Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen | March 14, 2022 BC contractors who are working in areas where flooding has occurred may need to carry out a site risk assessment to determine if there are residual effects of contaminates, including exposure to naturally occurring asbestos (NOA), as is known to occur in the Sumas River area….
Read MoreSponsored Content: BCCSA welcomes new board chair Lesa Lacey
Journal of Commerce | ConstructConnect™ Media | March 14, 2022 First female chair demonstrates a commitment to safety; a talent for making connections Lesa Lacey has always been a bridge builder and a champion of inclusion. Since Day One as the first female chair of the B.C. Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA), she’s been leveraging those strengths…
Read MoreChanges to Masks, Vaccine Card, COVID Safety Plans
Masks – Repealed March 11 The provincial government has announced that as of tomorrow, March 11, at 12:01am, the health order requiring masks to be worn in indoor public settings and workplaces will end. Masks will no longer be required by a public order to be worn, but people are free to use them as they…
Read MoreRecent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
March 8, 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 finger Core Activity: House or other wood frame contracting, construction, or renovation work Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2022-Feb…
Read MoreLawsuits launched in construction deaths of Gabriola Island friends
Vancouver Sun | Joseph Ruttle | Mar 10, 2022 Chris Straw and Marc Doré were killed on March 16, 2021, while the pair worked on the foundation of Straw’s new home The families of two Gabriola Island friends who died when a concrete boom collapsed while they worked on the foundation of a new home…
Read MoreB.C. proposes new asbestos abatement requirements under Workers Compensation Act
WorkSafeBC | March 7, 2022 The provincial government recently introduced Bill 5 – 2022: Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2022, which proposes new protections to help keep workers safe from the danger of asbestos. The proposed amendments include the establishment of requirements that asbestos abatement contractors must be licensed to operate in British Columbia, and that…
Read MoreBC Centre on Substance Use – Construction industry initiative ~ March Webinars
Employment is a key outcome of addiction treatment and important part of the recovery journey. In this event, BCCSU identifies the state of evidence and current practices pertaining to return-to-work for construction workers, and offer high-level recommendations to create or optimize workplace’s substance use policies to support workers return to work. BCCSU is also inviting…
Read MoreRecent Work-Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC
February 22, 2022 The following 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: Temporary loss of consciousness, fractured ribs Core Activity: Low slope roofing Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2022-Feb A…
Read MoreB.C. moves to become first in Canada to license asbestos contractors
Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen | February 18, 2022 Proposed amendments to B.C.’s Workers Compensation Act will require asbestos abatement contractors to be licensed, a first in Canada, and employers and workers to undergo mandatory training to a set provincial competency level and be certified by WorkSafeBC (WSBC). The amendments will impact assessing, removing, repairing,…
Read MoreWhat’s new in construction health and safety R&D?
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | January 28, 2022 The BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) knows how to keep busy. In addition to providing training, consulting services and a wide range of safety resources, BCCSA also funds research and development (R&D). The money comes from the organization’s Research, Development and Opportunity Fund (RDO), a special…
Read MoreTower crane regulation update still up in the air
Journal of Commerce | Ian Harvey | January 28, 2022 Seven months after announcing a review of tower crane regulations and asking for submissions, Ontario seems no closer to moving forward with changes. This after its own safety blitz in 2021, which led to the announcement, found eight cases where workers not apparently qualified to operate…
Read MoreTime to give worn out footwear the boot
Journal of Commerce | Ian Harvey | January 28, 2022 When it comes to PPE, the obvious is often overlooked. Sure, there’s a hard hat, safety glasses, high visibility vest, gloves and workboots but how often are those work boots inspected for serviceability? If you’re part of Teamsters 419 working for Canada Crane you get an…
Read MoreCanadian construction health and safety always a work in progress
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | January 28, 2022 Because of time and molecular energy, nothing stays the same; everything changes. Anyone working in construction is familiar with the ebb and flow of growth and decline in their industry, including that part of it concerned with health and safety. “The mix of industries in Canada…
Read MoreB.C. crane operator program sees success elevating site safety
Journal of Commerce | Grant Cameron | February 2, 2022 A unique crane operator certification program that was started in British Columbia in 2008 has had a significant positive impact on safety, says Clinton Connell, executive director of the BC Association for Crane Safety, an advisory body that addresses standards and regulations in the industry. According…
Read MorePandemic Recovery Survey – BC Chamber of Commerce
On January 1, 2022, the Government of B.C. implemented mandated Paid Sick Leave for employees across British Columbia. Employers are responsible for paying eligible employees five days of sick leave per year. With the rapid rise of the Omicron variant, many B.C. businesses and organizations are expected to be affected by both “functional closures” and the…
Read MoreRecent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
January 25, 2022 The following 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: Road construction Location: Northern B.C. Date of Incident: 2022-Jan A worker driving a vehicle was involved…
Read MoreProposed policy amendments regarding permanent psychological disability benefits
WorkSafeBC’s Policy, Regulation and Research Department is releasing a discussion paper, with options and draft policy, on permanent psychological disability benefits. Where an injury, mental disorder, or occupational disease results in a permanent psychological impairment, WorkSafeBC may provide a worker with permanent disability benefits. Our policy provides guidance on the procedures to determine a worker’s…
Read MoreVRCA panel delves into the hotly debated question of vaccine mandates
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | January 26, 2022 To mandate vaccines or not mandate vaccines. That was the question discussed by a panel of legal, health and safety, and human resource experts during a virtual event hosted by the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) recently. “There’s a lot of different things that you are…
Read MoreConstruction High Risk Strategy
WorkSafeBC’s Construction High Risk Strategy (HRS) is designed to reduce the construction industry’s serious injury rate and the high volume of claims by taking a risk-based approach. The construction general injury rate and serious injury rate are consistently higher than overall provincial injury rates. Serious injuries account for approximately 19 percent of claims in construction….
Read MoreIsland Tailgate Toolkit harm-reduction program expands to rest of B.C.
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | January 19, 2022 VICTORIA, B.C. — A groundbreaking program on Vancouver Island designed to destigmatize mental health and substance use conversations and connect construction workers with lifesaving resources is branching out into the rest of B.C. More workers and companies will get access to the program thanks to a…
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