Vancouver Sun | PATRICK JOHNSTON | Published on: May 14, 2017 Commuters take note: Monday morning Vancouver cops will be on the look-out more than ever for drivers breaking the law around a downtown road construction site. WorkSafe BC estimates the coming months will see 25 per cent more road work than the same period last year and…
Read MoreVRCA leadership forum discusses weed in the workplace
Journal of Commerce | ASSOCIATIONS | by RUSSELL HIXSON | May 8, 2017 With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promising to legalize recreational marijuana use by next year, many employers are curious how they will deal with the issue among their workforce. While much of the legislation and specifics around what constitutes impairment is up in the air, a panel at the…
Read MoreSafety culture a bigger factor than union or non-union label
Journal of Commerce | OH&S | by JEAN SORENSEN | May 9, 2017 Onsite safety culture, rather than union or non-union culture, is more of a determinate of incident and fatality rates, state several industry stakeholders who have worked in safety roles. Mike McKenna, executive director of the BC Construction Safety Alliance, said he had not seen conclusive data that indicated…
Read MoreContinue strong stance against asbestos
Journal of Commerce | OH&S | by RUSSELL HIXSON | May 3, 2017 Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna announced that the federal government will fully support the listing of chrysotile asbestos to the Rotterdam Convention and will advocate for it at the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in Geneva. The government supports the objective of…
Read MoreICBA’s vision and core values won’t change: Gardner
Journal of Commerce | ASSOCIATIONS | by SHANNON MONEO | Apr 24, 2017 The new president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) may have big boots to “Phil,” but Chris Gardner’s varied career should serve him well. In January, Gardner took the helm at the ICBA from Phil Hochstein who spent three decades with the association, becoming its strong…
Read MoreTime for ICBA change right: Hochstein
Journal of Commerce | ASSOCIATIONS | by SHANNON MONEO | Apr 24, 2017 After 30 years with B.C.’s Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA), Phil Hochstein decided to step down as president after seeing several of his peers were doing the same. B.C. construction association contemporaries such as Jack Davidson, Greg Baynton and Manley McLachlan made 2016 their exit year, heralding…
Read MoreVRCA Leadership Forum to tackle fatigue, marijuana
Journal of Commerce | ASSOCIATIONS | by JOC NEWS SERVICE | Apr 24, 2017 WHISTLER, B.C. The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) is hosting its annual Construction Leadership Forum at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler on May 5 and 6, with this year’s theme looking towards Building Tomorrow’s Leaders. The event will kick off with a keynote presentation from John Furlong,…
Read MoreBCFED calls for criminal charges after worker death
Journal of Commerce | LABOUR | by RUSSELL HIXSON | Apr 12, 2017 The BC Federation of Labour (BCFED) is demanding answers about the fine assessed against a Vancouver property development firm whose violations of health and safety rules were cited as factors in the death of a Kamloops construction worker in 2015. BCFED called the fine “paltry” and criticized officials…
Read MoreDay of Mourning ~ honour and remember lives ! April 28th
We remember the 144 workers in B.C. who lost their lives in 2016. It only takes one moment for a life to change. On May 13, 2008, Dirk, a power line technician, left for work but never made it home due to a tragic helicopter crash. For his wife, Lynne, and their children, the Day…
Read MoreMarch Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC
Injury Type: Head injury, broken ribs Core Activity: Framing or residential forming Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2017-Mar ID Number: 2017175290005 A worker was on a temporary work platform located 31 inches below the top plate of an interior wall. The worker lost his balance and fell over the top plate of the wall…
Read MoreJoint Health and Safety Committee Changes – April 3, 2017
Changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation relating to joint health and safety committees took effect April 3, 2017. These changes include: Amendments to the mandatory minimum training requirements for health and safety committee members and worker health and safety representatives Mandatory annual evaluation of joint committee effectiveness Clarification of what participation by employer…
Read MoreGovernment to direct the creation of a policy for return of WorkSafeBC funds
On March 29, 2017, the provincial government announced proposed amendments to the Workers Compensation Act. This amendment will establish a new policy requiring WorkSafeBC to return funds to employers when they have a surplus of contributions from employers in the Accident Fund. As the enclosed news release outlines, the amendment will not affect the benefits…
Read MoreBCCSA’s silica mitigation app nears finish line
Journal of Commerce | ASSOCIATIONS | by WARREN FREY | Mar 22, 2017 A new silica mitigation app is almost ready for prime time. Members of the Canadian Construction Association’s (CCA) Civil Infrastructure Council (CIC) were given a demonstration of the British Columbia Construction Safety Alliance’s (BCCSA) mobile silica exposure mitigation application on March 18. The application will…
Read MoreYoung construction workers less likely to protect hearing
Journal of Commerce | OH&S | by THE CANADIAN PRESS | Mar 28, 2017 RICHMOND, B.C. – The organization that regulates health and safety in British Columbia workplaces reports almost one in four young construction workers are not doing enough to protect against hearing loss. New data from WorkSafeBC shows 24 per cent of construction workers aged 21 or…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC investigation confirms VSB bullying took place at meetings
The Vancouver Sun | Tracy Sherlock | Published on: March 24, 2017 The bullying at the Vancouver School Board all comes down to conduct and comments made at two meetings — one a private meeting of the board on September 6 and the other the public meeting on September 26 about school closures, WorkSafeBC has…
Read MoreB.C. construction oversight organizations dealing with increased volume of work
Journal of Commerce | ASSOCIATIONS | by PETER CAULFIELD | Mar 16, 2017 There is a multitude of diverse organizations in British Columbia that are responsible for one aspect or another of construction oversight. What they all have in common is that the province’s busy construction industry has added to their volume of inspection work. But they differ in the ways…
Read MoreNew Construction Resources
It’s Personal: A Video Discussion Guide on Bullying and Harassment in Construction –> This is a discussion guide for a series of 10 short videos that focus on various aspects of bullying and harassment in the construction industry. New data shows young construction workers less likely to wear hearing protection –> New 2016 data from WorkSafeBC…
Read MoreConstruction High Risk Strategy Available Online
The Construction High Risk Strategy (HRS) was developed through examination of claims data and identification of work activities with the highest potential for causing serious injury.
McLachlan’s advice on success: Be reasonable, relevant and a resource
Journal of Commerce | ASSOCIATIONS | by RUSSELL HIXSON | Mar 7, 2017 last update:Mar 9, 2017 Though Manley McLachlan is leaving the BC Construction Association (BCCA), he says he believes he’s leaving the organization in better shape than he found it back in 2004. “The way I have described it, with no disrespect, the organization had…
Read MoreFebruary Work Related Incidents Reported to WorkSafeBC
Injury Type: Broken ribs, lacerations to upper body (1 worker); bruising (1 worker) Core Activity: Framing or residential forming Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2017-Mar ID Number: 2017175280003 Two workers at a house were pushing an exterior wall that had been lying over a floor opening. They fell through the opening to grade (about…
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