Last spring, a B.C. motel worker was assaulted while working alone at night. Employers have specific responsibilities when it comes to lone worker safety. In May 2019, a worker was assaulted, tied up, and robbed while working alone at night at the front desk of a Victoria motel. To prevent others from experiencing this type […]
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 […]
Service industry workers exposed to loud noise can wear hearing protection that makes it easier to hear customers and coworkers — and looks good, too. Bartenders, DJs, servers, door people, and other service industry workers are often exposed to hazardous levels of noise at or over 85 decibels. This puts them at risk of permanent […]
It can take months for restoration workers to clean a fire-damaged structure. They face a range of hazards, such as exposure to hazardous materials. Justin McConville, laboratory manager and hazmat department supervisor at On Side Restoration, has seen hundreds of fire-damaged buildings during his career in the restoration industry. He tells me that, depending on […]
Actsafe’s conference on event safety is all about sharing knowledge and equipping workers. On the agenda: crowd safety, mental health, opioids, and more. Actsafe’s annual Event Safety Conference brings industry stakeholders together to share knowledge about how to make live events and performing arts workplaces safer. “The conference is about equipping people at all levels […]
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 […]
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 […]
Make sure you can identify toxic plants if you work or play outdoors. Giant hogweed is hard to miss, but poison ivy leaves don’t always look the same. It’s pretty easy to spot a giant hogweed plant. Recently, I read about a Vancouver Island woman who identified two of them in her garden. Kudos to […]
Flood waters move fast. Flood season is a hazardous time of year if you drive on resource roads to get to work. It’s important to make sure you’re prepared. It’s flood season in B.C. As I write this post, the waters are rising in many places throughout our province. Almost 3,000 residents remain out of […]
2017 was B.C.’s worst fire season ever. Now, many of these damaged trees are unstable, so people need to know about the hazards of working near them. First, many of the trees in B.C. were devastated by mountain pine beetles. Then more were burned in the 2017 wildfires. Now the province’s forests are filled with […]
