Asbestos – Why Risk It? for Contractors

On the heels of the Asbestos homeowner campaign WorkSafeBC has launched a targeted contractor awareness initiative to support their Prevention Field Services work in construction.  Their purpose is to get the word out directly to contractors regarding their obligation to manage asbestos safely and responsibly. Their communication strategy… Approximately 14,500 asbestos mailers are being mailed…

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WorkSafeBC issues hot weather worker tips

Journal of Commerce | OH&S  | by JOC NEWS SERVICE | Aug 3, 2017 VANCOUVER — WorkSafeBC is warning Vancouver workers to take precautions as the temperature climbs past 30 C this week. WorkSafeBC recommends outdoor workers drink water every 20 minutes, wear light-coloured, loose fitting clothing made of breathable fabric and do the hardest physical work during the…

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Asbestos – Why Risk it? 

Not dealing with asbestos properly can result in WorkSafeBC fines or stop work orders that could harm your professional reputation.  More importantly there is a risk to workers and contractors have a responsibility to ensure their safety. Asbestos exposure remains the number one killer of workers in B.C. Whether you’re a general contractor, abatement contractor…

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Alberta WCB defies good practice by keeping surplus funds: ACA

Journal of Commerce | by RUSSELL HIXSON  | Jul 19, 2017 An independent review panel has presented the Alberta government with recommendations to modernize its Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). But a first glance has some construction industry stakeholders concerned. The WCB system provides no-fault benefits and supports a safe return to work for injured workers. The last…

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B.C. woman charged in flagger hit and run incident

Journal of Commerce | GOVERNMENT | by JOC NEWS SERVICE | Jul 12, 2017 Burnaby, B.C. – Charges have been approved for a Surrey, B.C. woman who allegedly struck two construction flaggers with a car before fleeing the scene. The woman is 38-year-old Brenda Ouma Aregay of Surrey, B.C. The charges include two counts of Assault with a Weapon,…

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June 2017 Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC

Injury Type: Abrasions and contusions (1 worker) Core Activity: Traffic control Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. Date of Incident: 2017-Jun ID Number: 2017154960020 A traffic control person (a young worker) was struck by a moving vehicle in a construction zone. The worker and the vehicle landed in a drainage ditch about 12 feet below the road…

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Serious injuries in construction can be hard to see

Journal of Commerce | OH&S |  by PETER CAULFIELD Jul 17, 2017 Construction is a tough line of work. Not only is it physically demanding, it is emotionally exacting, too. And sometimes the body or the spirit gets damaged. Or even crushed. Although physical injuries in workplace are relatively easy to identify, what does a psychological injury…

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New labour code to keep asbestos levels to ‘near zero’

Journal of Commerce | GOVERNMENT  | by JOC NEWS SERVICE  | Jul 14, 2017 OTTAWA, ONT. – Patty Hajdu, minister of employment, workforce development and labour, announced recently that, as part of the federal government’s comprehensive ban on asbestos, it is enhancing the Canada Labour Code for workers by lowering the exposure to airborne chrysotile asbestos to as…

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Construction industry weighs in on new B.C. government

Journal of Commerce  |  GOVERNMENT  |  by WARREN FREY Jul 10, 2017 Political stability has returned to British Columbia…for now. After weeks of uncertainty which resulted from an inconclusive provincial election, British Columbia Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon declared on June 29 that BC NDP Leader John Horgan and Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver would form the next government. British…

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New standards proposed for concrete pumps and booms

Journal of Commerce  |  5 Jul 2017  |  PETER CAULFIELD CORRESPONDENT A Canadian Standards Association group called CSA Z151 that is drafting new standards for concrete pumps and placing booms has written a draft that has been made available for public review. Charles Kelly, president of Concrete BC, formerly the BC Ready Mixed Concrete Association,…

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Partners Program (COR) consultation update

The Partners Program is a voluntary certification program designed to encourage employers in B.C. to take a proactive role in occupational health and safety. Employers registered in the Partners Program who meet program requirements achieve a Certificate of Recognition (COR) and become eligible to receive a financial incentive. The Policy, Regulation and Research Division began consultation on…

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Amendments to the OHS Penalty Amounts Policy D12-196-6

On June 28, 2017, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors (BOD) approved changes to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Penalty Amounts Policy (D12-196-6). The Policy, Regulation and Research Division consulted extensively on the OHS Penalty Amounts Policy in 2015. The approved changes reflect the intent of the 2016 revisions to the policy by clarifying that the…

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May 2017 Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC

Injury Type: Injuries to lower body Core Activity: Framing or residential forming Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2017-May ID Number: 2017182160004 A worker installing roof sheathing on a 10:12 sloped roof slid while clearing debris. He fell about 30 feet to grade. Injury Type: Penetrating wound to leg Core Activity: Plumbing repair Location: Vancouver…

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Consultation on proposed Occupational Exposure Limits

Each year, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) publishes a list of substances for which they have set new or revised Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). A TLV is an airborne concentration of a chemical substance from which nearly all workers are believed to experience no adverse health effects over a working lifetime. TLVs…

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Consultation on the draft OHS guideline for storage racks

  At their meeting in March 2017, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors (BOD) approved the new storage rack regulations coming into effect on January 1, 2018. The BOD also requested that WorkSafeBC have the OHS guideline for storage racks available to stakeholders by August 1, 2017. This consultation period provides stakeholders with an opportunity to provide feedback on…

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