New mobile app helps employers in construction access WorkSafeBC’s COVID-19 resources on the go

Journal of Commerce | WorkSafe BC | November 2, 2020

As businesses across B.C. return to safe operation, they’re required to develop and follow a safety plan to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Every employer is required to have a COVID-19 safety plan that assesses the risk of exposure at their workplace and implements measures to keep their workers safe.

WorkSafeBC’s comprehensive suite of resources, including industry-specific guidance and a COVID-19 safety plan template, are now easier to access using a new mobile app for smartphones and tablets.

We recognize that for many workers and employers, their business doesn’t involve sitting behind a screen at a desk — they’re in the field, on a jobsite, or behind the wheel,” says Darrin McCaskill, director of prevention programs and performance at WorkSafeBC. For these people, their primary tool for accessing information is often their smartphone. “We have a lot of valuable information for both workers and employers on how to keep their workplaces safe, and we want to make it as easy as possible for them to access the tools and information.”

Employers are guided through the process of developing their COVID-19 safety plan within the app, and directed to industry-specific resources to help them do so. They’re then able to email their safety plan to themselves to print out later. In accordance with the order of the provincial health officer, this plan must be posted at the worksite.

Workers can select their industry in the app to see guidance and protocols relevant to their job.

By improving access to health and safety resources, this industry now has access to information they need to help keep their workers healthy and safe.

The app is available for iOS and Android. The COVID-19 Safety Plan is also available as a fillable PDF.

Stay up to date with COVID-19 information and resources as conditions evolve at worksafebc.com/covid-19-updates