October 1, 2025 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: Laceration Core Activity: Concrete placing, finishing, surfacing, or repair Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2025-Sep ID Number: 2025192860001 A worker tripped…
Read MoreConstruction company, concrete supplier penalized $218,000 after arc mishap injures worker
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | October 1, 2025 EDMONTON — Keller Construction Ltd. and Alberta Concrete Pumping Ltd. both pleaded guilty on Sept. 22 in the Vegreville Court of Justice to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) code for failing to ensure equipment was operated at a safe distance from…
Read MoreJ. Cote and Son Excavating trial closing submissions being made
Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen } September 23, 2025 Closing submissions for the J. Cote & Son Excavating and then-foreman David John Green trial stemming from the trench death of an employee will be carried out Tuesday and Wednesday (Sept. 23 and 24) in Vancouver’s B.C. Supreme Court after a lengthy tprocess that started Jan….
Read MoreCFCSA launches survey on national safety programs
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | September 23, 2025 OTTAWA — The Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA) is seeking input from members across the country on the National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO) and National Health and Safety Administrator (NHSA) programs. “Your feedback will help us review these designations and make recommendations that…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC orders report after truck plunges into Nitinat Lake
Richmond News | Hannah Link | Sep 19, 2025 A Port Alberni industrial construction company that released footage of its articulating rock truck falling into Nitinat Lake last month has been told to prepare a report detailing what it has done to comply with B.C. health and safety regulations. A video posted to the Roc-Star…
Read MoreNew leadership, new chapter for Canadian Association of Women in Construction
Journal of Commerce | Dena Fehir | September 22, 2025 The Canadian Association of Women in Construction has announced its 2025-2026 executive director and president. The CAWIC board of directors has named Sarah Morison as executive director and Kristen Bauer as president. Morison brings extensive non-profit leadership experience to the role Her past positions include working…
Read MoreConstruction worker peer support bridging stigma of mental illness and addiction
Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen | September 22, 2025 An international wave of peer support programs within the construction industry is shaping up as the bridge over the stigma that is preventing the “tough-guy” construction worker from seeking mental health, addiction and suicide help. “Broad awareness exists of union-provided mental health and addictions programs; stigma…
Read MoreSeptember 24th Public Hearing – Combustible Dusts – WorkSafeBC
Later this month, WorkSafeBC will hold a second public hearing on the proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation: Part 6, Substance Specific Requirements – Combustible Dusts. These changes aim to strengthen safety measures across a broad range of workplaces by clarifying that various types of dust may be combustible and pose…
Read MoreRecent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
September 12, 2025 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: Injuries to lower body (1 worker) Core Activity: Traffic control / Industrial, commercial, institutional or highrise residential contracting or…
Read MoreNew York’s ‘landmark legislation’ covers suicide risk, prevention training for construction
Journal of Commerce | Don Procter | September 16, 2025 “Landmark legislation” just introduced in New York City proposes construction workers and supervisors carrying Site Safety Training (SST) cards – required on worksites that need building permits – to complete additional training focused on mental health and wellness. The additional training would cover suicide risk and…
Read MoreAnxiety, burnout and pain among mental health issues impacting Canadian trade unions, finds landmark CBTU report
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | September 8, 2025 OTTAWA — Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) have released a comprehensive report detailing the mental health and substance use challenges faced by its 600,000 members across 60 skilled trades. The report, prepared by the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation, sheds light on the unique stressors impacting tradespeople…
Read MoreConstruction, other regulators applaud new Ontario labour-mobility rules
Journal of Commerce | Don Wall | September 9, 2025 Ontario construction stakeholders are praising new labour-mobility regulations as an important step towards breaking down interprovincial work barriers, but they say they will be watching implementation closely and are calling for further reforms. Starting next Jan. 1, skilled workers in certified professions from other provinces and…
Read MoreIndustry Special: Type II helmets are strengthening protection against head injuries for construction workers
Journal of Commerce | BCCSA | September 8, 2025 For years, regulations in jurisdictions across Canada have offered a choice between Type I hardhats, designed to reduce force as a result of an impact to the top of the head, and Type II helmets, designed to reduce force as a result of an impact to the…
Read MoreConstruction safety improving in B.C. despite high-profile incidents
Richmond News | Jami Makan | September 2, 2025 There are fewer injuries and deaths occurring on B.C. construction sites compared to previous years and decades, although much work remains to ensure worker safety. “Struck by’s,” “falls from” and “trips and slips” are among the most common incidents on job sites, and major events like…
Read More$326M in federal community-building funding for B.C.
Journal of Commerce | The Canadian Press | September 2, 2025 SURREY — The federal government says British Columbia is set to receive more than $326 million this fiscal year to help fund community infrastructure projects. A statement from the Department of Housing and Infrastructure says it is the latest money to flow to the province…
Read MoreB.C. crane industry wants provincial standard for riggers
Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen | August 29, 2025 Members of B.C.’s construction crane industry want WorkSafeBC (WSBC) to set a provincial standard for riggers to fill a critical regulatory void which now allows individuals with little or no formal training to load tower cranes with thousands of pounds of material and pass over a…
Read MoreConstruction Unemployment Reaches YTD Low in July 2025
Buildforce Canada Labour Market Blog The national construction unemployment rate reached its lowest level of the calendar year at 4.4% in July 2025, as builders in many regions of the country continued to work on large volumes of non-residential projects. Data from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for July 2025 finds construction employment up slightly…
Read MoreRecent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
August 28, 2025 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: Fatal Core Activity: Excavator operation Location: Interior B.C. Date of Incident: 2025-Aug ID Number: 2025163800012 An excavator was loading concrete sanitation rings…
Read MoreConsultation on proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
WorkSafeBC’s Policy, Regulation and Research Department is requesting feedback on proposed amendments to Part 6, Substance Specific Requirements — Toxic Process Gases, and additional amendments to Parts 24 and 28, of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The consultation phase gives stakeholders an opportunity to share feedback before the proposed amendments are taken to public…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC New and Updated Resources
Prime contractor role and responsibilities (information sheet) Safety on the job is everyone’s responsibility (poster) Hear for Good: A Worker’s Guide to Preventing Hearing Loss (pamphlet)