April 15, 2021 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: Injury to upper body Core Activity: Oil or gas pipeline construction or repair / Oil or gas…
Read MoreCOVID-19 update: WorkSafeBC supporting PHO closure order
On behalf of Chris Back, Director, OHS Consultation & Education Services Please feel free to share with your members. On Thursday April 8, 2021, the provincial health officer (PHO) announced an order delegating specific powers of the Public Health Act to WorkSafeBC prevention officers. The powers delegated to our prevention officers are limited to serving a closure…
Read More‘It is hard to put into words’: B.C. workers honoured for Construction Month
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | April 9, 2021 This year Construction and Skilled Trades Month in B.C. is all about honouring construction and trades workers who have safely kept working through the pandemic. “This is the second time we have held Construction Month during the pandemic,” said Chris Atchison, president of the BC Construction…
Read MoreBC Builders Code Online Culture Training for Construction
Are you ready to improve site and company safety, productivity, and reputation? It starts with Culture.Developing new skills takes training, and culture change is no exception. Builders Code courses are fully facilitated group sessions built by industry for industry to help improve company and worksite culture in BC’s construction sector. FOR OWNERS & EXECUTIVES: Culture…
Read MoreConstruction sector included in new WorkSafeBC hearing test submission system
Journal of Commerce | Grant Cameron | April 7, 2021 Constant exposure to noise generated by ongoing activity and heavy equipment that is present on construction worksites might not seem harmful at first, but it can take a toll, causing irreversible damage. Almost one quarter of noise-induced hearing loss claims processed by WorkSafeBC over the past…
Read MoreBCCSA Covid-19 Update
COVID-19 cases are currently surging in BC and additional province-wide restrictions were imposed on March 29,2021 at 11:59 pm. None of the restrictions target the construction industry. The Provincial Health Officer stronglyrecommends working from home whenever possible, and we encourage our members to follow this guidancewhere possible. See additional guidance.
April: Construction Month in BC!
Construction Month offers an important chance for all British Columbians to recognize the contributions of the people in this industry. At any given moment, more than $100BN in construction projects are underway in BC, with more than 200,000 people hard at work across every single community in every region of the province. Official Proclamation Learn more…
Read MoreJob-protected leave for workers to get COVID-19 vaccine
Provincial News Release | April 1, 2021 | Victoria As part of B.C.’s COVID-19 Immunization Plan, workers can take the time they need to receive the COVID-19 vaccine without fear of losing their jobs. “We need to get British Columbians vaccinated if we want to put this pandemic behind us,” said Harry Bains, Minister…
Read MoreApril is Safe Digging Month!
Every time you dig, you risk injury, loss of life, or damage to property if you hit buried cables, conduits, pipelines, or other facilities. Contacting BC 1 Call is the best way to find out what is buried in your dig site. Employers and supervisors can use this guide during toolbox meetings to talk to…
Read MoreConstruction industry launches program to reduce illicit drug deaths among Vancouver Island workers
Tailgate Toolkit Project aims to stop stigma and start dialogue for employees in need CBC News · Posted: Mar 26, 2021 The Vancouver Island Construction Association is collaborating with Island Health on a new initiative to try to reduce the number of illicit drug deaths among industry workers. The Tailgate Toolkit Project, funded by the Ministry of Mental Health…
Read MoreB.C. labour minister concerned over recent workplace deaths
Journal of Commerce | The Canadian Press | March 29, 2021 VICTORIA – British Columbia’s labour minister says he has contacted the head of the province’s workplace safety agency after six workers died on the job in the past four weeks. Harry Bains says he’s reached out to the chair of WorkSafeBC to make sure appropriate…
Read MoreRapid COVID-19 Point of Care Screening Program
Posted March 26, 2021 — see BCCDC Website for most up to date information. Point-of-care (POC) test kits can be used to rapidly screen people for COVID-19 in select settings to reduce the chances of outbreaks and control the spread of COVID-19. Point-of-care (POC) test kits are now available to support select screening initiatives in…
Read MoreUpdate on COVID-19 Rapid Testing as it Pertains to the BC Construction Industry
BC construction will shortly have the opportunity, to screen asymptomatic employees for evidence of the COVID -19 virus. The Government of Canada Health officials has supported asymptomatic screening of workers, especially those whose work in close proximity to one another. It is the view of Health Canada medical professionals that screening would have a positive…
Read MoreCompulsory trades may be around the corner for B.C.
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | March 19, 2021 A new poll commissioned by the BC Building Trades suggests strong support for restoring compulsory trades in the province. The poll, conducted this month by ResearchCo., shows 80 per cent of respondents support restoring compulsory trades in B.C. The Building Trades added in the poll, 90…
Read MoreVICA launches harm reduction program to combat rising rate of overdoses
Journal of Commerce | ASSOCIATIONS , OH&S | March 22, 2021 VICTORIA — Construction leaders on Vancouver Island have announced a new program to combat the rising rates of drug overdoses. The Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) has launched its Tailgate Toolkit Project, a three-phased approach that includes stakeholder engagement, development and implementation of training curriculum and refinement…
Read MoreVaccines on the way for Site C, LNG Canada, Trans Mountain workers
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | March 19, 2021 FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — COVID-19 vaccine doses are on the way for workers at B.C.’s largest industrial projects in the north. Northern Health announced it is in consultation with B.C.’s Ministry of Health and the Provincial Health Officer to vaccinate workers at high risk…
Read MoreCOVID-19 vaccination and the workplace
WorkSafeBC strongly supports B.C.’s COVID-19 Immunization Plan. WorkSafeBC has information about the role that vaccination can play in workplace health and safety, along with information about submitting a claim for an adverse reaction to a work-related COVID-19 vaccination — click HERE.
How will workplace design change after the COVID-19 pandemic?
Journal of Commerce | Angela Gismondi | March 18, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has forever altered the traditional workplace but what will the workplace of the future look like? That was the question posed to speakers on a design panel entitled Technology used by Architects, Designers and Spec Writers in Present Lockdown, Stay at Home Times,…
Read MoreIndustry Special: BCCSA’s PCTAC takes on big challenges to help contractors of every size
Journal of Commerce | BCCSA | March 18, 2021 Becoming a member of the Prime Contractors Technical Advisory Committee (PCTAC) for the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) is entirely voluntary. But representatives of COR®-certified General Contractors’ who step up to the plate have found that membership has its rewards, from taking on the common challenges of…
Read MoreTwo workers die after concrete-pump boom topples on Gabriola Island
Vancouver Sun | Andrew Duffy • Victoria Times Colonist | Mar 17, 2021 Gabriola Island RCMP said a boom from a concrete pump-truck broke and landed on two workers at the construction site on Taylor Road. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. Two workers are dead after an accident on a construction site on Gabriola…
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