The Vancouver Sun | PAMELA FAYERMAN | Published on: January 22, 2017 Seventy B.C. residents injured on the job were sent to Calgary in the past three years for expedited surgery at a private Calgary facility. Although there are 15 private surgery centres in B.C. to which WorkSafe usually sends clients for rapid treatment, a minority go to Canadian Surgery…
Read MoreNo silver bullet in dealing with asbestos-related cancer
The Vancouver Sun | Owen Munro | Published on: December 28, 2016 New methods are giving doctors a better handle on diagnosing and treating asbestos-related cancers, but no cures are on the horizon. “I think it would be overly optimistic to say it’s going to be cured. I mean we can always…
Read More2016 a Transition Year on Many Fronts for B.C. Construction
Journal of Commerce | by RUSSELL HIXSON | Dec 28, 2016 With such an eventful year, there was little consensus from construction leaders in B.C. on what the biggest construction story of the year was. However, they all concluded that 2016 was just one year in a bigger story arc on various issues. For Jack…
Read MoreB.C. Ferries working with union to deal with asbestos on its ships
The Vancouver Sun | Owen Munro | Published on: December 27, 2016 Asbestos on ships and ferries in domestic waters remains a potential hazard to workers and the public, creating economic and ethical questions about how companies like B.C. Ferries should deal with it, says B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union president Graeme Johnston. “We…
Read MoreClearing Kawkawa Lake’s asbestos — first hand — is a hot and gruelling job
The Vancouver Sun | Owen Munro | Published December 26, 2016 The sun was just beginning to rise above the jagged Coast Mountains when I turned off a virtually empty highway onto an even quieter strip of downtown Hope. I had come to work. It would be my first experience at what’s been described as…
Read MoreAsbestos has a rich history in Canada
The Vancouver Sun | Owen Munro | Published December 25, 2016 Asbestos seemed like a miracle product: It was fire-resistant, an excellent insulator and dirt cheap. Canada’s infrastructure relied heavily on asbestos from the early 1900s until it became clear that the fibrous mineral was killing people at an alarming rate. Even though…
Read MoreB.C. could become national leader in asbestos control
The Vancouver Sun | OWEN MUNRO | Published on: December 25, 2016 The deaths of B.C. workers have long prompted calls for a ban on asbestos and better regulation of its handling in the workplace. Those call are finally being answered. On Dec. 15, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government announced a full asbestos ban…
Read MoreAsbestos ban praised by construction leaders
Journal of Commerce | OH&S | by DON WALL | Dec 23, 2016 The federal government has announced a comprehensive ban on asbestos, promising to create new regulations that will prohibit the manufacture, use, import and export of a mineral that was once commonly used in construction and has ravaged the health of thousands of…
Read MoreNew NCSO designation in effect this month
Journal of Commerce | OH&S | by RUSSELL HIXSON Dec 19, 2016 The National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO) is a new national safety designation designed to replace a number of similar provincial designations and will come into effect at the end of this month. It was approved by the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations after…
Read MoreJoint Health and Safety Committee-related Occupational Health and Safety Regulation Changes
On December 14, 2016, WorkSafeBCs Board of Directors approved the addition of the following new sections to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation: Section 3.26: Requires an annual evaluation to measure the effectiveness of joint committees. Approved amendments with explanatory notes Section 3.27: Establishes the mandatory minimum training and education for joint committee members and…
Read MoreDecember 2016 – Recent Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC
Injury Type: Suspected head injury Core Activity: Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. Date of Incident: 2016-Dec ID Number: 2016171900088 A worker slipped on a frost-covered formwork deck of a building under construction and sustained a suspected head injury. The worker regained consciousness when the first aid attendant…
Read MoreSafe and Happy Holidays!
On behalf of COCA, we would like to wish you safe and happy holidays and all the best for 2017! We look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year….
Changes to the assessable payroll policies in the Assessment Manual
On December 14, 2016, the Board of Directors of WorkSafeBC approved changes to the assessable payroll policies in the Assessment Manual. The changes clarify and consolidate the assessable payroll policies. They also allow the Assessment Department to assess just the payments for work done to certain kinds of firms, which benefits some employers. The Board…
Read MoreIndustry Voices: COCA supports recent Kinder Morgan, Enbridge pipeline approvals
Journal of Commerce | by DAVE BASPALY | Dec 12, 2016 COCA supports the decision of the Government of Canada to approve the two pipeline projects of Kinder Morgan and Enbridge, Inc. The approval from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau follows a three-year study by the National Energy Board (NEB) that completed a detailed, scientific,…
Read MoreStakeholders weigh in on random drug and alcohol testing
OH&S | by JEAN SORENSEN | Dec 7, 2016 Larry Staples, P.Eng., and advisor to the Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA) said the outcome of the Suncor Energy Inc. and Unifor Local 707A case will affect his members, which include larger contractors on energy projects as well as labour within the province. “We work closely…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC launches awareness campaign on dangers of asbestos
OH&S | by JOC NEWS SERVICE | Dec 7, 2016 RICHMOND, B.C. – WorkSafeBC has launched an awareness campaign targeted to home property owners who are considering or undertaking renovations or demolitions regarding the dangers of asbestos in homes built before 1990. The campaign runs until early 2017 across a broad spectrum of media including radio,…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC reminds workers to stay safe in cold snap
OH&S | by JOC NEWS SERVICE | Dec 9, 2016 VANCOUVER – With a cold snap covering the Lower Mainland, WorkSafeBC is reminding workers to keep safety in mind while working in cold and often hazardous conditions. “In extreme temperatures, frostbite can occur in a matter of minutes without the proper clothing and equipment. Construction…
Read MoreOccupational First Aid Program Changes – Your Attention is Required
WorkSafeBC is making revisions to the Occupational First Aid program, effective July 1, 2017. First Aid training will now be done every 2 years instead of 3 – resulting in increased costs to employers. It appears employers were not contacted for feedback. WorkSafeBC OFA Program Revisions – October 2016 Agency Communication Please make WorkSafeBC…
Read MoreChris Atchison Named BC Construction Association President
VICTORIA, BC December 6, 2016 – The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) announced today that Chris Atchison has been named incoming President, replacing retiring incumbent Manley McLachlan. The handover will begin on January 3, with McLachlan staying on in an advisory capacity until March 31, 2017. Working from the BCCA headquarters in Victoria, Chris will…
Read MoreIndustry awaiting Alberta appeal court decision on Suncor drug testing
Journal of Commerce | by JEAN SORENSEN | Dec 5, 2016 A highly-contested Alberta Court of Appeal decision on random drug and alcohol testing between Suncor Energy Inc. and Unifor Local 707A could come down as early as December. Edmonton labour lawyer Hugh McPhail QC with McLennan Ross, who served as legal counsel for the five industry…
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