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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Recent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC

February 16, 2024 Construction-related 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, possible concussion (1 worker) Core Activity: Window or glass installation, replacement, or repair Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2024-Jan…

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Industry Perspectives Op-Ed: WorkSafeBC focus on crane safety continues amid recent incidents

Journal of Commerce | Doug Younger | February 9, 2024 In late January, two separate crane incidents occurred in Metro Vancouver within a week of each other. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. These high-profile incidents have generated questions about crane safety in B.C., including what initiatives are underway to improve safety on worksites and what…

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ICBA Gala – An Evening With Legends

May3, 2024 | Register Now On behalf of ICBA – The ICBA Gala Dinner is our single biggest event, drawing 1,000 people to hear a unique selection of high-profile speakers, including NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks Peyton Manning (2017), Brett Favre (2018), Troy Aikman (2019), and Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson (2022). But the 2023…

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WorkSafeBC’s board of directors welcomes two new members

Two new directors have been appointed to WorkSafeBC’s governance board. Effective immediately: The WorkSafeBC board of directors serves as a steward of WorkSafeBC and the workers’ compensation system. The Workers Compensation Act requires that the board includes representation from professionals from a range of relevant fields, including health care and rehabilitation, occupational health and safety,…

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Safety Headgear Survey – Your Opinions Matter! Deadline Friday February 9th!

The Council of Construction Associations is working with WorkSafeBC to circulate a survey about workplace health and safety. ਕੰਮ ਦੀ ਥਾਂ `ਤੇ ਸਿਹਤ ਅਤੇ ਸੇਫਟੀ ਬਾਰੇ ਇਕ ਸਰਵੇ ਵੰਡਣ ਲਈ Safety Driven, ਵਰਕਸੇਫ ਬੀ ਸੀ ਨਾਲ ਕੰਮ ਕਰ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। Please take 5 minutes of your time to participate in an online survey.  Your responses will be collected for…

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Registration is now open for our brand-new LEAP Conference for Women in Construction!

Join VRCA at LEAP, a groundbreaking Women in Construction Conference set to take place in Vancouver, BC, on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2024. LEAP will inspire and empower women in the construction industry, encouraging them to take bold steps forward in their careers. This event is designed to elevate and uplift women by providing a…

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Union calls for mandatory safety certification after pair of B.C. crane incidents

The push comes after recent crane incidents in Surrey and Burnaby. Richmond News | Rob Gibson | Castanet | Jan 31, 2024 3:45 PM The union representing hundreds of crane operators across B.C. is calling for industry wide mandatory certification after two crane incidents in the past four days. “We don’t know the exact cause of these incidents,…

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Crane collapses at Surrey construction site

Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | January 30, 2024 SURREY, B.C. – A crane working on a highrise construction project in Surrey, B.C. collapsed on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 30. The site is located near the corner of 104 Ave. and King George Boulevard. In a statement to the Journal of Commerce, WorkSafeBC…

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BC CENTRE FOR WOMEN IN THE TRADES

From BCCWITT | January 30, 2024 BCCWITT Events BCCWITT Be More Than A Bystander training sessions   We have partnered once again with SkilledTradesBC to offer two virtual Be More Than A Bystander workshops! Read more here.  We also have another all-gender train-the-trainer at North Island College in Campbell River from February 23-25, 2024 (cohort information with…

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Activity-related soft tissue disorders of the limbs

WorkSafeBC ~ Our Policy, Regulation and Research Department (PRRD) is proposing amendments to policy concerning activity-related soft tissue disorders (ASTDs) of the limbs. The proposed amendments are intended to address two ASTD projects in the PRRD’s current workplan: The proposed amendments clarify policy on the issue of whether an ASTD is due to the nature…

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