NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

A well-known member of the NWT construction industry has joined the ministerially-appointed committee that will recommend new Occupational Health and Safety Regulations to the GNWT.

Jack Rowe, co-owner of Rowe's Construction, has been appointed to the committee that will recommend new regulations governing workplace health and safety practices in the NWT and Nunavut. - Ian Vaydik/NNSL photo Committee Members The Safety Advisory Committee members, appointed by the minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission, are: Imo Adla, manager of workplace health, safety and wellness, department of human resources, Government of Nunavut - Iqaluit, Nunavut Sonja Boucher, nurse, Stanton Territorial Hospital - Yellowknife, NWT Mary Lou Cherwaty, president, Northern Territories Federation of Labour - Yellowknife, NWT Adam Chubbs, electrical engineer, Qulliq Energy Corporation - Iqaluit, Nunavut Stephen Moss, NWT fire marshal - Yellowknife, NWT Clarence Synard, superintendent and director of health and safety, NCC Development Ltd. - Iqaluit, Nunavut Jack Rowe, co-owner, Rowe's Construction - Hay River, NWT

And he's not shy when it comes to commenting on the past work of the committee, which has been criticized for its proposed new regulations – laws some say could adversely impact Northern contractors.

Last week, Jack Rowe, co-owner of Rowe's Construction, based in Hay River, was appointed by Robert C. McLeod, minister in charge of the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission, to the committee, which is chaired by Judy Kainz, the WSCC's chief safety officer.

The committee has come under fire for recommendations critics say do not reflect the realities of working up North, such as ceasing outdoor work after the temperature hits -45 degrees.

"So far what's happened is these amendments or changes have been done as a result of a committee made up purely of WSCC staff and their own internal forces," said Rowe. "There's been no participation by outside forces."

In October, following a town hall meeting of disgruntled Yellowknife contractors complaining that the construction industry was not adequately represented on the committee, the WSCC posted the names of committee members on its website. The list included Clarence Synard, superintendent and director of health and safety for NCC Development in Iqaluit.

"I'd like to think that everybody has read it," said Kainz, adding, "Things get overlooked. People don't read things. We're human, right."

Kainz defended the committee's prior work.

"They've done an awful lot of work," she said of the committee.

Rowe said he wants to make sure his industry's concerns are taken into consideration.

"...once they understand where our concerns are coming from, then hopefully they can amend them and make sure that they take everybody's view into play when they do put forward new regulations," he said.

Companies now have until March 31 to comment on the proposed regulations. In early April, the committee will begin to review the submitted material.

Kainz said the committee had already received "quite a few" submissions, many of which cited the clause discussing work in -45 degree weather.

"...once we've gone through it all and got responses for each comment, then it will go into a digest of all the comments and our responses to them," explained Kainz. "That will go out to everybody that has submitted comments. From there, we'll have to figure out whether we feel it's good enough. 'Have we made all the appropriate changes? Are we ready to go to the minister with it or do we want to recommend another consultation?'"

Concerned parties will be given a fair shake if their comments are not incorporated into the final set of regulations submitted to the minister, continued Kainz.

"...if we're not going to incorporate it, we need to give an answers as to why we're not. We're not going to just say 'No.' That's just not going to fly."

It's too difficult to predict how long the review will take, she added.

The committee was scheduled to meet during a teleconference yesterday to discuss members' availability in the coming months, said Kainz.

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