At its May 2021 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved 2020 and 2021 amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. These amendments will come into effect on December 1, 2021. 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…
Read MoreLegacy Fund Started for the Children of the Victims of the Kelowna Crane Incident on July 12, 2021
Through the Southern Interior Construction Association (SICA) Fund and in partnership with the Construction Foundation of BC, SICA is organizing the Kelowna Crane Incident Legacy Education Fund. This fund is a tribute to the individuals who tragically lost their lives from the Brooklyn Site Incident on July 12th, 2021. The funds raised through this will go…
Read MoreEngineering union calls for crane industry reform
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | July 15, 2021 The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 115 is calling on municipalities and the province to reform crane assembly and dismantling requirements in the wake of a collapse that killed five in Kelowna, B.C. “I was shocked,” said Local 115 business representative Frank Carr, recalling…
Read MoreFundraisers set up for Kelowna crane collapse victims
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | July 14, 2021 KELOWNA, B.C. – Fundraising pages have been setup to support the families of four construction workers killed in the Kelowna crane collapse earlier this week. The fundraisers identified brothers Eric and Patrick Stemmer of Salmon Arm, B.C. as victims in the collapse. “These men are…
Read MoreRecent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
July 14, 2021 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: Multiple fractures, laceration Core Activity: Electrical work Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. Date of Incident: 2021-Jun A worker was feeding wire through…
Read MoreRCMP: Five dead in Kelowna crane collapse, recovery efforts continue
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | July 13, 2021 Five people are dead after a catastrophic crane collapse at a construction site in downtown Kelowna, B.C., the RCMP have announced. Insp. Adam MacIntosh of Kelowna RCMP said three male construction workers were found dead at the scene and one male died of their injuries in…
Read MoreUPDATE: Construction crane collapses in downtown Kelowna
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | July 12, 2021 KELOWNA, B.C. – One person is in critical condition and an unknown number of people have been injured after a construction crane collapse in downtown Kelowna, B.C. Mission Group confirmed that the incident occurred about 10:45 a.m. at their Brooklyn at Bernard Block tower project. “There…
Read MoreTHE LATEST: Multiple people dead after construction crane collapses in Kelowna, B.C.
Journal of Commerce | The Canadian Press | July 12, 2021 KELOWNA, B.C. – The head of a development company building a 25-storey residential tower says there were “multiple” fatalities after a crane collapsed in Kelowna, B.C., on Monday. Jonathan Friesen of the Mission Group said he didn’t know what caused the crane to fall and…
Read MoreStakeholders for B.C.’s largest infrastructure project sign Builders Code pledge
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | July 2, 2021 BC Hydro and seven of its largest contractors have adopted the Builders Code standard across Site C, making it the first multi-contractor, project–wide participant in the anti-bullying, anti-discrimination project. “Diversity and inclusion has always been a focus at Site C since the start of construction,” said…
Read MoreBCCA Fast Lane vaccination program extended to Vancouver Island
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | July 2, 2021 The BC Construction Association’s Fast Lane first-dose vaccination program for construction workers in the Lower Mainland was extended recently to their colleagues on Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) CEO Rory Kulmala said, “The BCCA initiative supports the construction industry and its workers by making…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC: Consider closing down in extreme heat
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | June 28, 2021 VANCOUVER, B.C. – Extreme, record-breaking heat in B.C. has safety officials encouraging employers to consider shutting down workplaces. WorkSafeBC is advising employers to consider closing down their workplaces if workers cannot be protected from the risk of heat stress. “All workers are potentially at risk,”…
Read MoreA Time for Support
We were sad to learn today of the devasting news for Rieghardt van Enter’s family and the loss of their family home in a fire on Friday, June 25th in Langley. The family is all safe and were all able to get out of their house but only with the clothes on their backs. Rieghardt &…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC Message – Four Step Restart Plan
As the province proceeds with its four-step restart plan, WorkSafeBC is actively collaborating with Public Health on an approach to workplace health and safety that aligns with Step 3, which begins no sooner than July 1. While some details of that approach are still being finalized, WorkSafeBC would like to provide a high-level overview of what…
Read MoreB.C. heat wave prompts heat-injury warnings
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | June 24, 2021 VANCOUVER—B.C. is bracing for a heatwave that could see temperatures five to 10 degrees above seasonal averages for several days. As temperatures rise so does the risk of heat-related injuries. WorkSafeBC is reminding employers and outdoor workers about the risk of developing heat stress. The…
Read MoreHeat Exhaustion OR Heat Stroke…Know the signs
This is just a friendly reminder. With the forecast calling for extremely hot temperatures over the next week, we just want to send a quick reminder to ensure you are taking care of yourselves during this time and if you are working outside please take precautions to avoid heat stroke and/or heat exhaustion. Tips: Drink…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Vaccine Fast Lane for Construction Workers – Help Spread the Word!
BCCA is pleased to announce BC’s first COVID-19 vaccine “fast lane” for construction workers, in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health. Starting next week, any workers in our industry can just show up at these clinics on designated dates and times to get their first dose: The Italian Cultural Center (Vancouver) The Christine…
Read MoreBC’s Construction Industry Is ‘Ground Zero’ for Opioid Crisis among Workers
Substance use has plagued the trades for a long time. It’s now more serious than ever. David Hogben | 24 Jun 2021 | TheTyee.ca Five years after British Columbia’s opioid overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency, there is little reason to celebrate. “Five years? That makes me want to cry right there,” said Jud Martell, co-ordinator of…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC has already approved more COVID-19 claims this year than in all of 2020
Vancouver Sun | Nathan Griffiths | Jun 20, 2021 There has been a “significant reduction” in the number of claims registered in June, however, said a spokesperson. WorkSafeBC approved over 2,000 claims for work-related COVID-19 exposures by June 11 — almost 300 more than were approved in all of 2020. Claims increased in virtually every industry, with the…
Read More‘Just show up’: Fast lane organized for construction worker vaccinations
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | June 17, 2021 VANCOUVER —B.C.’s construction organizations want workers to know they have a fast lane to COVID-19 vaccinations. All they have to do is show up. “We have enormous respect for our workforce and the essential contribution they’ve made to B.C.’s economy by working throughout pandemic,” said…
Read MoreCompulsory trades announcement ‘needless red tape,’ says ICBA’s Gardner
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | June 14, 2021 It’s official. B.C. will be implementing a compulsory trades certification system for the first time in 18 years. While the province’s Building Trades Unions praised the action as a great start to restoring training and improving the lives of workers, the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association…
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