F.A.S.T. launching new women’s high-vis line as demand grows

Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen | March 18, 2024 No more boxy pants, droopy elephant rears, turtle-shell jackets and hand-devouring sleeves.  F.A.S.T., a B.C. company known for safety clothing and survival gear, is launching a dedicated line of women’s high visibility safety clothing April 1 with the design fitted to a woman’s body, said company president…

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Occupational First Aid Regulatory Change 

WorkSafeBC March 2024 Update On November 1, 2024, amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation relating to occupational first aid will come into effect. The changes mean employers across the province will need to review their current first aid plans, supplies, and equipment and make adjustments.    Below is an update on our implementation…

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CIRP, BC Build Together release mental health survey for women in construction

Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | February 28, 2024 VANCOUVER – The Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan (CIRP) and BC Build Together have released a new confidential survey to gauge the mental health needs of women in the province’s construction industry. The survey has been released to “help us better understand your challenges and needs” according to the …

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Permanent Disability Evaluation Schedule — Range of Motion Method and Disabilities of the Spine

WorkSafeBC The WorkSafeBC Policy, Regulation and Research Department (PRRD) is releasing a discussion paper on the Permanent Disability Evaluation Schedule — Range of Motion Method and Disabilities of the Spine to stakeholders for comment. Following concerns raised by stakeholders regarding the reliability and validity of the range of motion (ROM) method for measuring permanent disabilities involving…

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B.C. budget a flop for most construction stakeholders

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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B.C. election budget boosts family benefits as deficit soars to $7.9B

Journal of Commerce | The Canadian Press | February 22, 2024 VICTORIA – British Columbia families and small business operators are expected to benefit from an election-year budget that boosts spending while forecasting a ballooning deficit of more than $7.9 billion and economic growth of less than one per cent. The budget also includes a home flipping tax to deter…

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‘This industry can’t be a free-for-all’: WorkSafeBC not releasing Kelowna crane safety report at this time

Journal of Commerce | Warren Frey  | February 22, 2024 British Columbia’s safety regulator will not yet release its completed report on the 2021 Kelowna crane collapse, despite calls from industry stakeholders and family members of the victims to do so.   The Kelowna RCMP detachment released an update on Feb. 20 on the conclusion of a comprehensive investigation by…

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EllisDon reports operations at Oakridge site halted as crane load fatality death investigation continues

Journal of Commerce | The Canadian Press | February 22, 2024 VANCOUVER – The mayor of Vancouver says he is “deeply saddened” by the death of a worker when the load from a crane fell on a building under construction in the city’s Oakridge neighbourhood, and worksite safety must remain a top priority. A statement from…

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UPDATE: Worker dead after load from construction crane falls on Vancouver building

Journal of Commerce | The Canadian Press | February 21, 2024 VANCOUVER – B.C.’s premier and minister of labour are sharing their heartfelt condolences after a worker was killed in Vancouver’s Oakridge neighbourhood when a load from a crane fell on a building under construction. The joint statement from David Eby and Harry Bains said, “Every…

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One dead as crane load crashes to ground at Oakridge Centre redevelopment site

B.C. Premier David Eby and Labour minister Harry Bains expressed condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the victim Vancouver Sun | David Carrigg, Joseph Ruttle | February 21, 2024 One person is dead following a crane mishap at the Oakridge Centre redevelopment project in Vancouver. According to Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services Capt. Matthew…

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National COSH hails new ‘walkaround rule’ for safety inspections

Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | February 15, 2024 LOS ANGELES – Leaders of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) are praising an updated federal regulation that allows workers to choose a representative during safety inspections. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed rule will allow workers in…

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New BCCSA chair brings unique perspective to the job

Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | February 16, 2024 Will Cook was recently named chair of the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA). Cook, whose two-year term runs until fall 2025, comes to the BCCSA chairmanship from the restoration industry. The industry comprises large national and regional independent companies and franchised operations, as well as local firms whose…

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Industry Special: B.C.’s ‘duty to co-operate and duty to maintain employment’ came into force on Jan. 1

Journal of Commerce | ConstructConnect™ Media | February 14, 2024 On Jan. 1, the Duty to co-operate and duty to maintain employment, when a worker is injured came into force under the BC Workers Compensation Act. While the legislation won’t significantly change the relationship between workers and employers, it codifies that relationship for the first time. According to…

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