Act Now - The Report of the WCB Legislative Review Panel to the

not employ workers at a particular work site, have duties and responsibilities under theActs. There is no definition of owner or principal contractor. This is confusing.The current definition of employer excludes work sites where volunteers are “working.”The Panel has recommended that the definition of “worker” should include emergencyvolunteers and those volunteers whose organizations have applied for coverage of theirvolunteers under the Workers’ Compensation Acts. To be consistent, the definition ofemployer should include such organizations.Recommendations: 4.1.3 Definition of Employer1. The legislation should be changed to include owners, principal contractors, and subcontractorsin the definition of “employer’ and ensure that their collective andultimate responsibility for workplace safety is defined.2. The legislation should be changed to include those non-profit organizations that haveapplied for coverage of their volunteers as workers under the Workers’ CompensationActs.4.1.4 Process for Changing Codes, Standards, and Other Safety MeasuresThe Ministers prescribe codes, standards, and other safety measures in the General SafetyRegulations to ensure safe work places and practices. There is no requirement to seek theadvice of the WCB or stakeholders before changing regulations.A number of stakeholders told the Panel that before regulations are changed or a newinterpretation of existing regulations is implemented, affected stakeholders, or theirrepresentative organizations, should be consulted.The Panel heard from a number of stakeholders who are experts in their field. Theyexpressed the concern that the WCB cannot have on-staff experts in every type ofindustry or occupation and so may not have the internal expertise about safe workpractices in all areas. These stakeholders advised the Panel of their willingness to assistWCB Legislative Review Panel Report Page 87 of 128December, 2001