B.C. health care assistants were recently honoured and celebrated at conferences focused on promoting workplace safety and the care aides’ well-being. Health care assistants make a huge difference to people’s quality of life. In honour of these workers — also known as resident care assistants, community health workers, and home care workers — WorkSafeBC and […]
B.C.’s craft beer industry is booming. Brewery employers need to look at safety issues like heavy lifting, confined spaces, and carbon dioxide exposure. Ten years ago, there were 54 craft breweries in B.C. Now there are 145. Personally, I’m a big fan of craft beer and it’s always a pleasure to talk with brewers who […]
Evaluating your joint health and safety committee every year produces many benefits, including safer workplaces and more collaboration. A joint health and safety committee, which must include representatives of the employer and the workers, plays an important role in a workplace. The goal of the joint committee is to identify and help resolve health and […]
Employers at wood pellet mills need to ensure their operators can easily detect, understand, and respond to alarms for preventing fires and explosions. Operators at wood pellet mills who oversee the manufacturing processes get a lot of “screen time.” This is certainly true for operators working for Pinnacle Renewable Energy, Canada’s largest wood pellet manufacturer, […]
Poor air quality from this summer’s wildfires affected B.C.’s outdoor entertainment industry. Employers should start preparing now for next season. A number of outdoor music events in B.C. were cancelled this past summer due to wildfire smoke. Don Parman works for ActSafe, the health and safety association for B.C.’s entertainment industry. Recently, he met with […]
“If I could save another person from drowning … I’ll be so happy.” Survivors speak out with hope in new WorkSafeBC video to keep others safe on the water. Wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) could have made all the difference. That’s the message in Turning the Tide: PFDs in the Fishing Industry, a new […]
Halloween is a time for fun and treats, but let’s not forget about staying safe. I write about this every year because it’s important to remember. Halloween is nearly here – so please check out these important safety reminders. Choosing Halloween costumes Choose Halloween costumes with health and safety in mind. The Alberta College and […]
Using explosives to blast trees that are too dangerous to fall by conventional methods helps keep fallers away from the hazard. Dave “Dazy” Weymer trains certified fallers to blast trees that are too dangerous to remove by conventional methods. He’s worked in forestry for more than 50 years, starting with rigging and hauling. Later, he […]
Food truck operators need to know the hazards of working with propane. WorkSafeBC officers are reaching out to raise awareness and offer solutions. Propane is the fuel of choice for food truck operators. It’s convenient and portable, but can be dangerous: if it leaks, it can build up and explode if it encounters an ignition […]
B.C.’s high school curricula is taking a new view of career education. To reflect the changes, WorkSafeBC updated its Student WorkSafe program for teachers. B.C. teachers and students are taking a new approach to career education this year. They are using a new curriculum that allows students to focus more on their own unique goals […]
