Rights & Responsibilities

Workers Compensation Board of Prince Edward Island

Rights & Responsibilities

We all have the right to a safe workplace. And staying safe on the job is everyone's responsibility.

The WCB provides education services, inspections & investigations and resources to ensure you are aware of your workplace rights and responsibilities, and to help you prevent workplace injury.

Every person working in Prince Edward Island has:

The right to know about information and issues that affect your workplace health and safety.
The right to participate in your workplace safety by reporting unsafe or unhealthy work conditions, or joining your joint occupational health and safety committee.
The right to refuse unsafe or unhealthy work.

We will also work with you to make sure you know what your responsibilities are in keeping your workplace safe.

Your responsibilities as a worker include:

Reporting unsafe conditions and all injuries to your employer.
Working safely and following health and safety rules.
Asking for training if you need it.
Using protective equipment as required.
Cooperating with your health and safety representative or committee.

To download a Workers Health and Safety Responsibilities poster, click here.

Your responsibilities as an employer include:

Taking every reasonable precaution to ensure the health and safety of everyone at the work site.
Training workers on workplace risks and how to do their jobs safely.
Maintaining equipment and providing personal protective equipment.
Providing appropriate supervision.

To download an Employers Health and Safety Responsibilities poster, click here.

Safety is not only the right thing to do. It is the law.

June 21, 2019

Workers Compensation Board of PEI Welcomes New Chief Executive Officer

?Following the retirement of Luanne Gallant in April 2019, the WCB is pleased to announce that Cheryl Paynter has accepted the position of Chief Executive Officer for the Workers Compensation Board of Prince Edward Island. Cheryl is a UPEI graduate (BBA ‘95) and earned her Chartered Accountant designation in 1997 and recently earned her Lean Six Sigma green belt designation. Cheryl has worked extensively in private industry in the public accounting sector and in varying levels of management of financial, operational and sales roles in the hospitality sector. Cheryl joined Innovation PEI in 2011 as CEO and transitioned to the CEO of Tourism PEI after a year in a dual role, where she served until early June. Cheryl is a graduate of the 2015 Governor General Canadian Leadership Conference (GGCLC) and is past president and honorary life member of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce, past Audit & Environment Chair and board member with Maritime Electric Co. Ltd., past Governor of Atlantic Canada Economic Council, past board member of various industry and community, and minor sporting groups. She currently is a board member of the PEI Marathon and the Community Foundation of PEI and is a proud member of the 100 Women Who Care, Charlottetown chapter and the planning committee for the 2020 GGCLC conference. The Board would like to thank Luanne Gallant for her 42 years of service in various roles across the public service, with her last 4 years as CEO for the WCB. The Board also wishes to sincerely thank Tory Kennedy, Director of Corporate Services and HR, who served as Acting CEO, providing considerable leadership since Luanne’s departure in April. We look forward to continuing to serve over 70,000 workers and 5,000 employers across the province, through the fair and effective administration of the provincial workers compensation and safety system.

June 07, 2019

Keeping Fishers Safe

With the fishing season in full swing, safety officials want to ensure that Island fishers are working safely. Over the coming weeks, there will be an education and compliance initiative, where Occupational Health and Safety Officials will be visiting wharves to ensure that fishers are wearing their Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs). Under the, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act, a fishing vessel is considered a workplace. Within the regulations under the Act, there are provisions set out to address worker and employer responsibilities where there is a risk of drowning. “The goal of the initiative is to protect fishers by ensuring their compliance with the OHS Act and Regulations and raising awareness of the importance of workplace safety,” said Stuart Affleck, Chair of the Workers Compensation Board. According to a 2017 study by the Globe and Mail, fishing has the single highest fatality rate of any sector in the country. Over the past few years, there have been a number of fatalities in the fishing industry on Prince Edward Island. “Because the results of not wearing a PFD can be devastating, it is important that we do all that we can to reduce the risk for those working on fishing vessels,” said Tory Kennedy, Acting CEO for the Workers Compensation Board. “We know that if there is a higher compliance with PEI’s safety legislation, the probability of workplace accidents is reduced.” For more information about the OHS Act and Regulations, contact the WCB Occupational Health and Safety Division at 902-368-5680 or 1-800-237-5049, or visit the WCB website at www.wcb.pe.ca Aussi disponible en français.

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