Message from the President

When I took up the post of President and CEO in August 2007, the transformation of the Commission was well underway. The renewal initiative begun in 1998 had, in fact, just borne fruit with the confirmation of three legislative amendments to the Act that governs us.

“My vision is to lead a sustainable, well-functioning agency that serves the stakeholders it was created to protect and support.”

— Sharon A. Watts,
President & CEO

Having worked with the Commission for several years previous, and having actively participated in the renewal effort, achievement of that milestone was personally gratifying.

Progress made since then, in this last fiscal year, has been equally rewarding. The HMIRC team has demonstrated continued dedication and professionalism and an enterprising spirit in taking the steps necessary to prepare for adoption of the legislative changes. The synergy, enthusiasm and creativity of our staff are remarkable.

Equally notable is the ongoing support of our Council of Governors—advisors and strategic partners representing labour, industry, federal, provincial and territorial governments. Their common vision and unity is truly exceptional and a driving force for this agency.

Bursting Forth

Our renovated offices are the most visible signs of a blossoming organization. Behind the scenes as well, much has been accomplished.

On the legislative front, we worked in close consultation with Council and our stakeholders to develop regulations that reflected the changes to the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act (HMIRA), both of which will come into force on the same date. The regulatory amendments will streamline the claim process and reduce the administrative burden on claimants. We created an online claim mechanism for the Commission’s website, and also modified the appeal process to improve the application of appeal board decisions in policymaking and training.

Over the past year, we worked hard to make operational improvements aimed at increasing our efficiency in the review of claims. Backlog reduction was our top priority and attending to the associated capacity issues a central focus. We produced a comprehensive business case that identified the resources needed to eliminate the backlog over the next three years as well as to strengthen our administrative and corporate capacity. This earned us the first year of funding, allowing for preparations to expand the team and renovations to existing office space to house the new recruits.

Aside from recruitment itself, we created a new training and development program for evaluators that will be implemented in the coming year as well as a leadership development program for team leaders and senior evaluators. In addition, we devised a human resources strategy that will act as the platform for our growth and evolution for years to come.

As part of our capacity assessment, we undertook a thorough operational review based on Management Accountability Framework (MAF) principles, and solicited input and observations from staff on areas for improvement. The results of these efforts have been reflected in action plans for both our Operations and Corporate Services and Adjudication branches. With those plans in place, and within the framework of a renewed organization, we have embarked on a comprehensive optimization of operational procedures and processes.

Evolution and sustainability

We look forward to our 20^th anniversary year with optimism, anticipating the fuller realization of our potential as an organization. Our role as a trade secret mechanism within WHMIS is unique—and critical. We are an important health and safety advocate for Canadian workers and a strategic partner to industry, helping to safeguard trade secrets and support market competitiveness.

Our statistics show that more than 95 percent of MSDSs filed with the Commission do not comply with WHMIS requirements. By serving as scientific reviewers of MSDSs, evaluators and advisors, we help ensure that the information that is shared with Canadian workers—outside of trade secret confidentiality provisions—is accurate. This protects workers’ health and safety and also supports the sustainability of the chemical industry.

Carrying forward our statutory mandate, we will continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure our ongoing relevance, streamline our claim exemption process to achieve further efficiencies, and strengthen our partnerships with fellow members of the federal Health portfolio.

We will maintain active participation in the review of the Hazardous Products Act (HPA) and other legislation that may impact the Commission and/or hazardous materials subject to confidential business information (CBI) regulations, and remain closely involved in the development of a Canadian implementation strategy for the Globally Harmonized System. Within our organization, we will pursue our aspiration to be a workplace of choice in Canada—one that rewards excellence and offers a supportive environment for all employees.

Our commitment is to ongoing renewal: we will remain connected to our mandate, dynamic and forward-thinking in order to ensure our relevance over the long term and to move Canada’s occupational safety and health system to the fore as an international model of excellence.

Sharon A. Watts