A new fellowship award for research in occupational health and safety and work disability honours Ralph McGinn, who devoted his career to worker safety. Ralph McGinn, known for his dedication to workers’ health and safety, was the chair of WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors when he passed away suddenly on May 11, 2020. Many people paid […]
Process safety management is a practice used in high-hazard industries like pulp and paper mills to help protect workers and the surrounding community. You may not know what process safety is. “In a simple way, it’s keeping the stuff that’s supposed to be in the tanks and pipes in the tanks and pipes,” says Tony […]
Workplace health and safety training programs use virtual reality to recreate hazards, incidents, best practices, and more. Several industries are using virtual reality (VR) to deliver workplace health and safety training. Workers can don their headsets and see images that simulate real-life workplace experiences. “The sky’s the limit. You can recreate any incident, any safe […]
WorkSafeBC prevention officers visit herring fishery crews to look at PPE, worker supervision, safe work procedures, and other risk-reduction tactics. Commercial fishing continues to have one of the highest fatality rates, per capita, of industries in B.C. At the start of this year’s herring fishery, WorkSafeBC prevention officers are visiting crews to review employers’ safety […]
COVID-19 health and safety information is available in 120+ languages in B.C., where more than a million people use languages other than English. At first, I wondered if there was much point in writing — in English — about resources available in other languages. But I’m writing this with the hope that readers will pass […]
Patio heaters are lovely for keeping us warm outside in the cold, but we need to use them safely to avoid potential fire and carbon monoxide hazards. This winter, during the pandemic, many people are turning to patio heaters for warmth outside – where the risk of COVID-19 transmission can be lower. According to this […]
A registered massage therapist adds her own measures to the required COVID-19 protocols in place at her practice. Recently I spoke with a registered massage therapist (RMT) who works with high-risk clients. She carefully follows the COVID-19 guidelines set by the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia (CMTBC) and keeps her safety plan updated. […]
WorkSafeBC and industry groups are working to ensure COVID-19 health and safety in food processing plants. Industry sectors most affected by COVID-19 are being supported to minimize the spread of the virus. One high-risk sector is food processing. B.C. food processing employers are working hard to update their COVID-19 safety plans and improve protocols for […]
A costume studio shares its enhanced disinfecting and sanitizing protocols, and explains how it minimizes the potential chemical hazards. Enhanced cleaning procedures are an important part of preventing COVID-19 transmission at work. I spoke with a friend about how his workplace is carrying out the extra measures. He is a shop foreman at a company […]
A local manufacturing company shares its approach to well-organized workspaces that reduce the risk of slips, trips, and falls in the workplace. Recently I spoke about maintaining safe workspaces with Roger Hall, health and safety manager at RIMEX’s 200,000-square-foot production plant in Agassiz, B.C. The company manufactures wheels and rims for large industrial vehicles, and […]
