WorkSafeBC has rescheduled the public hearing on proposed amendments to Parts 6, 8, 16, 18, and 21 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation to December 10, 2020. In light of the ongoing and rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, and in an effort to maximize physical distancing, the public hearing will be held virtually. The virtual public hearing…
Read MoreBrynn Bourke appointed interim director of BC Building Trades
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | November 12, 2020 LANGLEY, B.C. — The BC Building Trades Council has appointed Brynn Bourke as its interim executive director after its previous director, Andrew Mercier, was elected to represent Langley during the provincial election. The group noted that Bourke, who served as the senior director of engagement,…
Read MoreB.C. LNG development improving Indigenous communities: report
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | November 16, 2020 A new report released by the Conference Board of Canada has concluded that B.C. LNG development is benefiting Indigenous communities and people. The report’s findings were gleaned through a review of academic and grey literature, in consultation with the Conference Board of Canada’s Indigenous and Northern…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC 2020 Q4 initiative: Maintaining COVID-19 safety plans
On November 7, 2020, the provincial health officer issued an order to all employers in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health Authority regions. This order requires that all employers in the affected regions review their COVID-19 Safety Plan to ensure that appropriate protocols are in place to protect workers from the risk of transmission,…
Read MoreCOVID-19: WorkSafeBC steps up inspections in Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health regions
Vancouver Sun | Tiffany Crawford | Nov 10, 2020 WorkSafeBC says it will increase inspections at places where workers interact with large numbers of people and places with frequent shared contact of surfaces. WorkSafeBC says it will step up inspections of businesses in the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal health regions, as B.C.’s number of…
Read MoreUpdated Covid Case on Site Procedures from BCCSA
As per recent PHO orders, please find the just-updated COVID-19 Case On Site Procedures.
Traffic Control – Part 18
On behalf of Mike McKenna at BCCSA: Association partners: Please find attached BCCSA’s submission to the upcoming WSBC consultation on Part 18 of the Reg. Also attached are two letters that can be used as a template for your submissions (Association and Employer), should you choose to do so. In essence, BCCSA is aware that…
Read MoreU.S. construction stakeholders congratulate Biden, reiterate policy priorities
Journal of Commerce | Don Wall | November 11, 2020 US construction industry stakeholders have congratulated President-Elect Joe Biden for his election win and called for healing while urging the new administration to implement key campaign promises such as rebuilding infrastructure. The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) and North America’s…
Read MoreNew Construction R&D Portal provides construction-relevant research in one place
Journal of Commerce | Angela Gismondi | November 10, 2020 A new initiative is aiming to help the country’s construction industry capitalize on the $14 billion of research that occurs at Canadian universities every year and advance innovation by providing access to the most up-to-date research available. The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) has partnered with Cognit.ca…
Read MoreWhat do the November COVID-19 restrictions mean for construction?
Source – BC Construction Safety Alliance What are the new restrictions? The Provincial Health Officer has announced a time-limited order to place restrictions on social interactions and travel for the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health Regions These restrictions are in effect from November 7, 2020 10:00 PM to November 23, 2020 at 12:00 pm….
Read MoreTrudeau congratulates Joe Biden on victory in U.S. presidential election
Journal of Commerce | The Canadian Press | November 7, 2020 OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has congratulated Democrat Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris on winning the U.S. presidential election. Trudeau says he looks forward to “tackling the world’s greatest challenges together.” Biden won Pennsylvania late Saturday morning giving him more than the 270 votes needed…
Read MoreIndustry Perspectives Op-Ed: Safety in construction requires a long-term approach
Journal of Commerce | Wade Gayowsky | November 3, 2020 The construction sector boasts half a million workers, yet in many ways this industry continues to demonstrate a more clear commitment to health and safety than others. In November 2020, the words “health” and “safety” carry a lot more weight than they did just seven months…
Read MoreNew 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…
Read MorePandemic-related worksite restrictions critical for health and safety — and for business
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | November 4, 2020 When the COVID-19 pandemic hit British Columbia in mid-March 2020, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) recommended a variety of measures, such as face masks and physical distancing, to keep employees safe in the workplace. Because B.C. construction and the associations that represent it followed the PHO’s…
Read MoreNew NDP Government Challenged by Damning Report on Mistreatment of Injured Workers
For information only and not an endorsement – this information is shared to ensure members have the context and understanding of current issues that impact the Construction Industry. An independent review found WorkSafeBC had failed people who’ve been hurt on the job. Andrew MacLeod | November 6, 2020 | TheTyee.ca When the B.C. government is back to business,…
Read MoreNew Date for Virtual Public Hearings
As you are aware, the WorkSafeBC September virtual public hearing for the proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation were postponed due to the provincial election. WorkSafeBC has now rescheduled the hearing for Thursday, December 10, 2020 with session times at 11-1 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. Written submissions will be accepted until 4:30pm on December…
Read MoreB.C. construction taking COVID-19 mental health threats seriously
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | October 30, 2020 Like a hulking, surly teenager who knows how to press our buttons, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is a coronavirus with attitude, and it’s driving us around the bend. The mental health aspect of the pandemic is a growing problem, and the B.C. construction industry is taking…
Read MoreLong-term pandemic effects of ‘hyper attention state’ being felt onsite, says panellist
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | November 2, 2020 C. experts from construction, trucking, film and government met for a virtual summit to discuss mental health strategies, with one construction company president highlighting the importance of having mental health protocols in place, especially during the pandemic. The summit was the fifth and final part in…
Read MoreB.C. stakeholders meet with U.S. neighbours to discuss successes coping with COVID
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | October 26, 2020 Officials with several British Columbia construction associations met virtually recently with a Washington State senator and the CEO of a U.S.-Canada economic organization to discuss how the B.C. and Washington construction industries dealt with the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadians explained how B.C….
Read MoreAlberta prompt payment legislation planned for June 2021
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | October 26, 2020 Proposed prompt payment legislation for the construction industry is expected to go into effect next June, construction industry leaders said. Terry Parker, executive director for the Building Trades of Alberta, said the legislation would be implemented following an awareness campaign that is to run from now…
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