Month in Review – Prince Edward Island

LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Transportation Safety

Sep 30: PEI ended public consultations on proposed legislation allowing

municipalities to exercise greater control over the operation of ATVs on municipal roads. The government is also considering doubling Off-Highway Safey Act fines for driving off-highway vehicles on any PEI road where such vehicles are banned, which are currently $250 – $500 for a first offence and $500 – $1,000 for a repeat offence.

PPE

Oct 14: With respiratory illness activity on the rise across the province, Health PEI implemented a mandatory masking policy at all its facilities. Health PEI staff must follow guidelines for mask removal as well as current infection control procedures, including proper hand hygiene, staying home when ill, and reporting any respiratory illness to their supervisor.

Action Point: Use the OHSI face mask policy template to enforce mask restrictions in your workplace.

Industry Challenges

Sep 22: Newly tabled Bill C-237 amends the federal Fisheries Act governing the management of Atlantic groundfish fisheries, provides for harmonizing the close times across the Maritimes provinces of Canadian fisheries waters of the Atlantic Ocean used for recreational fishing of groundfish.

Workers’ Comp

Nov 7: That’s the deadline to comment to the WCB on proposed policy changes to Pension Replacement Benefits (POL-124) that would give eligible pension replacement benefit recipients the option to convert their lifetime monthly benefit into a one-time payout, if the total pension replacement benefit falls at or below a specific threshold.

Environmental

Sep 29: Most wild species in PEI are being adequately protected with 60% ranked as secure or apparently secure, according to a new government report. The province’s Protected and Conserved Areas Network has grown by over 50% since the last State of Wildlife Report in 2007, and now totals 5.78% of PEI’s total land.