July 12 marks one-year since the tragic incident Richmond, B.C. (July 11, 2022) — On July 12, 2021, acatastrophic failure occurred while workers dismantled a tower crane at a construction site on St. Paul Street in Kelowna. As a result, five workers died, including four workers at the construction site and a worker unrelated to the…
Read MoreRecent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
June 23, 2022 Construction incident summaries are based on information obtained as soon as possible after the incidents: they are preliminary and subject to change. Details have been edited to protect workers’ privacy. See additional summaries online. Injury Type: Lacerated arm, undetermined injuries (1 worker) Core Activity: Renovation work – exterior industrial, commercial, industrial, or highrise residential Location: Lower…
Read MoreUPDATE: Agreement reached to end concrete strike in B.C.
Journal of Commerce | Shannon Moneo | June 24, 2022 The five-week-old strike by Rempel Bros. Concrete truck drivers is over. A tentative deal was struck around 2 p.m. on June 23, with the ratification vote happening at 7 p.m. The offer, from employer Lehigh Hanson, was accepted by 62 of the Teamsters Local 213 members….
Read MoreConcrete crisis: Shortages cracking up B.C. construction
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | June 21, 2022 Fires, strikes, shipping challenges and more. A series of issues in B.C. are creating a shortage of one of the most used materials on earth: concrete. Racy Sidhu, the chairman of Concrete BC and a managing partner YAAT Ready Mix Concrete, explained the shortage stems from…
Read MoreBCCA’s Builders Code helps build positive worksite cultures
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | June 29, 2022 A growing number of B.C. construction employers are adopting the Builders Code as part of their commitment to reduce bullying, harassment and hazing and establish a standard code of conduct for workers on construction sites. Created in 2019 by the BC Construction Association (BCCA), the Builders…
Read MoreUpcoming WorkSafeBC Rate Sessions
You are invited to attend one of WorkSafeBC’s virtual rate consultation sessions Join WorkSafeBC, and other B.C. employers, to learn more about WorkSafeBC’s preliminary assessment premium rates for 2023, and what you can do to reduce injuries, claim costs, and your premium rate. The virtual rate consultation sessions take place on July 18 and 20….
Read MoreAssurance in Writing – 30M33
The revised 30M33 form is live and available online. Improved Form 30M33 now available This month, WorkSafeBC is taking a step toward better protecting workers working near energized high-voltage electrical equipment or conductors. We’ve launched a revised version of the Assurance of Compliance with Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, Part 19 (Form 30M33). The purpose of…
Read MoreICBA’s Gardner warns there’s a ‘tsunami of mental wellness challenges’ coming
Journal of Commerce | Grant Cameron | June 22, 2022 The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health and substance abuse challenges in construction and the industry must make it easier for workers to speak up if they are struggling and need help. That was the message from Chris Gardner, president of the Vancouver-based Independent Contractors and…
Read MoreB.C. construction boss jailed and company fined $25K over repeated workplace safety issues
Dalwinder Singh Kandola and G & D Construction Ltd. sentenced for violations of 2017 court order Bethany Lindsay · CBC News · Posted: Jun 10, 2022 4:00 AM PT The director of a Metro Vancouver construction company is headed to jail after repeated workplace safety violations in defiance of a court injunction. Dalwinder Singh Kandola and G & D…
Read MoreOrion: Construction challenges piling up, putting projects at risk in B.C.
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | June 15, 2022 COVID-19, labour shortages, massive price fluctuations. For B.C. builders it seems like one problem on top another. Josh Gaglardi, principal and founder of Orion Construction, has had to come up with creative strategies to mitigate the issues but says doing business has been getting harder and…
Read MoreApprenticeship Service Funding Announcement at National Apprenticeship Conference in Halifax
Halifax, NS – May 30, 2022 – The launch of the Apprenticeship Service stands to help overcome financial barriers employers face to hiring and training first-year apprentices, according to the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA). The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, traveled to the CAF-FCA’s National Apprenticeship Conference in Halifax to announce…
Read MoreRecent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
June 6, 2022 Construction incident summaries are based on information obtained as soon as possible after the incidents: they are preliminary and subject to change. Details have been edited to protect workers’ privacy. See additional summaries online. Injury Type: Fatal Core Activity: Steel frame erection / Industrial, commercial, institutional or highrise residential contracting or construction Location: Lower Mainland Date…
Read MoreTwo businesses fined for asbestos violations in Richmond
Richmond News | Valerie Leung | June 8, 2022 One business was fined $80,000 for repeated high-risk violations. Two firms responsible for handling asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) have been fined by WorkSafeBC for two separate cases of failing to remove hazardous materials from Richmond sites. Green Clover Asbestos was fined $80,000 on April 28 for repeated…
Read MoreProposed Amendments to Schedule 2, Non-Traumatic Hearing Loss
WorkSafeBC’s Policy, Regulation and Research Department is releasing a discussion paper on proposed amendments to Schedule 2, Non-Traumatic Hearing Loss, of the Workers Compensation Act. Schedule 2 is used to determine compensation for workers who have developed hearing loss gradually as a result of exposure to occupational noise. The schedule, which was last updated over 40…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC Board of Directors approves amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
At its March 2022 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. These amendments will come into effect on August 22, 2022. Strikethrough versions of the amendments with explanatory notes can be accessed below. Deletions in the regulatory amendments are identified with a strikethrough and additions are in bold text and highlighted in yellow….
Read MoreSafety Headgear
WorkSafeBC would like to provide stakeholders with an update on our ongoing efforts to engage workers and employers on the amendments to OHS Regulation Part 8 (safety headgear), which took effect on September 1, 2021. Since the regulation changed, WorkSafeBC has been helping employers to understand their requirements to take steps to eliminate or minimize…
Read MoreRighteous regulation: Construction health and safety’s new frontier
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | May 13, 2022 Construction health and safety is in a period of transition. Until recently, the emphasis was on physical safety and the need to prevent injuries at work. Now, thanks in part to COVID-19, more attention is being paid to the behavioural side of safety and to health….
Read MorePolicy & Regulation Workplans
WorkSafeBC’s Policy, Regulation and Research Department (PRRD) consults with internal and external stakeholders to develop effective policies and regulations regarding occupational health and safety, compensation for injured/disabled workers and their dependants, and employer assessments. The PRRD also conducts annual consultation to establish workplans that set out policy and regulation related priorities for prevention, occupational health…
Read MoreJune 2022 virtual public hearing on proposed regulatory amendments
WorkSafeBC is holding a virtual public hearing on proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The virtual public hearing will be streamed live on June 21, 2022, in two sessions. The first will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the second from 3 to 5 p.m. Further information on how to view the virtual public hearing will be provided on the WorkSafeBC website….
Read MoreSurrey cracking down on construction crime
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | May 11, 2022 Officials in Surrey are looking to crack down on illegal construction with a new, specialized team. The Illegal Construction Enforcement Team (ICET) has been tasked with sniffing out unpermitted residential construction in Surrey. The team’s formation follows a recent update to city bylaws that doubled fines…
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