NLCSA History
The NLCSA is an industry driven, not-for-profit corporation committed to
providing cost effective, affordable and accessible safety training to the
construction industry in the province.
First announced in November 1996, the creation of the NLCSA is a major
initiative of the federally-sponsored Industrial Adjustment Service (IAS)
Committee and its predecessor, the Construction Industry Forum (CIF).
Specifically, the IAS program is a Canada-wide process used in both the public
and private sectors to assist communities, industry sectors and private
companies in facing challenges brought about by technological changes, staffing
reductions, lack of profitability and other economic and human resource
circumstances. Through these forums, each of the major industry, labour and
professional groups within the construction sector came together to discuss
ways to address such problems that plague the industry.
The structure and programs of the NLCSA are modeled closely to that of the Nova
Scotia Construction Safety Association (NSCSA) which initially came into being
in 1994 and holds the Atlantic Canada rights to the COR program. Nova Scotia
had previously purchased those rights from the Alberta Construction Safety
Association (ACSA). Construction Safety Associations operate in most provincial
jurisdictions in Canada and offer a wide array of safety training and related
services. This can be attributed to the growing concern in the construction
industry over the need for worker safety training programs that reduce the
financial burden companies face from industrial-site and other work-related
accidents and employee downtime.
The NLCSA has been charged with the task of lowering the frequency and severity
of workplace injuries and accidents and, ultimately, improving the competitive
advantage of the industry through effective loss control measures and a
heightened awareness of Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) issues.
The COR program is specifically designed to help
companies institute an effective health and safety management program. In
addition, the program emphasizes current safety training, legislative, and due
diligence obligations that both employers and workers have under the
OH&S Act and Regulations.