Business Council of BC – According to the NDP government’s own modelling, implementing the CleanBC policy agenda to meet the province’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets will push B.C.’s economic growth down to the slowest pace on record, which in turn will substantially dampen economic prosperity and well-being by the end of the decade. Yes,…

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Richmond News | Jock Finlayson & Ken Peacock | September 21, 2023 If B.C. follows the CleanBC roadmap, the province’s economy will be a staggering $28 billion smaller in 2030, write BCBC authors. Over the past 15 years of writing in this space, we have avoided covering the same topic in consecutive columns. Rightly or…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | September 12, 2023 RICHMOND, B.C. – WorkSafeBC is now accepting licence applications from asbestos abatement employers. As of Jan. 1, 2024, employers performing asbestos abatement work must be licensed to operate in B.C. and anyone performing this work must be trained and certified. “It’s heartbreaking that asbestos-related exposure…

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WorkSafeBC For cancer to be considered a compensable consequence of a traumatic injury, WorkSafeBC policy sets out five criteria that must be met. Our Policy, Regulation and Research Department is releasing a discussion paper with proposed amendments to update this policy to reflect current medical literature. The discussion paper and information on how to provide…

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WorkSafeBC would like to remind you of our upcoming virtual rate information sessions. If you have already registered for one of these sessions, thank you!  If you haven’t registered yet, we encourage you to join other B.C. employers in learning about WorkSafeBC’s preliminary assessment premium rates for 2024, and how you can reduce your premiums…

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From WorkSafeBC –> On January 1, 2024, licensing requirements for B.C. asbestos abatement contractors (employers) will become mandatory. Starting today, visitors to worksafebc.com will be able to review and download the asbestos licensing guide on the updated asbestos licensing pages. This guide will provide applicants detailed instructions on the process to apply for a licence. WorkSafeBC has…

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WorkSafeBC invites your feedback on proposed amendments to Part 4, General Conditions, sections 4.24 to 4.31.2 — Harassment and Violence, of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. This is an opportunity to share your comments before the proposed amendments are taken to public hearing. You can find the proposed regulatory amendments and information on how…

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Globe and Mail | Monday, September 04, 2023 | By Jason Kirby There are few markers of the modern urban landscape as simultaneously ubiquitous and overlooked as the lowly porta-potty – at least until people need one. On countless construction sites and at public events such as street festivals and concerts, portable toilets provide essential…

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DCN-JOC News Services | August 28, 2023 VANCOUVER – The BC Construction Safety Alliance has released a pair of documents to assist construction professionals to prepare for and work within wildfire smoke conditions. The first document, Effective ECP on Wildfire Smoke, contains instructions on developing an exposure control plan (ECP) for the use of both employers and…

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On behalf of BC CENTRE FOR WOMEN IN THE TRADES RRP is now LIT. The Regional Representative Leadership Training program is now called the Leaders in Trades program. Our hope is that this shift will reduce confusion about the role of program participants, and to clarify that the goal of the program is leadership development throughout the…

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DCN-JOC News Services  | August 29, 2023 VANCOUVER – WorkSafeBC, the Province of British Columbia’s safety regulator, is holding two virtual sessions for asbestos abatement workers to learn mandatory requirements implemented by the organization to ensure worker safety. As of Jan. 1, 2024 anyone performing asbestos abatement work must complete mandatory safety training and obtain…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | August 17, 2023 REGINA — The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS) has suspended Scott Gullacher, P.Eng., for 18 months with three years of supervision thereafter. On Sept. 14, 2018 the Dyck Memorial Bridge in the Regional Municipality (RM) of Clayton, Sask. collapsed and Gullacher…

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August 11, 2023 Construction incident summaries are based on information obtained as soon as possible after the incidents: they are preliminary and subject to change. Details have been edited to protect workers’ privacy. See additional summaries online. Injury Type: Close call Core Activity: Industrial, commercial, institutional or highrise residential contracting or construction Location: Interior B.C. Date of Incident: 2023-Jul ID…

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Journal of Commerce | ConstructConnect™ Media | August 11, 2023 On July 13, representatives of WorkSafeBC, the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) and members of the B.C. construction industry met at the offices of fire and flood restoration contractor On Side Restoration in Vancouver. On this important occasion, all parties had convened to observe and acknowledge…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | August 10, 2023 EDMONTON – The Alberta government is strengthening safety rules to protect roadside workers. Starting Sept. 1 drivers in the lane closest to any roadside worker stopped at the side of the road with its lights flashing must slow down to 60 km/h or the posted…

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Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | August 9, 2023 The Risk Analysis Unit (RAU) of WorkSafeBC has developed artificial intelligence software called Finding Risk in External News Data (FRIEND). Jose Barranco, who manages RAU, said FRIEND is an information management system that leverages web-crawling and artificial intelligence (AI) to collect information and data from around…

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Construction Industry Rehab Plan (CIRP) has recently launched a new service that aims to make a positive impact on worker well-being, and is desperately needed in the midst of the current overdose epidemic. This service is a one-year pilot program offering drug-free pain services, leveraging an innovative technique known as myoActivation®. The clinic is open…

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From WorkSafeBC –> Do you work with asbestos in B.C.? You are invited to attend a webinar to learn about mandatory requirements that we are implementing to help keep workers safe from the dangers of asbestos.   What you’ll learn As of January 1, 2024, anyone performing asbestos abatement work must complete mandatory safety training and…

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WorkSafeBC In April 2023, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments to Part 3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, relating to the provision of occupational first aid. These amendments will take effect November 1, 2024, to give employers time to obtain any required first aid training and equipment necessitated by these changes. Read the…

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Journal of Commerce | ConstructConnect™ Media | August 3, 2023 For more than a dozen years, the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) has fielded a team of Regional Safety Advisors (RSAs), who advise the province’s construction employers at no cost to them. Seven RSAs are now assigned to cover four geographic regions: Vancouver Island, the Interior, the…

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