WINNIPEG, MB. – The province and SAFE Work Manitoba are joining forces to develop an industry-based safety program (IBSP).

The safety program will be for self-insured employers and will facilitate collaboration between a number of Manitoba’s largest employers – including municipal, provincial and Crown corporations. The province hopes to identify gaps and support long-term approaches to reducing workplace injuries and illnesses, Minister Blaine Pedersen said in a news release.

“We are committed to protecting the health and safety of our employees and the creation of an industry-based safety program will help to establish consistent safety practices and strengthen the culture of safety in provincial workplaces,” said Pedersen. “This is an important step forward in ensuring Manitoba’s workers continue to return home safe at the end of the day.”

The minister noted the creation of this new IBSP will provide a path for Manitoba’s self-insured employers to become SAFE Work Certified, a voluntary provincial standard for occupational safety and health developed by SAFE Work Manitoba, built around the safety essentials of leadership commitment, hazard identification and risk control, and worker participation.

“SAFE Work Manitoba congratulates the Manitoba government for demonstrating safety leadership in its support of an industry-based safety program for self-insured organizations and for taking an active role to help reduce the number of workplace injuries and illnesses in Manitoba,” said Jamie Hall, CEO, SAFE Work Manitoba.

The Manitoba government is the largest of a group of self-insured organizations that does not align to a single industry and therefore its operations do not fall within an existing IBSP. The City of Winnipeg announced its support of this program earlier this year.

If you want to learn more about SAFE Work Certified, click here.

Kevin Klein, Manitoba Post with files from the Government of Manitoba

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