:
To facilitate a process to create safer workplaces, assisting return to
work and injury prevention activities
To develop and provide tools to help reduce the number and duration of
injuries occurring in the fishing industry
To increase awareness of costs associated with workplace injury in the
fishing industry
Functions of the Safety Association
The safety association will focus its’ efforts on prevention
education, advocacy, communication and awareness. This will be achieved
by the conducting the following functions:
Prevention Education
Implementation of an accident prevention strategy for the
fishing industry. Educate the industry on accident investigation,
preventing workplace injuries, ergonomics, etc.
Undertake concrete activities that are of direct interest to industry
and that have the potential to have a positive effect on rates. This can
be achieved by developing educational tools.
Research and Advocacy
The association would have the capacity to undertake research on
causes of escalating rates. Research could also be done on the economic
impacts that could result from the continuation of escalating costs that
could make the fishing industry in the province less competitive.
Continue the dialogue with Workers’ Compensation Board and Government in
their efforts to implement improved medical services in a timely fashion
– ie: Doctor’s Nova Scotia and the Physiotherapy contract.
Work with all stakeholders that have a keen interest in improving
workplace safety.
Communication and Awareness
There will be a means to show industry wide leadership on the
issue of safety.
Increase awareness of safety and celebrate success.
Promote a safety culture in the industry.
The association would have the means to communicate with industry on
causes, and various specific activities that can address these.
Governance/Membership
The safety association would be governed by a board of directors.
This board would oversee the activities and staff of the safety
association and would meet 4 times a year. This 15 member board will
host seats for 5 harvesting representatives, 5 processing
representatives, 3 representatives from aquaculture and/or services
incidental to fishing, and 2 seats for the Nova Scotia Fisheries Sector
Council. Ex-officio members (non-voting) would be secured from the NS
Department of Labour and Workforce Development, NS Department of
Fisheries and Aquaculture and Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova
Scotia. A 3 or 4 person executive would be formed, elected by the board
of directors. The executive would meet independently of the board, as
needed. There would also be an open membership of the safety
association, to those firms/individuals in the harvesting, processing
and aquaculture sectors registered with the WCBNS. This membership would
come together once a year for an annual general meeting.
Structure
The safety association would be housed within the Nova Scotia
Fisheries Sector Council. The safety association would have a dedicated
staff person to manage the safety association, but would share the
office resources of the NSFSC.
Funding
A membership fee would be charged once a year and would be paid per Standard Industry Classification (SIC) (company/individual). If a company holds more than one division within an SIC they would only pay once (i.e. 2 processing plants within an SIC). If a company has divisions in 2 or more SIC’s they would pay in both SIC’s (i.e. one harvesting, one processing). The WCB would charge this fee on behalf of the safety association to the company/individual and turn over the revenue to the association. The membership fee will be based on the previous year’s premiums paid.
Membership fees are paid based on the following:
0-$1000 of premium $50/year
$1001-$2000 of premium $100/year
$2001and above of premium $200/year
New companies entering the system would pay $100 for the first year and
subsequent years would be based on past years premiums paid.
Activities of the Safety Association
Full time Employee
Safety Advocate for Industry
Communication and Awareness
Programming for employers around Accident Prevention
Develop industry specific training
Offer training at a reduced rate