Dear members of CIWAA,
I wanted to draw your attention to a just-released report we (Jared Matsunaga Turnbull and Bob Barnetson) partnered on with the Parkland Institute called “Safer by Design: How Alberta Can Improve Workplace Health and Safety”. The report draws on a survey of 2000 Alberta Workers and their own experiences with workplace health and safety. It reveals that:
1. Most workplace injuries are not reported
2. Most employers violate Alberta’s safety rules
3. Workers are afraid to exercise their safety rights
These findings suggest that despite the recent progressive and significant changes to our Occupational Health and Safety legislation, enacting additional rights and obligations alone may not address the problem of unsafe workplaces. The report makes 13 recommendations, including increasing inspection levels, introducing meaningful and mandatory consequences for violations, and improving worker-focused safety education.The report is available for free download here: https://www.parklandinstitut
