Journal of Commerce | OH&S | by WARREN FREY | Jul 28, 2017 WorkSafeBC has launched a safety campaign aimed at raising awareness among young workers who could be at risk on the job. The Listen to Your Gut campaign encourages young workers to speak up when faced with what they perceive as an unsafe situation. Safety awareness…
Read MoreJune – July Recent Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC
Injury Type: Close call Core Activity: Steep slope roofing Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2017-Jul ID Number: 2017114550019 A worker fell about 8 feet from a narrow section of roof but his fall was arrested by a fall protection system. Injury Type: Fractured arm Core Activity: House or other wood frame contracting, construction, or…
Read MoreNew Premier’s Direction to the Minister of Labour
The new Premier has issued directions to each of his new Ministers. See the mandate for Minister Bains, Minister of Labour.
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…
Read MoreB.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,…
Read MoreJune 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…
Read MoreSerious 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…
Read MoreNew 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…
Read MoreConstruction 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…
Read MoreNew 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,…
Read MorePartners 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…
Read MoreAmendments 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…
Read MoreMay 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…
Read MoreConsultation 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…
Read MoreConsultation on the draft OHS guideline for storage racks
At their meeting in March 2017, WorkSafeBCs 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…
Read MoreNDP continues to consider changes to province’s labour code
The Vancouver Sun | NICK EAGLAND | Published on: June 16, 2017 The B.C. NDP continues to mull changes to the province’s labour code that would remove the use of secret ballots for employees seeking to form unions. On Friday, B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan addressed members of the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union during…
Read MoreWorker fired for breaching policy, not over drug problem, Supreme Court rules
Journal of Commerce | GOVERNMENT | by THE CANADIAN PRESS | Jun 15, 2017 OTTAWA – The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed an appeal in a case involving an Alberta worker who was fired by a mining company after testing positive for drug use. In an 8-1 ruling, the court says the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal was right…
Read MoreRemoving capitalized values of permanent disability awards from the experience rating calculation
At their meeting on May 25, 2017, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved the release of a discussion paper with options and draft policies to stakeholders for comment. WorkSafeBC’s experience rating (ER) Plan was introduced in 2000. Under the ER Plan, employers whose claim costs are lower than those of their peers receive a discount on…
Read MoreConsultation on the Occupational Exposure Limit Review Period for Chemical Substances
June 12, 2017 Dear Stakeholder: 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), retained TLVs, or withdrawn TLVs. A TLV is an airborne concentration of a chemical substance from which nearly all workers are believed to…
Read MoreBCSA proposing fee increases for 2018-2020 – your feedback wanted
BC Safety Authority would like your feedback on our proposed 2% increase to our general fee schedules, as well as new compliance and enforcement, certification renewal and commercial gas installation fees for 2018-2020. In order to participate in this consultation: Visit: www.safetyauthority.ca/fee-consult Read the discussion paper and other consultation materials Provide feedback through the online…
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