Close to 1,000 manufacturing workers suffer injuries from slips, trips, and falls each year in B.C. What can employers and workers do to prevent this? This is the first post in a two-part look at slips, trips, and falls. Stay tuned for next week’s post on new technologies in slip-resistant mats. What comes to mind […]
Here’s some advice for parents on talking to your kids about safety at work. Start the conversation early and encourage them to ask questions. I’m sure we’ve all seen (and maybe been) little kids who love watching construction workers use big machines. Today my son is nearly an adult, but in the past we watched […]
It’s critical to identify risk factors that lead to violent incidents for health care workers. Violence risk assessments can help employers find solutions. The number of violent incidents reported at B.C.’s health care workplaces is on the rise. This news release from the BC Nurses’ Union reports a 52 percent increase in violent incidents reported […]
Preparing for wildfires in B.C. is a shared responsibility. Here are FireSmartBC’s tips for mitigating the threat of wildfires in your community. Many communities in B.C. are in or near heavily forested areas. People who live, work, and play in these areas need to be prepared for wildfires. Wildfires don’t just affect communities in remote […]
Tow truck drivers face unique risks at work. Drivers need to slow down and move over when they see flashing lights on a tow truck or any other vehicle. This is part two of my focus on road safety. Check out last week’s post, Reminding truckers about the hazards of stopping roadside. B.C.’s annual Cone […]
Truck drivers need to minimize risk when they are forced to stop roadside — often on busy highways — to chain up tires, check a load, or address an issue. This is the first post in a two-part look at road safety. Stay tuned for next week’s post on the auto recovery and towing industry. […]
Shawn Michaels has seen many chainsaw injuries during his work life. Now, he’s designing a safety jacket that protects arborists against chainsaw blades. “I think this is likely the safest jacket on the planet,” says Shawn Michaels, an arborist and technical apparel student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU). He’s referring to the Kevlar safety jacket […]
To prevent drowning, crewmembers on B.C. fishing vessels are now required to wear PFDs or lifejackets whenever they are on the deck. Fishing is a unique occupation with safety concerns unlike any other. “The reality of working on a commercial fishing vessel will never change, in terms of the risk of working on the water,” […]
Dust from wood, metal, flour, and more can ignite. Free online training can help employers, contractors, and workers in manufacturing control the hazard. Just about any substance can be combustible when it’s the size of a grain of table salt. “When we grind things up very small, almost everything burns,” says Lorne Davies, safety advisor […]
A ranching safety advisor reminds drivers to be vigilant and follow ranch workers’ directions when they encounter cattle drives on B.C.’s roads. Sometimes ranchers in rural B.C. herd their cows along roads. For motorists passing through the region, it can be quite a sight, but it can also be confusing. “People are driving down a […]
