Health and Safety

All workers have the right to a safe and healthy workplace – it’s the law.

Unfortunately, thousands of Manitobans each year continue to be injured on the job or develop illnesses from dangerous conditions at work. Some never make it home at all.

Workplace tragedies don’t have to happen. We can take action to ensure that workers make it home safely every day. With the right investments in prevention, backed-up by strong laws and strict enforcement, we can ensure that all workers stay safe on the job.

Employer health & safety responsibilities:

Under the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act, employers have primary responsibility for ensuring a safe and healthy workplace, and can face penalties and fines for putting the health and safety of workers at risk. The law focuses first and foremost on the employer’s responsibility to eliminate workplace hazards. Under the law:

First, employers must make every reasonable effort to eliminate workplace hazards;
Second, if any risk remains the employer must then take reasonable steps to control remaining risks;
Third, if any uncontrolled risk remains, the employer has a responsibility to implement safe work procedures to reduce the remaining risk; and
Finally, only after all of the above measures have been taken to eliminate, control and reduce risk, the employer must ensure workers exposed to any remaining risk use personal protective equipment.

For more information about health and safety laws in Manitoba, download a copy of the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulations.

Worker health & safety rights:

The Manitoba Federation of Labour fought long and hard to enshrine workers’ fundamental health and safety rights in law – they include:

1. The Right to Know

Workers have the right to know about dangers in the workplace, and how to protect themselves. You have the right to receive health and safety training, and to work under a competent supervisor who can show you how to perform work safely.

2. The Right to Participate

Workers have the right to participate in the day-to-day detection, evaluation and elimination/reduction of workplace hazards. You have the right to participate in health and safety activities and discussions in the workplace. Often, this right is exercised through involvement in health and safety committees and meetings.

3. The Right to Refuse Unsafe Work

The law protects your right to refuse work in conditions known or believed to be dangerous. For information about the steps to follow in order to refuse unsafe work, download a copy of the MFL’s summary of refusal procedures.

4. The Right to Protection from Discrimination

Workers have the right to protection from discrimination or punishment for exercising their safety and health rights. It is illegal for an employer to discipline or discriminate against a worker who tries to protect themselves or another worker from unsafe or unhealthy working conditions. This legal protection extends to:

your right to know, your right to participate and your right to refuse unsafe work;
your right to report safety and health concerns to a supervisor/boss, to a health and safety committee/representative, to your union, or to the government's Workplace Safety and Health Division;
any other rights you have under the Workplace Safety and Health Act.

MFL Health & Safety Conference

Every year, the Manitoba Federation of Labour hosts a Health & Safety Conference to share recent health and safety findings and best practices, and to train workers and union activists in health and safety work and advocacy. Please visit our Events page for more information.

Your MFL

A strong MFL is more important now than ever before. Premier Brian Pallister has already passed a law that makes it more difficult to join a union; undermined the collective bargaining process; and made cuts to public services – like healthcare and education – and laid-off workers. All this despite promising to protect public services and the people who provide them. We are fighting back and you can too. Learn more about why unions matter and get involved in your union or unionize your workplace.

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Action Centre

The Manitoba Federation of Labour advocates for progressive laws and policies that will benefit working families in our province. That means standing up on behalf of workers to defend their rights and pushing governments to do more to support good jobs, fair treatment, and safer workplaces. READ MORE

Publications

The Manitoba Federation of Labour speaks up on the issues that matter to the members and families that belong to affiliate unions, as well as working people across the province. Stay up to date with what is happening at the MFL.

Benefits of Joining a Union

Unions make a big difference in our workplaces and in our communities, standing up for fairness and social justice. At a time when income inequality and precarious work are major concerns for many Manitoban families and young people, unions continue to fight for good jobs, fair wages, and safer workplaces. READ MORE.

As a worker, you have rights

As a worker in Manitoba, you have rights. These are set out in laws and collective agreements and cover a whole range of issues, from health and safety to minimum wage and vacations to workers compensation.

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