Journal of Commerce | ConstructConnect™ Media | August 3, 2022 Construction worker retrieved by THARRP-trained fire department crews The recent rescue of a crane operator at a White Rock, B.C. construction site by local firefighters demonstrated what the Technical High Angle Rope Rescue Program (THARRP) is all about: prepare and train for every possible situation, then…
Read MoreNew program aims to help brain injury survivors return to workforce
The 2-week program was created by the Victoria Brain Injury Society and the John Howard Society CBC News · Posted: Aug 01, 2022 8:00 AM PT A new program launching this month in Victoria will help brain injury survivors develop skills they need to get back into the workforce. The program, created by the Victoria Brain Injury Society in partnership…
Read MoreLicensing of Asbestos Abatement Contractors
The provincial government has amended the Workers Compensation Act to establish requirements that asbestos abatement contractors must be licensed to operate in British Columbia, and that workers and employers who perform this work must complete mandatory safety training and certification. WorkSafeBC will be responsible for implementing these requirements and wants to ensure workers, employers, and other stakeholders…
Read MoreIndustry Perspectives Op-Ed: Where are the community benefits the Horgan government promised?
Journal of Commerce | Paul de Jong | July 11, 2022 Back in the summer of 2018, B.C.’s John Horgan government announced a “landmark” agreement for key public infrastructure projects. The premier claimed this new framework would deliver all kinds of benefits for the province’s skilled tradespeople. Now, four years later, it seems reasonable to ask,…
Read MoreFirst anniversary of Kelowna, B.C., crane collapse marked by memorial, investigations
The Canadian Press | July 12, 2022 KELOWNA, B.C. – RCMP in Kelowna, B.C., have released a statement marking the first anniversary of a deadly construction crane collapse in that city. The statement says the detachment is “actively investigating” the July 12, 2021, collapse that killed five people, including four workers and a man who was in a…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC investigation into Kelowna crane collapse ongoing
July 12 marks one-year since the tragic incident Richmond, B.C. (July 11, 2022) — On July 12, 2021, acatastrophic failure occurred while workers dismantled a tower crane at a construction site on St. Paul Street in Kelowna. As a result, five workers died, including four workers at the construction site and a worker unrelated to the…
Read MoreRecent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
June 23, 2022 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: Lacerated arm, undetermined injuries (1 worker) Core Activity: Renovation work – exterior industrial, commercial, industrial, or highrise residential Location: Lower…
Read MoreUPDATE: Agreement reached to end concrete strike in B.C.
Journal of Commerce | Shannon Moneo | June 24, 2022 The five-week-old strike by Rempel Bros. Concrete truck drivers is over. A tentative deal was struck around 2 p.m. on June 23, with the ratification vote happening at 7 p.m. The offer, from employer Lehigh Hanson, was accepted by 62 of the Teamsters Local 213 members….
Read MoreConcrete crisis: Shortages cracking up B.C. construction
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | June 21, 2022 Fires, strikes, shipping challenges and more. A series of issues in B.C. are creating a shortage of one of the most used materials on earth: concrete. Racy Sidhu, the chairman of Concrete BC and a managing partner YAAT Ready Mix Concrete, explained the shortage stems from…
Read MoreBCCA’s Builders Code helps build positive worksite cultures
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | June 29, 2022 A growing number of B.C. construction employers are adopting the Builders Code as part of their commitment to reduce bullying, harassment and hazing and establish a standard code of conduct for workers on construction sites. Created in 2019 by the BC Construction Association (BCCA), the Builders…
Read MoreUpcoming WorkSafeBC Rate Sessions
You are invited to attend one of WorkSafeBC’s virtual rate consultation sessions Join WorkSafeBC, and other B.C. employers, to learn more about WorkSafeBC’s preliminary assessment premium rates for 2023, and what you can do to reduce injuries, claim costs, and your premium rate. The virtual rate consultation sessions take place on July 18 and 20….
Read MoreAssurance in Writing – 30M33
The revised 30M33 form is live and available online. Improved Form 30M33 now available This month, WorkSafeBC is taking a step toward better protecting workers working near energized high-voltage electrical equipment or conductors. We’ve launched a revised version of the Assurance of Compliance with Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, Part 19 (Form 30M33). The purpose of…
Read MoreICBA’s Gardner warns there’s a ‘tsunami of mental wellness challenges’ coming
Journal of Commerce | Grant Cameron | June 22, 2022 The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health and substance abuse challenges in construction and the industry must make it easier for workers to speak up if they are struggling and need help. That was the message from Chris Gardner, president of the Vancouver-based Independent Contractors and…
Read MoreB.C. construction boss jailed and company fined $25K over repeated workplace safety issues
Dalwinder Singh Kandola and G & D Construction Ltd. sentenced for violations of 2017 court order Bethany Lindsay · CBC News · Posted: Jun 10, 2022 4:00 AM PT The director of a Metro Vancouver construction company is headed to jail after repeated workplace safety violations in defiance of a court injunction. Dalwinder Singh Kandola and G & D…
Read MoreOrion: Construction challenges piling up, putting projects at risk in B.C.
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | June 15, 2022 COVID-19, labour shortages, massive price fluctuations. For B.C. builders it seems like one problem on top another. Josh Gaglardi, principal and founder of Orion Construction, has had to come up with creative strategies to mitigate the issues but says doing business has been getting harder and…
Read MoreApprenticeship Service Funding Announcement at National Apprenticeship Conference in Halifax
Halifax, NS – May 30, 2022 – The launch of the Apprenticeship Service stands to help overcome financial barriers employers face to hiring and training first-year apprentices, according to the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA). The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, traveled to the CAF-FCA’s National Apprenticeship Conference in Halifax to announce…
Read MoreRecent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
June 6, 2022 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: Steel frame erection / Industrial, commercial, institutional or highrise residential contracting or construction Location: Lower Mainland Date…
Read MoreTwo businesses fined for asbestos violations in Richmond
Richmond News | Valerie Leung | June 8, 2022 One business was fined $80,000 for repeated high-risk violations. Two firms responsible for handling asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) have been fined by WorkSafeBC for two separate cases of failing to remove hazardous materials from Richmond sites. Green Clover Asbestos was fined $80,000 on April 28 for repeated…
Read MoreProposed Amendments to Schedule 2, Non-Traumatic Hearing Loss
WorkSafeBC’s Policy, Regulation and Research Department is releasing a discussion paper on proposed amendments to Schedule 2, Non-Traumatic Hearing Loss, of the Workers Compensation Act. Schedule 2 is used to determine compensation for workers who have developed hearing loss gradually as a result of exposure to occupational noise. The schedule, which was last updated over 40…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC Board of Directors approves amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
At its March 2022 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. These amendments will come into effect on August 22, 2022. Strikethrough versions of the amendments with explanatory notes can be accessed below. Deletions in the regulatory amendments are identified with a strikethrough and additions are in bold text and highlighted in yellow….
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