SFNFCI Launches OH&S Program

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The Institute has been steadily growing over the last few years, and as the number of staff and utilization of our classroom space increase, we’ve decided to develop and implement an Occupational Health and Safety Program.

As a First Nations business operating on-reserve, this decision was made after we answered several key questions: 

Does SFNFCI need to have an OH&S program?

Are we provincially or federally regulated?

Do we have the capacity to maintain this program?

In discussing and researching the matter we found some great articles and information that informed the development of policies and procedures around health and safety and the implementation of a full OH&S Program:

https://www.mltaikins.com/aboriginal/which-jurisdiction-governs-first-nation-employers/

http://blog.firstreference.com/federal-or-provincial-understanding-employment-and-labour-law-jurisdiction-for-first-nations-employers/

“Canadian courts have recognized that labour relations are presumptively a provincial matter, and that the federal government has jurisdiction over labour relations only by way of exception. This exception has always been narrowly interpreted. [emphasis added]” 

NIL/TU,O Child and Family Services Society v. B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (“NIL/TU,O”), 2010 SCC 45 at para 11.

We nominated several staff members to serve on the OH&S Committee and held our first official committee meeting this week.                                                                                                                 

LEFT-RIGHT

SHELLEY THOMAS PROKOP (CO-CHAIR), MERILEE MORALES, BRENDA MCCONERY, PATRICIA GARDYPIE, RAISSA GRAUMANS (CO-CHAIR)

As an organization dedicated to the support of First Nations agencies across the province we are proud to move forward, continually developing and promoting policies and programs that ensure the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being of employees and those who visit our workplace.