Source: https://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/Recommandations-Recommendations/marine/1999/rec-m9902.html
Timestamp: 2020-04-08 02:43:48
Document Index: 44883585

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 24', 'art 24', 'art 24', 'art 24', 'art 24', 'art 2', 'art 22']

Marine transportation safety recommendation M99-02
Reassessment of the responses to marine transportation safety recommendation M99-02
M99-02 in PDF [362 KB]
TSB Recommendation M99-02 (September 1999)
Transaport Canada's response to Recommendation M99-02 (November 1999)
Ontario's response to Recommendation M99-02 (February 2000)
The Minister for Prince Edward Island recognizes the importance of health and safety standards to prevent similar accidents from occurring. However, the Minister cited the lack of funding as a problem for enforcement, compliance and promotion of the issue of workplace safety in the commercial fishery. To address this problem, the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC) of New Brunswick is putting together a joint jurisdictional project focusing on educating the inshore fishing industry on safety standards following the British Columbia approach. The first meeting for the joint project (Nova Scotia, PEI, and New Brunswick) took place on October 27, 1999. The response indicated real concern and new initiatives are being taken to find funding solutions toaddress the deficiencies.
In addition, some provinces have been working with Transport Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and fishermen's organizations and unions in Newfoundland and Labrador, Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and British Columbia to further promote fishing safety. Some of the key groups involved with promoting safety within the fishing sector include the Newfoundland and Labrador Fish Harvesting Safety Association, the Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia, Quebec Standing committee of Fishing Vessel Safety, and Fish Safe in BC.
British Columbia's (WorkSafeBC) response to Recommendation M99-02 (February 2017)
In its response of February 22, 2017, British Columbia indicated the following:
As previously outlined in WorkSafeBC's March 2015 letter to the TSB, Occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations, including those related to fishing safety, are made and enforced by WorkSafeBC. Part 24 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) contains regulations related to fishing operations. These regulations apply to all owners, masters, and crew members of licensed commercial fishing vessels.
As part of its 2017 regulatory amendment process, WorkSafeBC is considering a proposed amendment to Part 24 of the OHSR that would clarify when lifejackets and personal flotation devices (PFDs) are required to be worn on commercial fishing vessels. WorkSafeBC will consult with stakeholders in the commercial fishing industry to help ensure the clarity of the proposed amendment.
As well, WorkSafeBC is continuing its review of its Prevention Policies in Part 24 of the OHSR. The Part 24 policy review will clarify requirements, eliminate redundancies, and correct inconsistencies between the requirements in Part 24 of the OHSR, the related OHS Policies, and associated OHS Guidelines.
WorkSafeBC has also continued with a number of its Prevention initiatives to improve worker safety in the commercial fishing industry. WorkSafeBC‘s Marine Initiative, which was developed to address serious injuries and work-related deaths in commercial ﬁshing, focuses on three main issues: vessel stability, the effects of cold water immersion, and emergency preparedness. In addition, workplace inspections by specially trained Marine based Prevention Officers include a continued focus on the use of PFDs in all marine sectors where there is a risk of drowning. The Marine Initiative will include proactive at-sea inspections and observation of work activities to determine compliance in the marine sector. In 2017, a strategic marketing campaign will be launched to get the message out to skippers and fishermen that PFDs save lives. The initiative will utilize Municipal Harbour Authorities as a conduit for the placement of key messages and awareness materials.
WorkSafeBC's Marine Team also utilizes a focused inspectional approach throughout the year to inspect short duration fisheries as they are occurring (e.g. prawn and herring). All Marine based Prevention Ofﬁcers are utilized for inspections during these events. These Ofﬁcers also conduct a series of smaller initiatives to focus on specific industry sectors. For example, officers may focus all of their time conducting trawl vessel inspections during a 2-3 week period, or use a similar approach for the commercial dive fisheries at various times during the year.
For 2017, a total of ﬁve full-time equivalent Prevention Officer positions have been assigned to marine activities. This provides for a targeted 622 ofﬁcer days in the field conducting dockside and at-sea inspections. In 2016, 403 inspection reports were issued resulting in 334 initiating orders written and 414 follow-up orders issued. In total, 73 ofﬁcer days were spent conducting at-sea inspections in 2016. There continues to be a focus on trap fishing (crab and prawn) and seafood harvest (dive) vessels as a result of concerns regarding work-related deaths and serious injuries in these fisheries.
WorkSafeBC continues to fund the BC Seafood Alliance's Fish Safe Program by allocating up to $400,000 a year through additional assessments applied to the ﬁshing industry classifications. Fish Safe coordinates and develops safety tools and programs for fishermen by:
Serving as an advocate for health and safety within the fishing industry;
Coordinating industry advice to regulatory agencies on health and safety issues and regulations;
Developing training tools for fishermen;
Monitoring and communicating accident patterns;
Improving safety awareness and procedures on board vessels;
WorkSafeBC also continues to meet with Transport Canada on a semi-annual basis and report on issues such as vessel stability, participate at Canadian Marine Advisory Council meetings, outreach to stakeholders, and develop bulletins and other educational materials on safety topics.
WorkSafeBC has a number of tools available to enforce the OHSR and other general health and safety provisions of the Act, including the use of orders, warning letters, administrative penalties, injunctions, and prosecutions.
ln 2015, legislative changes to the Act under Bills 9 and 35 introduced new enforcement tools and strengthened others.
The goals of the Bill 9 changes were to improve workplace health and safety and strengthen the tools that WorkSafeBC uses to enforce the Act and the OHSR. These changes included:
Expanded stop work order powers;
Changes to employer incident investigations including a requirement to complete a preliminary investigation within 48 hours of an incident and a full investigation within 30 days of the incident;
Expanded injunction powers;
Changes to penalty due diligence requirements by placing the onus of proving due diligence on the employer facing an administrative penalty;
Introducing OHS compliance agreements;
Providing for a new shorter timeline for requesting a review of a prevention decision;
Expanding the number of WorkSafeBC's Board of Directors to include two new directors;
Introducing OHS citations.
The Bill 35 amendments built on the legislative changes made under Bill 9 by expanding the role of joint occupational health and safety committees in workplace safety, and adding a requirement to immediately report to WorkSafeBC all workplace fires or explosions that had the potential to cause serious injury to a worker.
In closing, we trust the information provided supports a better understanding of workplace legislation as it applies to fishermen and fishing vessels in British Columbia as well as on WorkSafeBC's current and proposed actions taken in response to the TSB‘s recommendation M99-02.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide an update on WorkSafeBC's legislation and Prevention initiatives relating to commercial fishing in British Columbia.
Alberta's (Ministry of Labour) response to Recommendation M99-02 (March 2017)
In its response of March 6, 2017, Alberta indicated the following:
Alberta regulates Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) through the OHS Act, Regulation and Code. The OHS Code contains the workplace health and safety rules applicable to all industries, including the fishing industry, as most hazards are common to more than one industry. Industry-speciﬁc rules are included if they are of relevance to Alberta situations.
In Alberta, the foundation of the safety rules rests on the mandatory requirement for an employer to perform hazard assessment of the work site (Part 2 of the Code). Employers have an obligation to identify existing and potential workplace hazards and implement proper measures to control the hazards to ensure health and safety of the workers. Other safety rules hold employers responsible to ensure workers are competent to perform the assigned task (Section 13 of the Regulation) and workers are protected from coming in contact with moving parts of machinery or equipment (Part 22 of the Code). Alberta continues its effort in promoting awareness of OHS and workplace health and safety rules through publications, media and awareness campaigns.
The Government of Alberta is fully committed to ensuring Alberta has modern, fair and family-friendly labour law; however, decision on industry specific rules for the fishing industry will need to be made when we turn our attention to updating the OHS Code.
Saskatchewan's (Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety) response to Recommendation M99-02 (February 2017)
In its response of February 9, 2017, Saskatchewan indicated the following:
In Saskatchewan there are no regulations specific to commercial fishing. The Saskatchewan Employment Act and The Saskatchewan Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996, apply to all industries, including commercial fishing operations conducted within the province.
A comprehensive review of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996, will take place in the coming years. With this review pending, the development of a national standard for the commercial fishing industry that could be adopted by the provinces, as needed, would be of interest to Saskatchewan.
Manitoba's (Department of Labour and Immigration) response to Recommendation M99-02 (January 2017)
In its response of January 23, 2017, Manitoba responded as follows:
On behalf of the Honourable Cliff Cullen, Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated January 17, 2017, with enclosures. Please be assured that your correspondence will be brought to the Minister's attention.
Ontario's (Ministry of Labour) response to Recommendation M99-02 (May 2017)
In its response of May 25, 2017, Ontario indicated the following:
The health and safety of workers in Ontario is one of the Ministry of Labour's top priorities. As you are aware, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) applies to workers in Ontario, such as fishermen, who are not covered by the Canada Labour Code.
The OHSA requires employers and supervisors to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect the health and safety of workers. Precautions include the duties of employers to acquaint workers with any hazard in the work, and to provide information, instruction and supervision to workers to protect their health or safety. When determining reasonable precautions for the protection of fishermen, Ontario's occupational health and safety inspectors may use external resources such as those available from your organization and WorkSafeBC regarding fishing work.
I am pleased to respond to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's request for an update concerning the Province of Ontario's information on workplace safety legislation as it applies to fishermen and fishing vessels. Since 1999, when the board's recommendation M99-02 was issued, Ontario has reported to your organization the various steps toward this objective.
You will be interested to know that a new Noise Regulation under the OHSA came into force on July 1, 2016, which applies to all workplaces under OHSA, including fishing operations. A guideline for the regulation was released in December 2016 to assist workplace parties in understanding the regulation's requirements.
Ontario also amended the OHSA (Sections 37, 38, 40 and 40.1) and the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMlS) Regulation (R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 860) effective July 1, 2016. The amendments adopted new, international standards that are part of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.
The OHSA was also amended to enhance employer duties with respect to workplace harassment. Subsection 1(1) and Sections 32.0.6 and 32.0.7 of the OHSA were amended and Subsection 1(4), and Sections 32.0.8 and 55.3 of the OHSA were added. These amendments were effective as of September 8, 2016, and apply to all Ontario workplaces.
To assist the needs of small businesses, in April 2016, the Ministry of Labour created the Health and Safety Checklist, a new resource that serves as a starting point for workplace parties to understand the main requirements of the OHSA. lt is accessible from the Small Business webpage on the ministry website at www.labour.gov.on.ca/engIish/atwork/smallbusiness.php.
On July 10, 2017, Ontario further added the following:
Thank you for your correspondence regarding safety oversight for commercial fishing operations. I was saddened to hear of the incident involving the fishing vessel Bessie E., and my thoughts are with the people who had been on board, all of whom thankfully survived this incident.
Concerning the health and safety of workers in Ontario, the Ministry of Labour is enforcing occupational health and safety legislation and working with our partners to make Ontario workplaces among the safest in the world.
You have indicated in your letter that your “investigation has determined that the Ministry of Labour only applies the Act to fishermen engaged in aquaculture." As noted in my previous correspondence, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) applies to workers in Ontario, such as fishermen, who are not covered by the Canada Labour Code.
The ministry promotes worker safety through its preventative enforcement strategy, Safe At Work Ontario. As part of this strategy, ministry inspectors enforce the OHSA and its regulations in all categories of provincially regulated workplaces, including fisheries and commercial fishing, where appropriate.
The ministry was given an opportunity to review the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) draft report on the Bessie E. incident, and Deputy Minister of Labour Sophie Dennis recently commented on the report in a letter sent to her counterpart at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. The letter was copied to the TSB. Enclosed is a copy for your convenience. In the letter, Deputy Minister Dennis confirms the Ministry of Labour's consistent position that the OHSA applies to fishermen who are engaged in commercial fishing in a provincially regulated workplace.
Whether any particular undertaking is governed by the OHSA or the Canada Labour Code is determined case-by-case after examining the nature, operations and habitual activities of the undertaking. The province works closely with the federal government when making these determinations.
Fisheries and commercial fishing on inland waters, including but not limited to aquaculture, are generally examples of provincially regulated undertakings.
Quebec's (Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail) response to Recommendation M99-02 (February 2017)
In its response of February 21, 2017, the Province of Quebec indicated the following:
The Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) is the organization mandated by the Government of Quebec to review and enforce the legislative and regulatory provisions on occupational health and safety. To respond to the request that you sent in February 2015, here is the updated information concerning the labour legislation that applies to fishers and fishing boats in Quebec.
In prevention matters, commercial fishing businesses are subject to the Act respecting occupational health and safety. To facilitate the oversight of occupational health and safety in this industry, the CNESST just updated the information guide Health and Safety on Fishing Boats in 2016. It establishes the preventative measures and safety rules to regulate professional fishing more specifically. This information guide was indicated in the Safety Issues Investigation into Fishing Safety in Canada that was published in 2012 by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), to which you referred.
As already highlighted in that report, in 2011, the CNESST signed a memorandum of understanding with Transport Canada Marine Safety to clarify the responsibilities of each regulatory organization, considering that their responsibilities are complementary and can sometimes be common and shared. That memorandum defines the framework of their cooperation.
In terms of cooperation, the CNESST no longer participates in the Canadian Marine Advisory Council. However, it serves as vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Quebec Fishing Vessel Safety.
When accidents occur on fishing vessels, the CNESST conducts its own investigations for various purposes, such as documenting accident causes in order to better prevent them in the future. It also organizes prevention awareness activities in certain coastal regions. For example, in the Gaspésie region and the Magdalen Islands, an action plan for safety on lobster boats was implemented in 2012, which provided for various actions, including a radio publicity campaign in 2013 and 2014. Note that as part of that action plan, around 150 interventions were carried out with the goal of making it mandatory to wear a life jacket on deck. Moreover, that action plan allowed us to witness the lobster boat community's adherence to safety principles.
Furthermore, the CNESST updated its guide First Aid in the Workplace – Marine Sector in 2015. It is a supplement to the reference guide First Aid in the Workplace, and it aims to meet federal requirements regarding points to be addressed during marine first aid training.
Finally, the CNESST also contributes to the in-depth study of risks specific to commercial fishing with the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail. For example, a study was carried out to curb falling overboard on lobster boats, in which various stakeholders (representative associations, captains) closely collaborated.
Rest assured that the CNESST works in partnership with various organizations and stakeholders to improve the safety of fishing activities.
Nova Scotia's (Department of Labour and Advanced Education) response to Recommendation M99-02 (March 2017)
In its response of March 15, 2017, Nova Scotia indicated the following:
Over the past several years, the Department of Labour and Advanced Education (LAE) has been working closely with our partners in the fishing sector to improve ﬁshing safety awareness and compliance. In 2013, changes were made to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations to improve clarity on the use of PFDs where a risk of drowning is present.
Understanding that compliance requires more than just enforcement, we have created partnerships with a number of government and regulatory bodies, including the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Coast Guard, Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), and Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) of Nova Scotia. LAE has also engaged regularly with the Nova Scotia Fisheries Sector Council, Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia, ﬁshermen, and other fishermen associations. ln our efforts to meet recommendation M99-02, we have been employing various compliance techniques such as education and outreach, compliance promotion, monitoring, and enforcement, all of which have contributed to improved compliance and safety outcomes.
In cooperation with the WCB, we have launched media campaigns on television encouraging PFD use and the very impactful ‘What Matters Most' announcements that included the ﬁshing sector. Through our partnerships with the Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Fisheries Sector Council, we have supported development of fishing safe work protocols, delivered presentations at town hall/association meetings, and have been improving awareness and understanding of safety requirements in current regulations. The development of the Fishing Safety Now document specifically speaks to how this work has evolved and is being clearly supported by fishermen themselves.
During this past fishing season, department staff interacted directly with over 1000 ﬁshermen and visited over 100 wharfs around the province, speaking to the use of PFDs and explaining workplace regulations that apply to them. Ofﬁcers also developed and distributed vessel checklists for fishermen to follow during their own inspections and conducted vessel inspections for interested fishermen. ln addition, we attended 24 Man Overboard Drills.
All of this activity is directly in support of recommendation M99-02.
Moving forward, LAE will continue its engagement with the ﬁshing community and work with the industry to develop solutions to compliance issues (a recent example of which are hoists). We will also continue to monitor for compliance through inspections and enforce regulations when required. Use of PFDs will remain an area of focus.
New Brunswick's (Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour) response to Recommendation M99-02 (January 2017)
In its response of January 24, 2017, New Brunswick indicated the following:
As the Minister responsible for the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, my role is to focus on the legislation that governs workers' compensation in New Brunswick. However, it is WorkSafeNB that is responsible for implementation of workers' compensation legislation including the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Although provincial labour legislation applies to commercial ﬁshing vessels, the definition of “Place of Employment” in the New Brunswick Occupational Health and Safety Act does not apply to fishing vessels. That said, the New Brunswick Workers' Compensation Act establishes assessments and provides coverage for the fishing industry, but does so for “...undertakings in which twenty-five or more workers are at the same time usually employed” or on a voluntary basis for fishing enterprises that qualify for voluntary coverage.
Over the past 15 years, there have been several attempts at addressing the occupational health and safety regulatory gap in the commercial fishing sector. In general, industry stakeholder groups have not supported the idea of additional health and safety regulations for commercial fishing vessels.
The safety of fishermen continues to be of concern and remains under review. As mentioned by the former Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, Francine Landry, in her correspondence to you on February 5, 2016, Phase III will include a review of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which will include occupational health and safety in the fishing industry. Although it had been expected that Phase III would be underway by end of 2016, a firm date for commencement has not yet been determined until the completion of Phase II.
Board reassessment of the response to Recommendation M99-02 (May 2019)
Oversight of commercial fishing safety is a complementary and shared responsibility between federal and provincial authorities, and industry stakeholders. Efforts to improve fishing safety should be collaborative and must involve fish harvesters themselves.
British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador
The provinces of British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador, through collaboration with provincial government agencies, departments, boards, federal partners (Transport Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans), sector councils, safety and fishing associations, and unions, have worked to improve fishing safety. Much of the collaboration and provincial initiatives such as at sea inspections, distribution of reference material, media campaigns, and on-site prevention awareness activities, have helped make current workplace legislation more understandable and consistent with federal regulations. Each of these provinces has a regulatory framework and guidance materials that are available to and easily understood by most fish harvesters. These provinces represent approximately 68% of Canadian commercial fish harvesters.
The collaborative efforts within these provinces have resulted in a more coordinated approach to improve overall safety awareness on board fishing vessels. The Board is satisfied with the actions taken by these 4 provinces to date; it is expected that their ongoing work will make workplace legislation easier for fish harvesters to understand and will substantially reduce the safety deficiency associated with this recommendation. The Board considers the responses to Recommendation M99-02 for these provinces to be Fully Satisfactory.
The Board notes the province of New Brunswick's efforts to begin an education, awareness, and training campaign, as well as its implementation of a provincial fishing safety working group. The province indicated that progress has been made on industry consultations over possible amendments to the provincial Occupational Health and Safety Act. These amendments focus on including fishing vessels in the provincial definition of place of employment. The Board is pleased to see the progress that has been made, and encourages the province to continue these industry consultations. The Board acknowledges the actions taken by the province to date. New Brunswick represents approximately 14% of the Canadian commercial fish harvesters. The Board considers the response to Recommendation M99-02 from the province of New Brunswick to show Satisfactory Intent.
The TSB did not receive a response to its 2017 or 2018 requests for an update on the provincial workplace legislation as it applies to fish harvesters and fishing vessels in Prince Edward Island. The province indicated in its 2015 response that jurisdictional responsibility and workplace legislation did not apply to the fisheries sector. The Workers Compensation Board of Prince Edward Island was planning a consultation with the fisheries sector to consider bringing the sector into the scope of provincial workplace legislation. This province represents approximately 10% of the Canadian commercial fish harvesters. Given the lack of response from the province of Prince Edward Island, the Board assesses the response to Recommendation M99-02 to be Unsatisfactory.
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario
The provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario represent 8% of Canadian commercial fish harvesters.
The Board notes that the province of Alberta regulates occupational health and safety through the OHS Act, regulation and code. These apply to all industries and are not specific to the fishing industry. The Board assesses the response from the province of Alberta to Recommendation M99-02 as Unable to assess.
The Board notes that the province of Saskatchewan does not have any regulations specific to commercial fishing and that the Saskatchewan Employment Act and The Saskatchewan Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996, apply to all industries, including commercial fishing operations. The Board also notes that the province of Saskatchewan is planning a comprehensive review of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996 in the future. However, the province is interested in having a national standard for the commercial fishing industry.The Board assesses the response from the province of Saskatchewan to Recommendation M99-02 as Unable to assess.
The Board notes that the province of Manitoba indicated that this recommendation would be brought to the attention of the Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade. However, a detailed response was not received. Therefore, the Board assesses the response from the province of Manitoba to Recommendation M99-02 as Unable to assess.
The Board notes that the province of Ontario indicated that the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) applies to all workers in the province including fisheries and commercial fishing on inland waters and only to fishermen not covered by the Canada Labour Code. The Board also notes that the province liaises with the federal Government to determine jurisdiction and looks to other resources such as WorkSafeBC for further assistance. However, the Board is concerned that there are no regulations specific to the fishing industry. The Board assesses the response from the province of Ontario to Recommendation M99-02 as Satisfactory in Part.
Until those provinces with a sizable population of commercial fish harvesters ensure that their workplace legislation applies to fish harvesters and is readily understood by them, the underlying safety deficiency will remain. Therefore, the Board considers the response to Recommendation M99-02 to be Satisfactory in Part.
The TSB will continue its outreach efforts with the provinces of Ontario, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, and will monitor these provinces until they have taken actions to address the safety deficiency identified in Recommendation M99-02. The TSB will monitor whether provincial workplace legislation applies to the commercial fishing industry, whether it is presented in a manner that is readily understood by those working in the industry, and whether provincial enforcement mechanisms and regulatory regimes complement each other.
For these provinces, this deficiency file is Active.