New risk-reduction strategy is based on a comprehensive review of crane safety and informed by stakeholder input and feedback. WorkSafeBC says the risks associated with cranes in B.C. are increasing as more cranes are in operation than ever before, and this work is taking place on increasingly complex, multi-employer worksites. In 2021, a tower crane…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | June 19, 2024 BURNABY, B.C. – Another B.C. political leader is connecting with construction as the province inches towards an election. The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) hosted its second Construction Conversations session recently with BC United Leader Kevin Falcon speaking with association president Jeannine Martin about the issues facing…

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Journal of Commerce | Warren Frey | June 18, 2024 RICHMOND, B.C. – WorkSafeBC says the risks associated with crane use in B.C. are rising as more and more projects get underway, and as such new recommendations have been released in the hopes of keeping sites safe. In July 2021, a tower crane collapse in Kelowna, B.C. took five lives…

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June 6, 2024 Construction related 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: Road construction Location: Interior B.C. Date of Incident: 2024-May ID Number: 2024160850016 During blasting operations, a single…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services  | June 11, 2024 EDMONTON – Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) has laid charges against a number of companies after a 2022 incident where two men died in an explosion at an oil and gas site located in Smith, Alta. north of Edmonton. In recently released documents, Alberta OH&S…

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BC Gov News | Victoria | Monday, June 10, 2024 8:00 AM More workers from select occupations will be provided with easier access to workers’ compensation for psychological injuries caused by work-related trauma. Effective Monday, June 10, 2024, 11 new occupations added to the mental-health presumption under the Workers Compensation Act include community-integration specialists, coroners, harm-reduction…

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WorkSafeBC has an Engagement Hub Home Page that highlights regulations out for public engagement with WorkSafeBC stakeholders. You can learn about and share your thoughts on current topics, projects, and proposals led by WorkSafeBC. Currently, there are hubs for Washroom Facilities on Construction Sites, Violence and Harassment and Duty to Cooperate and Duty to Maintain…

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Vancouver Sun | Lori Culbert | Published Jun 03, 2024  Grassroots group adds its voice to calls for simple, nasal spray naloxone on work sites to save the labourers most at risk of overdosing The list is long and tragic as carpenter C. Michael Kinsella recounts memories of friends lost to fatal overdoses. There was the…

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Session synopsis: Hear how construction workplaces are becoming Recovery Informed and empowering workers with substance use and mental health challenges. Employers recognize a gap between the needs of workers facing substance use and mental health issues and the ability of the healthcare system to address them. The construction industry is rising to the challenge by embracing…

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An occupational health and safety management approach and tool specific to small and micro construction firms https://pwhs.ubc.ca/research/policy-and-program-evaluation/an-ohsm-approach-and-tool-specific-to-small-and-micro-construction-firms Background Recruitment Contact: If you would like to learn more about this project, please contact Suhail Marino at suhail.marino@ubc.ca or 604-822-0200.

Sent on behalf of BCCWITT –> BCCWITT is hosting TWO virtual Be More Than A Bystander workshops this month! Register here: Be More Than A Bystander is a training & educational program to support organizational & cultural shifts towards more inclusive, safer, & respectful workplaces. Participants will leave equipped with practical tools & strategies to…

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Journal of Commerce | Warren Frey | May 15, 2024 While many segments of the construction industry in British Columbia continue to advocate for prompt payment, the residential sector is taking a different view. Canadian Home Builders’ Association of BC (CHBA BC) CEO Neil Moody said while his organization sees the need for prompt payment in larger…

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Journal of Commerce | Angela Gismondi | May 1, 2024 Valuing every voice is the theme of this year’s Construction Safety Week. Held May 6 to 10, this year marks the 10th anniversary and will feature events designed to promote worker safety and wellness. More broadly, the week itself, and the entire month of May, aims to raise…

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Journal of Commerce | Dave Baspaly | May 13, 2024 WorkSafeBC, under pressure from Premier David Eby, is developing new regulations to cover washrooms in construction with the final regulations still unsettled. COCA is actively discussing with WSBC the need for an in-depth, in-person research team to learn from the washroom regulatory experiences of Quebec and…

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Journal of Commerce | Warren Frey | May 10, 2024 One of British Columbia’s leading construction industry associations is giving the province’s leaders a roadmap to prompt payment, but it’s up to the government to use it. The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) recently collaborated with WeirFoulds LLP on a report titled The Time to Act Promptly is Now, which…

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Journal of Commerce | Todd McDonald | May 8, 2024 Construction Safety Week is an opportune time to reflect on the evolving landscape of B.C.’s construction industry and the importance of prioritizing occupational health and safety (OHS) amidst its remarkable growth. Over the past decade, the construction industry in B.C. has seen a 40 per cent…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | May 6, 2024 According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, this year’s Mental Health Week is centered around healing and compassion. Taking place from May 6 to 12, this year kindness is at the forefront and construction is no exception. The Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce…

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Journal of Commerce | Warren Frey | February 26, 2024 British Columbia’s new budget is leaving most industry leaders underwhelmed. While the budget, delivered by Finance Minister Katrine Conroy on Feb. 22, focused on individual benefits as the province prepares for an election in October, construction association leaders found little in the way of infrastructure announcements or…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | May 8, 2024 VICTORIA – The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) has announced a two-year extension to its collaboration with LNG Canada to deliver Trades Training Fund (TTF) and CONNECT workforce development programs. The TTF program provides training and support funds for apprentices in high-demand trades in northwestern British Columbia…

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Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen | May 8, 2024 Jim Noon, president of the Vancouver Island Building and Construction Trades Council, knows what heat stress feels like and how it is a slow-creep danger. “I was working in an attic space,” he said, starting in the early morning but as the sun rose the heat intensified…

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