The WorkSafeBC Board of Directors approved May-June public hearings regarding proposed regulatory amendments to: Part 5, Chemical Agents and Biological Agents Part 11, Fall Protection Part 12, Tools, Machinery and Equipment Part 12, Tools, Machinery and Equipment; and consequential amendments to Part 23, Oil and Gas Part 13, Ladders, Scaffolds and Temporary Work Platforms, and … Continue reading
by Chris Kilbourne During their first few weeks and months on the job, new workers are likely to develop patterns of safety behavior that often last throughout their employment. That’s why you need to make good use of this valuable safety orientation period. To get the best results from your safety orientation program: 1. Make expectations clear so … Continue reading
By David Bingham An employee at an office building suddenly collapses at his workstation. Nearby employees call 911 and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation but hesitate to use a nearby automated external defibrillator. When paramedics arrive 10 minutes later, they pronounce him dead. The cause of death was sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which is a survivable event when … Continue reading
By Theresa Y. Schulz Noise in the workplace and hearing conservation will continue to be an issue in 2012. Although regulatory changes seem stalled, significant attention is being given to noise hazards. After serving their country in the U.S. armed forces, many veterans are returning to the workplace. Unfortunately, a significant number now suffer from … Continue reading
More than half the workers who lost their jobs when a deadly explosion destroyed a sawmill in northern British Columbia two months ago have found new work, but the question of whether the main employer in the small village of Burns Lake will ever rebuild is still uncertain. Two people were killed and another 250 … Continue reading
Millions of dollars in coins and a shipment of candy were scattered across an Ontario highway Wednesday following the crash of a Brinks tractor-trailer that seriously injured two people. Both of the men who were in the Brinks truck were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. The crash happened around 4 a.m. on Highway … Continue reading
by Cheryl A. Edwards A proposed CSA standard has been developed, setting out optimistic goals and processes for achieving “psychological health and safety” in the workplace. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) released the draft standard on Nov. 1, 2011 for a public consultation that ended on Jan. 6, 2012. The final standard, which is expected to … Continue reading
She remembers the date well. On June 24, 2009, just before the afternoon coffee-break, Tarra Turner suffered a life-changing injury when the scaffold she was on fell about three metres. “I didn’t even have time to know what happened. I remember laying on my back in the sawdust, twisted, waiting for the ambulance to get … Continue reading
by Linda Johnson B.C. employers and workers have a new tool to help them reduce the risk of domestic violence in the workplace. WorkSafeBC, the province’s workers’ compensation board, today introduced an online kit that provides information on issues such as recognizing the signs of domestic violence, providing support to an abused worker and what to … Continue reading
How do you implement a safety committee that works for you and not against you? How do you create a committee that works to your advantage without generating more complaints rather than solving problems? To lay the foundation for a successful safety committee, you have to remember your A-B-Cs: Assess the current safety culture and level … Continue reading
Developing a safety training blueprint can help ensure that training goals are met and all employees who need to be trained learn all they need to know. When you’re preparing a new training program, you need to begin by researching exactly what your training needs are, who specifically needs to be trained, and how best … Continue reading
Canada’s Public Safety Minister, Vic Toews, and British Columbia Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Shirley Bond, today announced that the federal and provincial governments have reached an agreement to renew British Columbia’s RCMP policing contract for another 20 years. The announcement was made at an official signing ceremony in Surrey today. “Today is a significant milestone … Continue reading
Product Description We have made significant progress in addressing workplace factors that impact the physical health and safety of employees; now we need to give similar attention to psychological health. Psychological health concerns have a powerful and expanding impact on the safety, productivity and effectiveness of the workplace. To provide employers with guidance that includes … Continue reading