The following guidelines accompany regulatory amendments to construction related OHS Regulations that are effective March 31, 2015. These are both new and revised guidelines which align with the new regulatory provisions. For information on the regulatory amendments, CLICK HERE. May 1, 2015 Part 5 Chemical Agents and Biological Agents Table of exposure limits for chemical and biological substances…
Read MoreHiring a Health and Safety Practitioner
Hiring a Health and Safety Practitioner – A Guide for Employers and OH&S Practitioners has been prepared by Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) in the pursuit of CSSE’s mission, vision and goals. The Guide is intended to serve as a resource to employers when hiring a health and safety practitioner. It also provides guidance…
Read More2015 New or Revised ACGIH Threshold Limit Values and B.C. OELs
May 1, 2015 Dear Stakeholder: Each year, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) publishes a list of substances for which it has set new or revised Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). A TLV is an exposure limit that is the suggested maximum allowed airborne concentration for a particular substance where nearly all workers are…
Read MoreApril 2015 Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafe BC
Injury Type: Bruising and abrasions (2 workers) Core Activity: Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential general contracting or construction Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. Date of Incident: 2015-Apr ID Number: 2015138190009 Two workers in a boom-style elevating work platform were struck by sheets of plywood that fell about 30 feet from a concrete form system that…
Read More2015 Day of Mourning
Remember that April 28th is the Day of Mourning. Honour and remember the 175 workers who died on the job in 2014. For more information visit dayofmourning.bc.ca.
March 31, 2015 Updates to OHS Regulations
The following guidelines accompany regulatory amendments to construction related OHS Regulations that are effective March 31, 2015. These are both new and revised guidelines which align with the new regulatory provisions. For information on the regulatory amendments, CLICK HERE. Part 5 Chemical Agents and Biological Agents G5.30 Dispensing This guideline is no longer required, it has now been…
Read MoreAdditional March 2015 Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC
Injury Type: Close call Core Activity: Structural concrete forming Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2015-Mar ID Number: 2015163750111 A flyform was being guided down between the building structure and adjacent high-voltage power lines. A gust of wind pushed the flyform into contact with the power lines, resulting in a loss of power to buildings…
Read MoreMarch 2015 Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC
Injury Type: Possible upper-body fractures; scrapes Core Activity: Industrial, commercial, institutional or highrise residential general contracting or construction Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2015-Mar ID Number: 2015113830016 A young worker was ascending a ladder to the top of a wall form (16.75 feet high). As he neared the top of the wall form, a…
Read MoreMark Your Calendars
Remember that April 28th is the Day of Mourning. Honour and remember the 175 workers who died on the job in 2014. For more information visit dayofmourning.bc.ca. WorkSafe BC is hosting a Steep Slope Roofing Symposium on April 25th in Victoria. This symposium includes sessions on safety responsibilities in the roofing industry, fall protection planning and procedures,…
Read MoreFebruary 20, 2015 Update to OHS Regulations
Many sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and Workers Compensation Act (“Act“) have associated guidelines. Guidelines are intended to assist with providing ways of complying with the legislation, not to provide exclusive interpretations. Guidelines generally provide information on administrative matters and on technical matters not already addressed by policy. Periodically, guidelines are updated…
Read MoreRegulatory amendments relating to WHMIS 2015
March 9, 2015 Dear Stakeholder: On February 24, 2015, WorkSafeBCs Board of Directors approved amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) relating to WHMIS 2015. Proposed amendments were taken to a public consultation in February 2015 and then to a public hearing on February 20, 2015. These changes will harmonize with the Government…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC Review and Action Plan Implementation Status Report Update
Richmond, B.C., February 25, 2015 — WorkSafeBC has fully implemented 23 recommendations of the WorkSafeBC Review and Action Plan, which was prepared by WorkSafeBC special adviser Gordon Macatee in July 2014. In addition, eight more recommendations are in progress and are on track to be completed as scheduled. In his report, Mr. Macatee provided 43…
Read MoreWHMIS 2015
WorkSafeBC is proposing changes to the OHSR relating to Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) in order to implement the amendments with an effective date of June 1, 2015. These proposed changes are to fulfill a national commitment to align the current WHMIS requirements with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals…
Read MoreFebruary 2015 Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC
Injury Type: Serious internal injury and fractures Core Activity: Low slope roofing Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2015-Feb ID Number: 2015171890096 A worker fell about 15 feet from a roof to a concrete sidewalk while inspecting a roof. Injury Type: Close call Core Activity: Residential demolition Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2015-Feb ID…
Read MoreFebruary 1, 2015 Updates to OHS Regulations and Guidelines
The following guidelines accompany regulatory amendments to construction related OHS Regulations that are effective February 1, 2015. These are both new and revised guidelines which align with the new regulatory provisions. For information on the regulatory amendments, CLICK HERE. Part 5 Chemical Agents and Biological Agents G5.3-1 WHMIS application (editorial revision) Part 8 Personal Protective Clothing and…
Read MoreNotice of public hearing for proposed OHSR amendments relating to WHMIS 2015
February 13, 2015 Dear Stakeholder: The Board of Directors approved an expedited public hearing to be held on Friday, February 20, 2015, to consider proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) relating to harmonizing Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) to the Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labelling of Chemicals…
Read MoreNew Legislation for WorkSafe BC
The B.C. Liberals introduced BILL 9 – 2015 ~ WORKERS COMPENSATION AMENDMENT ACT, 2015 onWednesday with the intention of increased workplace safety following recommendations made in the Macatee Report. The legislation adds enforcement tools for WorkSafeBC that include on-the-spot fines of up to $1,000, wider discretion to stop work deemed unsafe and the ability to take more forceful action against…
Read MoreJanuary 2015 Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC
Injury Type: Temporary loss of consciousness, upper-body fractures Core Activity: Mechanical insulation Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. Date of Incident: 2015-Jan ID Number: 2015161290003 A mechanical trades worker installing pipe insulation fell from a wooden stepladder to the concrete floor below. Injury Type: Internal injuries Core Activity: Oil or gas pipeline construction or repair Location: Northern…
Read More2015–2017 Compensation, Occupational Disease and Assessment Policy Priorities Workplan
The Board of Directors of WorkSafeBC has approved this year’s Compensation, Occupational Disease and Assessment Policy priorities workplan. The finalized workplan is now available on the WorkSafeBC website and we encourage everyone to take a look at what they will be working on from 2015 to 2017. Though issues may arise during the year that will require…
Read MoreOH&S Guideline Updates
Many sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and Workers Compensation Act (“Act“) have associated guidelines. Guidelines are intended to assist with providing ways of complying with the legislation, not to provide exclusive interpretations. Guidelines generally provide information on administrative matters and on technical matters not already addressed by policy. On December 19, 2014,…
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