Baxter appointed board chair of Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

OTTAWA—The federal government has announced four appointments and a reappointment to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) Council of Governors.  

Brenda Baxter was appointed as the chairperson of the CCOHS Council of Governors for a term of five years; Jenna Brookfield was appointed as a governor representing employees for a term of four years; Debbie Molloy was appointed as the governor representing the Northwest Territories for a term of four years; Gail Boland was appointed as the governor representing Newfoundland and Labrador for a term of four years; and James Hall was reappointed as the governor representing Manitoba for a term of four years. 

The CCOHS was established in 1978 by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Act to promote the well-being of working Canadians by providing information, training, education, management systems and solutions that support health, safety and wellness programs, stated a release. There are 22 seats on the Council of Governors. Thirteen seats are allocated to provinces and territories, four to employer groups, four to employee groups and one to the chairperson, who normally represents the federal jurisdiction.

Baxter is the federal assistant deputy minister of compliance, operations and program development and is the former director general of the Workplace Directorate within the Labour Program at Employment and Social Development Canada. She previously served as Employment and Social Development Canada’s co-champion for diversity.

Brookfield is the health and safety representative of the Atlantic Regional Office at the Canadian Union of Public Employees and was a labour affairs officer.

Molloy is the CEO of the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Boland is the assistant deputy minister of the Digital Government and Services Branch of Newfoundland and Labrador and also is a member of the Advisory Council on Occupational Health and Safety.

Hall is the vice-president of SAFE Work Manitoba, with the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba. He has 26 years of experience at Manitoba Hydro.

The appointments were announced by federal Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan.