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 […]

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 […]

Point-of-care risk assessment helps health care assistants better address residents’ emotional distress and creates safer workplaces.  More than 32,000 people in B.C. work as health care assistants, resident care assistants, community health workers, and home care workers. Their care is essential for patients with dementia, physical mobility challenges, and other health needs. Sadly, these support […]

Older farmers are more likely to be injured at work than younger workers. Supporting this generation of workers was the theme of AgSafety Week 2018.  Many Canadian farmers work well into their later years. These older workers have a wealth of skills and experience, but they also have a higher risk of being seriously injured. […]

Bullying and harassment hurt people in our schools, workplaces, homes, and online. Pink Shirt Day reminds us to support them.  How can we support people who are being bullied or harassed? What can we do to show people they’re not alone in the situation? This is one of the things people talk about on February […]

Storage racks are used in many industries. Moving materials on and off them puts workers at risk of overexertion, being hit by falling objects, and more.  Recently I overheard a man at the coffee shop say he was going to install new storage racks in his workplace because a big load of something had come […]

The fentanyl death toll keeps rising. Some B.C. employers now have naloxone on hand for occupational first aid attendants who treat workers and the public.  Should employers add naloxone to their emergency response plan? WorkSafeBC has received calls from employers and occupational first aid attendants (OFAs) who want to know if administering naloxone is within […]

Is your joint health and safety committee effective? B.C. employers are now required to evaluate this once a year. Here’s a tool to help.  As of April 3, 2017, joint committees in B.C. workplaces must complete an annual written evaluation of how effectively they are working. But employers don’t need to panic, says Tanya Steele, a safety committee […]

A shop supervisor shares how he’s used humour to create a friendlier work environment and encourage workers to wear their PPE.  Recently I talked with a shop supervisor who told me a funny way he gets workers to wear their personal protective equipment (PPE). “I try to use humour and light-heartedness to get the message […]

Even though they’re exposed to some very loud machines, most B.C. forestry workers aren’t getting annual hearing tests as required under the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. Hearing damage can occur when people are regularly exposed to sounds louder than 85 decibels – the equivalent of sustained traffic noise. But noise levels on forestry […]