October 27, 2018 – The heavy construction industry continues to make strides in cutting the time lost due to injuries on the job, the MHCA executive was told at a meeting Wednesday.
Year-to-date numbers for 2017 show that time-loss injury rates have fallen to 3.3 injuries per 100 workers. That, so far, is an improvement over 2016’s rate of 3.7. Five years ago, the rate sat at 4.6 injuries/100 workers.
MHCA’s director of WORKSAFELY, Don Hurst, noted that this good news for the industry – coming as a result of increased vigilance and safety training – is accompanied as well by lower rates the industry pays for Workers Compensation coverage. The industry’s average WCB rate in 2018 will be $1.67 per $100 of payroll, down from $1.99 this year. The decrease is a combined result of improved injury rates and the WCB’s financial position which has improved through investment returns.
The WORKSAFELY program update was among a number of priorities reported to the executive committee at Wednesday’s meeting.
MHCA president Chris Lorenc told the executive members there is progress on the association’s top files, including on work to protect access to Manitoba’s aggregate resources. A provincial pits and quarries advisory committee, composed of industry, municipal and provincial representatives, is expected to wrap up its work early in the New Year, to submit recommendations to the relevant ministers.
Among the other items discussed Wednesday, Lorenc reported that:
• MHCA will be conducting a session to identify industry issues and needs, which will be fed into the Canadian Construction Association’s own strategic planning;
• The Western Canada Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association continues with its work toward its own strategic planning session among the four western associations;
• The industry’s snow removal group has delivered its suggestions for improvement to the City of Winnipeg’s snow clearing policies. The administrative report is expected to go to the IRPW committee on November 21;
• Finance Minister Cameron Friesen sent a letter to the MHCA setting out a notice to the public sector that tenders are not to make use of reprisal clauses or local preference clauses. The sector includes government departments, municipalities, colleges, universities, school divisions, health authorities, Crown entities, agencies, boards and commissions; and
• MHCA has met with Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler and Deputy Minister Bram Strain, to discuss infrastructure investment programs and strategy. Lorenc said the message essentially was that Manitoba Infrastructure should focus on investment that contributes to economic growth, return on investment and boosting trade.
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