An Alberta worker lost his life last weekend after being overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas that leaked from an pipeline during maintenance work.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for Albertans to lose their lives on the job, according to provincial statistics.
Last year, there were 136 work-related fatalities in Alberta: 43 as the result of workplace incidents; 31 in motor vehicle collisions; and 62 as the result of occupation-related disease.
Alberta has made great strides in workplace safety: lost-time claims fell to 1.41 injuries for every 100 full-time jobs in 2010, from 1.53 in 2009. In fact, workplace lost-time rates in Alberta were as high as 4.13 per 100 full-time jobs just 20 years ago.
But the Alberta Federation of Labour, the Threads for Life charitable organization, other interested parties, and grieving family, friends and employers don’t believe the job is done, or that the province has devoted the necessary resources to the job.
Alberta’s 136 workplace deaths last year represent a jump of 26 lives lost from the previous year, so the AFL and other critics have reason to keep up the pressure. Even the government is aware that the job is not nearly done.
“We know occupational disease fatalities are going to continue to rise over the next few years,” Alberta Employment and Immigration Minister Thomas Lukaszuk said this week. A new partnership between government departments and the Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board has been launched to identify occupational disease causes and implement strategies to reduce that exposure.
And Lukaszuk announced this week that a new workplace inspection blitz will focus on summer jobs and the young people who hold them. It makes sense to impress upon the next generation moving into the workplace that safety is a matter of constant vigilance.
But do workplace inspection blitzes build a culture of safety, or do employees and employers shrug them off because of their rarity and lack of teeth?
The Alberta Federation of Labour wants ongoing random inspections (which will require a greater corps of inspectors). It wants inspectors to be given the power to issue tickets for infractions on the spot. It wants more mandatory training programs and the implementation of safety committees.
There is certainly incentive to make our workplaces as safe as possible. Many companies have established in-house health and safety cultures that help protect of staff, improve productivity and ultimately save money. Regular independent audits that demonstrate strong safety practices in a company can cut insurance rates, including WEB assessments.
It’s no surprise that workplace injuries jumped last year: more Albertans were back on the job in 2010 after a dismal 2009, particularly in resource-related industries. And they will return in even greater numbers this year, as the economy improves.
But a large part of this workforce is new, or their training is out of date. So it is critical that the province is as vigilant as possible in the inspection and enforcement of safety standards.
The AFL does not have ulterior motives when it advocates for more inspections. It simply wants to protect workers. This also protects employers, and saves the province money in health care, grief counselling and a host of other expenses related to injury and death.
It is good that Alberta’s workplaces put greater emphasis on safety. But the AFL is right: we need to invest in a system that inspects regularly, ensures quick remedial action, and enforces training and safety standards for all.
John Stewart is the Advocate’s managing editor.