Eliminating barriers for emergency dispatchers, nurses, care aides

BC Government News Release | Tuesday, April 16, 2019 1:15 PM Emergency dispatchers, nurses and publicly funded health-care assistants will have easier access to workers’ compensation for mental-health disorders that come from work-related trauma. Regulatory changes that take effect on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, make this possible. “These changes to the Mental Disorder Presumption Regulation…

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New event! Building Smart with Insulating Walls and Roofs

BC Housing is offering a 3-hour webinar on May 16, 2019 entitled Building Smart with Insulating Walls and Roofs. The workshop addresses topical design and construction issues to provide participants with the answers they need to build to increasingly rigorous energy efficiency standards. Presenters will discuss methods for building higher R-value assemblies to provide participants…

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Lawyer tasked with assessing WorkSafeBC changes

Journal Of Commerce News Service April 15, 2019 VANCOUVER – A Vancouver lawyer has been tasked by B.C. officials to assess how WorkSafeBC implemented worker safety recommendations following the two sawmill explosions at Babine Forest Products and Lakeland Mills. Lawyer Lisa Helps will give input on tweaks to the law to improve the safety of workers….

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HAVAN’s 14th Annual Members Expo

HAVAN’s 14th Annual Members Expo, scheduled for Wednesday, May 1st is just weeks away. Presenting the latest in product and services of 85+ HAVAN supplier members, there is a wealth of residential construction knowledge to gain by attending this show.  A great afternoon for learning, building connections, with complimentary food, prizes and socializing too, the Members…

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Anne Naser named new WorkSafeBC CEO

Journal Of Commerce News Service April 16, 2019 VANCOUVER — WorkSafeBC soon will have a new leader at the helm. This month the safety regulator’s board of directors announced that Anne Naser would take over as its president and CEO. “Anne Naser is a proven leader and innovator in occupational health and safety,” said Ralph McGinn,…

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USW welcomes BC government review of WorkSafeBC actions in sawmill explosions

Wood Business – Industry News | April 11, 2019 | by United Steel Workers For information only and not an endorsement – this article is shared to ensure members have the context and understanding of current issues that impact the Construction Industry. The United Steelworkers (USW) is welcoming today’s announcement by the government of British…

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Province to assess implementation of worker safety recommendations

April 10, 2019 | Ministry of Labour Information Bulletin VICTORIA – Vancouver lawyer Lisa Helps has been contracted by the Province to assess how WorkSafeBC implemented worker safety recommendations following the two sawmill explosions at Babine Forest Products and Lakeland Mills. Helps will also provide advice on potential legislative changes to improve safety for B.C….

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Recent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC

April 10, 2019 These summaries of selected construction work-related incidents recently reported to WorkSafeBC may help you to prevent similar incidents. See additional summaries online. Injury Type: Fatal Core Activity: Bridge, overpass, or viaduct construction or repair Location: Northern B.C. Date of Incident: 2019-Mar As a worker attempted to place a piece of dimensional lumber on a bridge deck under…

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BCCA gives snapshot of B.C. construction industry

Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | April 10, 2019 VICTORIA, B.C.—To celebrate the launch of Construction Month, the BC Construction Association (BCCA) and its industry partners released fresh statistics and survey results to give a snapshot of construction in the province. “From our standpoint, when we reflect, we always get a bit enthused when we…

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Anne Naser named President and CEO of WorkSafeBC

Richmond, B.C. (April 8, 2019) — WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors announced today that Anne Naser has been named as the new President and CEO of WorkSafeBC.   “Anne Naser is a proven leader and innovator in occupational health and safety,” said Ralph McGinn, Chair of WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors. “We are very pleased to have her leading…

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Survey – Mental Health & Addiction in Construction Research

WorkSafeBC together with industry partners, the Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan and the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA), are doing market research to better understand attitudes and opinions about mental health and addictions in the construction industry in BC.  The information collected will help better understand what support is needed in workplace health and safety programs. …

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B.C.’s workers’ compensation system under review

Information Bulletin VictoriaWednesday April 3, 2019 3:30 pm To increase the confidence of workers and employers, the British Columbia government will undertake a formal review of its workers’ compensation system with the appointment of retired labour lawyer Janet Patterson. To shift the workers’ compensation system to become more worker centred, the review will assess: the…

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Industry Voices Op-Ed: Licensing asbestos abatement contractors won’t solve anything

Journal of Commerce | Mike Sully and Graham Dick | April 1, 2019| For information only and not an endorsement – this article is shared to ensure members have the context and understanding of current issues that impact the Construction Industry. The BC Association of Restoration Contractors (BCARC) does not agree with the direction recommended…

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March 2019 work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC

March 28, 2019 These summaries of selected Construction work-related incidents recently reported to WorkSafeBC may help you to prevent similar incidents. See additional summaries online. Injury Type: Injury to upper body Core Activity: Masonry Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2019-Mar While positioning wooden scaffolding planks on a hop-up scaffolding bracket, a worker stepped on the unsupported end of a…

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Regulation changes for pressure welders take industry by surprise

Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen | March 29, 2019 For information only and not an endorsement – this article is shared to ensure members have the context and understanding of current issues that impact the Construction Industry. The Mechanical Contractors Association of B.C. (MCABC) would like to see more consultation between government regulatory bodies…

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Proposed policy amendments regarding activity-related soft tissue disorders (ASTDs) of the limbs

In January 2018, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors commissioned an external compensation policy review (CPR). The resulting report, entitled Restoring the Balance: A Worker-Centred Approach to Workers’ Compensation Policy, was published in April 2018 and contains a number of recommendations. Four of the recommendations propose changes to policy relating to the adjudication of ASTD claims. The Policy, Regulation…

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Assist companies with BC Builders Code

JOC News Service | March 27, 2019 For information only and not an endorsement – this article is shared to ensure members have the context and understanding of current issues that impact the Construction Industry. VICTORIA — As part of a push to address harassment of women on jobsites, human resource consultants will be offered…

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