Donna Wilson at WorksafeBC event – Journal of Commerce photo
I stopped by the new BCIT campus under construction to check out the new safety signs unveiled on June 9 by WorkSafeBC and The Community Against Preventable Injuries (a.k.a. Preventable).
The new safety posters emblazon the sides of buildings, fencing, guardrails, and magnets on equipment – part of a New safety initiative launched at several worksites around British Columbia. The messages, with their bold white on black, aren’t just for people working on construction sites, but for everyone who sees them as they pass. They’re a reminder that we all need to stay safe, no matter what we do at work.
I walked around the perimeter of the site to get a good look at the signs and ended up chatting with some workers on the way back from their coffee break. I asked them to be in my photos, but they said no and joked around about how they would pose!
Focus on construction
They are focusing on this industry because it is so high-risk.
According to WorkSafeBC, there were 14,405 claims from construction worksites across BC in 2010. Of these, 7,620 were health-care-only claims, 6,014 were short-term disability claims, and 739 were long-term disability claims.
There were 32 fatal claims, and of those, 19 were due to occupational diseases.
Stuart Olson Dominion’s Broadway Tech Centre #4 is one of eight sites participating. Five are in the Lower Mainland, and the others are in Esquimalt, Kamloops, and Prince George. The other employers are ITC Construction Group, Kindred Construction Ltd., Lafarge Aggregate & Concrete, and PCL Construction.
Thanks to all for spreading the word in such a visible way. For more information on construction safety, please visit the BC Construction Safety Association.
