Demand for cannabis remains steady, and on-going training is essential for workers using new technology and tools to process, store, receive, and ship products. Ever since cannabis was legalized in 2018, Canadians have seen many new products become available. The industry uses new types of machinery and processes for extracting active ingredients from cannabis plants. […]
Regulation changes in B.C. outline employer responsibility when unsafe work refusal is unresolved, and work is reassigned. The refusal of unsafe work is a fundamental right for workers. It’s also a responsibility. The new amendments to B.C.’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulation support this right by specifying how employers must respond. An employer must investigate […]
Get ready for fall conditions and review your company driving policy, clear storm drains, and prepare for rain on the roads. September tends to be a month of transitions. “It’s the perfect time to review your company’s driving policy in your health and safety program,” says safety advisor Lorne Davies of the Manufacturing Safety Alliance […]
New eTick photo ID app helps identify ticks that carry disease. The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) is asking people to send in photos of ticks, using the eTick app. Your submitted photos are reviewed by a regional expert. Information is then sent back to you about whether a bite could lead to a […]
A new online tool guides employers step by step through incident investigations and tracks incidents, hazards, and risk controls needed for workers’ safety. Employers are required to investigate certain incidents (including near misses) that happen at work. (See B.C.’s Workers Compensation Act, Part 2, Division 10.). The investigation helps find out what happened, why it […]
Transporting oil, milk, and other liquid cargo can affect a vehicle’s stability and handling, and drivers need to have specific knowledge in order to carry these liquid live loads safely. In November 2021, a worker was driving a tanker truck loaded with salt brine. As the truck descended a hill, it rolled on its side […]
Take a few minutes to ask some important questions before using a stepladder. It can help prevent falls and injuries. I’ll never forget the time I saw a grocery store worker fall off a stepladder. It was a rainy day, and he was standing on the very top of the ladder (where you’re not supposed […]
See how a woodworking firm uses incident statistics to educate staff and focus the prevention efforts of their health and safety committee. Dennis Trill is the production manager at Towne Millwork — an architectural woodworking firm that creates custom designs for hospitals, banks, schools, stadiums, and other commercial buildings throughout North America. In 2004, Dennis […]
Thank you to B.C.’s roadbuilding crews for working day and night in adverse conditions to repair flood and landslide damage. Praise for B.C.’s roadbuilders echoed through the mountains of our province when the Coquihalla Highway reopened ahead of schedule. It was closed after major damage occurred during the “atmospheric river” storm in mid-November. Initially, the […]
Proper training for new tasks, ongoing communication, and reviewing health and safety plans are some ways to keep remaining staff safe. First off, I send my sympathies and best wishes to everyone sick with COVID-19. The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has spread rapidly, leaving many workers sick and unable to go to work. Let’s look […]
