Safety check-ins are crucial if you’re working alone or in isolation. This applies whether you’re outside in a remote location, in an office, or in a store.  Happy Valentine’s Day! On this day of the couple, let’s talk about being alone – more specifically, being alone at work. If we work alone or in isolation, […]

Moving equipment is all around us. It’s used in most if not all industries. Securing mobile equipment is essential to safety of workers and the public.  “Since 2006, more than 220 workers have been seriously injured by improperly secured vehicles in B.C. Sixteen of these incidents were fatal,” reads Improperly secured vehicles put workers’ lives […]

2017 marks the 100-year anniversary of B.C.’s workers’ compensation system. New videos share highlights of WorkSafeBC’s past 100 years.  This is a milestone year for WorkSafeBC, the organization that sponsors this blog. Over the past 100 years, the workers’ compensation system has evolved in many ways. To learn more about its rich history, you can […]

Wildlife-vehicle collisions can have serious consequences. Road Watch BC aims to prevent crashes by getting the public to report wildlife sightings.  Wildlife-vehicle collisions can be deadly. Animals and people can be killed or injured. A few years ago, a worker driving on a forest service road swerved to avoid a deer and rolled down an […]

When you’re driving, you’re driving. That’s your only role. Do a “self-check” to focus before getting in your vehicle. Tell yourself “Okay, I’m driving now.”  Our state of mind influences how we drive. Driving while angry, for example, is well-known as a bad idea. Just look at all the crazy road rage videos on YouTube! […]

When you work in the forest – whether for forestry or oil and gas – it’s not uncommon to be working amid wildfires. How can employers be prepared for this?  I’ll never forget the footage of people driving away from the Fort McMurray fire. One year ago, on May 3, 2016, more than 90,000 people fled […]

Those in the motion picture and performing arts industries often work long hours. Actsafe offers recommendations to help workers manage their fatigue.  My friend who works on film crews says an average shift on set is 14 hours. “It’s cheaper to pay overtime and work the crew long days than it is to pay for […]

A subcontractor was using a rock saw to cut asphalt but not wearing eye protection. An employee saw this and asked him to stop work until he had suitable eye protection. Once the protection was in place, he was allowed to continue. That’s one of the near-miss incidents reported in the “learnings database” on the […]

Proper maintenance is an important part of workplace safety. We’ve heard this many times before, and I wrote about it in my post Training and equipment maintenance key to safety. But it’s also critical to keep safety in mind while doing maintenance and repairs. This topic came up recently when I was talking with WorkSafeBC […]

Without proper ventilation and personal protective equipment, workers may be exposed to levels that can put them at risk of adverse health effects.