Ex-labour deputy minister heads ‘interim’ health and safety prevention council

Following the recommendations from the Dean Panel review, Ontario has appointed the members of an interim health and safety prevention council. Former labour deputy minister Paavo Kivisto heads this team. Retired Ontario deputy minister of the environment and former labour deputy minister Paavo Kivisto has been appointed to lead an interim prevention council tasked to improve workplace health and safety in Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Labour announced today.

“The interim prevention council will help the province implement the key recommendations of the Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety, including the recruitment of a chief prevention officer,” a ministry statement said.

Kivisto is joined by other appointed members of the interim prevention council which includes: Joan Eakin, professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health; Vernon Edwards, health and safety director, Ontario Federation of Labour; John A. Macnamara, vice-president, health, safety and environment, Hydro One; Domenic Mattina, vice-president of sales and estimating at Mattina Mechanical Ltd.; Carmine Tiano, director of the WSIB Advocacy and Occupational Services, Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario.

The recommendations of the Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety were the result of broad-based consultations with labour, business, and workplace health and safety organizations. University of Toronto professor, Tony Dean, headed the review panel.

 “We couldn’t be more pleased with the expertise and commitment these people are bringing to the interim prevention council. This is another very important step towards making Ontario workplaces even safer for our workers and their families,” Charles Sousa, Ontario Minister of Labour, said in a statement.

On Dec. 16, 2010, the 10-member expert advisory panel delivered 46 recommendations to the province to improve workplace health and safety. The panel received more than 400 responses and conducted 50 meetings with stakeholders.