An online health and safety orientation course provides an introduction to how to work safely on a construction site. Recently, I spoke with Erin Linde, director of health and safety services at the B.C. Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA). Erin is the project lead for SiteReadyBC, an online health and safety orientation program that provides an […]
The B.C. Institute of Technology’s School of Construction and the Environment is reimagining how it makes health and safety an integral part of learning. During the month of April, Construction Month celebrates B.C.’s construction industry. These essential workers have kept going through the pandemic, the heat dome, floods, supply chain disturbances, and more. In 2021, […]
Contamination, structural damage, and asbestos in materials are among the hazards facing restoration contractors during massive flood cleanup. Restoration companies are in high demand in southern B.C., after atmospheric rivers caused flooding that damaged numerous homes and buildings. I read this CBC News story about potential hazards for workers who are helping with restoration. In […]
Learn these five factors and consider them in your workplace to reduce the risk of incidents involving mobile equipment. Workers being struck by vehicles and mobile equipment (also known as “struck-by incidents”) are one of the most common serious injury claims in B.C. (You can see WorkSafeBC serious injury claims by incident type in WorkSafeBC […]
Employers must ensure that non-qualified workers and their materials, equipment, and machinery remain at least 3 metres (10 feet) away from high-voltage sources. Power lines overhead and underground pose a risk of electric shock to workers in many different industries. For example, this summer in B.C., a landscaping worker sustained an electric shock during tree-falling […]
If you work with spray foam insulation or finish coatings, you may be exposed to isocyanates, and should know the health effects of working with them. Exposure to isocyanates — chemicals released into the air by varnishes, paints, coatings, and insulating spray foams — is often a silent exposure. Recently, I noticed on Twitter that […]
It’s up to the prime contractor to ensure that each subcontractor has their own COVID-19 safety plan. “Why do subcontractors need to present their own COVID-19 Safety Plan to prime contractors on a multi-employer worksite?” This is one of the questions WorkSafeBC prevention officers have been answering from employers in the construction industry. Here’s why: […]
BC 1 Call reminds contractors why it’s important to “Click or call before you dig” when planning construction projects. I’ve noticed a number of contractors transforming their clients’ yards to create space for physically distant socializing during the cold months. But as a contractor, before breaking ground on any project — be it building a […]
