September 14, 2011

Gritziotis takes new gig

The Ontario Ministry of Labour announced that George Gritziotis, founding executive director of the Construction Sector Council, has been appointed chief prevention officer of the province.

He will be charged with developing a provincial occupational health and safety strategy.

The new position was created as a result of an expert safety panel led by Tony Dean last year.

That panel was formed in the wake of the 2009 Christmas Eve swing stage accident that killed four construction workers at a Toronto apartment renovation site. The expert safety panel recommendations led to Bill 160, the Occupational Health and Safety Statute Law Amendment Act 2011, which received Royal Assent in the Ontario Legislature on June 1.

As chief prevention officer, Gritziotis will be responsible for co-ordinating and aligning Ontario’s workplace health and safety prevention system, and providing advice on the prevention of workplace injuries and occupational diseases. He will have the authority to set standards to improve health and safety training.

In addition to establishing the chief prevention officer position, Bill 160 also established the Ministry of Labour as the lead for injury and illness prevention, transferring that function from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. The legislation also creates a new prevention council.

JOC NEWS SERVICE

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