In recognition of Ergonomics Month in October, WorkSafeBC is hosting its annual Ergonomics Forum on October 11 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Please join us to network and to hear speakers from WorkSafeBC, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and Simon Fraser University present on a variety of topics, including: MSI assessment tools Ergonomics for offices, mobile offices,…
Read MoreFree construction series webinars
The Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) has partnered with the Work Wellness and Disability Prevention Institute (WWDPI) and the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) to provide educational webinars on various construction work health topics. Organizational and individual intervention methods that improved Total Worker Health® in construction workers October 23,…
Read MoreSCA Preps members for cannabis legalization
Journal of Commerce | Grant Cameron | September 19, 2018 Contractors should ensure they have clear impairment policies in place and that their field supervisors and employees understand them now that recreational marijuana use is about to become legal in Canada, says John Lax, director of advocacy and communications at the Saskatchewan Construction Association (SCA). “It has…
Read MoreBridging the Gap safety conference to tackle new trends in October
Journal of Commerce | Warren Frey | September 17, 2018 One of the Lower Mainland’s safety stalwarts is tackling new territory as it brings its community together. The British Columbia Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) will hold the Bridging the Gap safety conference on Oct. 25 and 26 at the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver. The keynote speaker…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC reinforces exercising caution around concrete blocks
Journal Of Commerce | News Service | September 17, 2018 VANCOUVER — Concrete locking blocks, a common sight at construction sites, can be a serious hazard if moved improperly. WorkSafeBC recently issued a bulletin reminding workers of some of the risks and best practices for using them. Concrete locking blocks are used to build silos, containment…
Read MoreAugust 2018 Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC
September 6, 2018 These summaries of selected work-related incidents recently reported to WorkSafeBC may help you to prevent similar incidents. See additional summaries online. Injury Type: Head lacerations, suspected shoulder injury Core Activity: House or other wood frame contracting, construction, or renovation work Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. Date of Incident: 2018-Aug ID Number: 2018182170011 A…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC says hearing loss on the rise in oil and gas industry
Journal Of Commerce | News Service | September 10, 2018 RICHMOND, B.C. — WorkSafeBC has issued a new safety bulletin concerning a steady rise in hearing loss in British Columbia’s oil and gas industry. Hearing test data collected by oil and gas drilling sector employers over the last five years indicates the number of workers suffering from…
Read MoreConstruction industry strives to bring injured workers back to the job site
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | August 24, 2018 The construction industry is facing a serious labour shortage and is looking for ways to replace workers who are at the end of their careers and retiring in great numbers. One source of new — or at least renewed — blood has been receiving attention lately:…
Read MoreEmployers didn’t protect workers’ safety in fatal ammonia leak: WorkSafeBC
The Canadian Press | August 30, 2018 RICHMOND, B.C. – A refrigeration company and a municipality have been cited by WorkSafeBC under health and safety regulations after three workers died last year when they were exposed to ammonia at an arena in Fernie, B.C. The workplace safety agency released Wednesday (Aug. 29) its 74-page incident investigation…
Read MoreB.C. adopts 2018 edition of B.C. Building Code
Journal Of Commerce | News Service | September 5, 2018 VICTORIA — The Province of British Columbia has adopted the 2018 edition of the British Columbia Building Code which includes Book II Plumbing Services (BC Building and Plumbing Code). The new BC Building and Plumbing Code will be effective as of Dec. 10 and applies…
Read MoreNew WorkSafeBC Safety Bulletin – Lifting Concrete Locking Blocks Safely
Concrete locking blocks pose a safety hazard when they are moved around worksites or stacked on top of other blocks. WorkSafeBC’s new safety bulletin, Lifting concrete locking blocks safely, explains the hazard and how to reduce the risks.
Safety Differently Reminder
It is going to be a busy Fall and Winter – Jeff Lyth has three events scheduled: November 1 & 2 2018 Culture Leadership Masterclass with Dr. Robert Long https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/culture-leadership-masterclass-with-dr-robert-long-tickets-48392474193 November 27 2018 i-HOP: An Introduction to Human and Organizational Performance with Dr. Todd Conklin https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/i-hop-an-introduction-to-human-organizational-performance-with-drtodd-conklin-tickets-47000706378 February 8 2019 Safety Differently: A ‘Principles…
Read MoreOccupational Health and Safety Guideline Update
Updates to a guideline relating to electrical safety (minimum approach distance) came into effect on August 3, 2018. Part 19 Electrical Safety G19.24.1 Minimum approach distance (editorial revision)
July 2018 Work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
August 9, 2018 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: Lower body injury Core Activity: Excavator operation Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2018-Jul ID Number: 2018178740007 An excavator operator (a young worker) exited the cab onto the…
Read MoreChris Gardner: Horgan’s Building Trades deal not just discriminatory, it’s sloppy too
Vancouver Sun | CHRIS GARDNER | Updated: August 8, 2018 What’s worse than a discriminatory Project Labour Agreement paying off political favours and forcing unionization on the 85 per cent of construction workers who have chosen to organize themselves differently than the NDP and old-school Building Trades unions want? How about a sloppily written agreement that…
Read MoreJune 2018 work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
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: Back and lower body injuries (1 worker) Core Activity: Excavation, or private landfill or transfer station operation Location: Northern B.C. Date of Incident: 2018-Jul ID Number: 2018179460066 A rubber-tracked mini-excavator was…
Read MoreNew safety bulletin: Blade guard replacement options for table saws
Introducing a new health and safety bulletin: Blade guard replacement options for table saws, available at worksafebc.com. Most new table saws are supplied with blade guards, but in many cases – especially when a saw is purchased second-hand – the guards may have been removed, putting operators at serious risk of injury. Employers…
Read MoreAnnouncing Safety Differently Events
November 1 & 2, 2018 Culture Leadership Masterclass with Dr. Robert Long https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/culture-leadership-masterclass-with-dr-robert-long-tickets-48392474193 November 27, 2018 i-HOP: An Introduction to Human and Organizational Performance with Dr. Todd Conklin https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/i-hop-an-introduction-to-human-organizational-performance-with-drtodd-conklin-tickets-47000706378 February 8, 2019 Safety Differently: A ‘Principles and Practices’ Update with Dr. Sidney Dekker https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/safety-differently-a-principles-practices-update-with-drsidney-dekker-tickets-47001013296
Industry Voices: Workplace safety improves in B.C.
Journal of Commerce | Dave Baspaly | July 27, 2018 WorkSafeBC (WSBC) has just released information on the preliminary assessment rates for B.C., together with data on the injury rate. There is excellent news for both workers and employers in this new information. The B.C. injury rate for all industries is at its lowest ever level —…
Read MoreDana Taylor: B.C. needs prompt-payment legislation for contractors
The Province | DANA TAYLOR | July 17, 2018 When was the last time you bought groceries and told Save-On Foods that they would have to wait a couple of months before you would pay them? It would never fly. Trade contractors in British Columbia — those who build the structures in which you live, work,…
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