New Bill Aims to Improve Workplace Safety
Victoria, B.C. – New workplace safety legislation was tabled in the legislature by Labour Minister Shirley Bond this afternoon.
The amendments were in response to recommendations made by WorkSafeBC special advisor Gord Macatee last summer in light of two deadly sawmill explosions in Prince George and Burns Lake in 2012.
“The bill will strengthen the tools that WorkSafeBC uses to achieve compliance with B.C. workplace safety laws and regulations,” Bond told the legislature.
“Specifically, the legislation will expand WorkSafe’s ability to prevent unsafe work conditions that present a risk to workers. It will also expand the court’s authority to bar the worst offenders from continuing to operate in an industry.”
In addition, she said the legislation introduces new enforcement tools – “a compliance agreement for use in circumstances where employers agree to voluntarily comply with the safety requirements and a new administrative penalty for employers that can be issued on the spot like a ticket.”
Bond said the amendments will specify new timeframes for employers to conduct an investigation when there is a significant workplace safety incident.
“The intent is to ensure that corrective action happens quickly to avoid similar incidents in the future.”
The bill also creates two new director positions “to ensure occupational health and safety expertise is added to the WorkSafeBC board board of directors.”
Second reading of the bill will take place in the legislature tomorrow.
Comments
It’s really to bad it took people to lose their lives before this was brought in. Let’s hope it does the job it’s supposed to.
Maybe if worksafe did their job in the first place. Moo
So, 2 more directors at the board table and no boots on the ground? Sadly, I’m not surprised.
WCB is like the hall monitor in school. They don’t really do anything but run around laying blame, after the fact. Sure, the cost us a lot of money, but only the companies that can pay. They never go after the little guy, only the bigger companies. Ever see WCB at a roofing job? Nope, safety isn’t a concern there because they won’t pay a fine. It’s disgusting the way they bully the hard working companies, making it darn near impossible to remain stable these days.
I was in a seminar being put on by fellow talking about work safe BC and their policy changes and how they impact the workplace.. he says the fines they levy always go after the ones with the biggest pockets. More chance of seeing some money.
Worksafe used to be proactive..but now have become reactive… no longer there to stop accidents before they happen, now their mandate is wait till something happens.. then fine the company.then take forever to implement the changes. They usually come out with recommendations which mean nothing.
And no more random arrivals. They usually give enough notice to make sure everything is up to snuff.
“no longer there to stop accidents before they happen, now their mandate is wait till something happens.. ”
Huh? Worksafe had written up both those sawmills for being too dirty. What are they supposed to do grab a shovel?
The workers are responsible for there own safety period. If you want to blame someone for those sawmills blowing up blame management and the workers on the floor. They were the ones on the front line not worksafe.
All in all, I think WorkSafe does a pretty good job in trying to prevent workplace accidents. As an employer, I’ve found they have been very pro-active in any dealings I’ve had with them. Both recently, since the dust initiatives, and at times past, dating back well prior to the mill explosions. When they’re not being cut to the bone by some inept government trying to balance its books, and then unfairly pressured by those same politicians to go on a witch hunt after some payouts will totally negate any supposed savings, and are enabled to do the job they’re supposed to do, I’ve found their Accident Inspection Officers are very thorough, but fair, in enforcing safety requirements.
Sometimes they tend to go a bit overboard in trying to do things ‘by the book’, and that can result in edicts from on high that are just plain silly. But most I’ve dealt with are very common sense individuals who realise the first priority for everyone, in every workplace, is worker safety, and so long as that is not compromised, they’re willing to help employers find the most practical ways to achieve that. Which isn’t always strictly ‘by the book’, but often works better for all concerned in some particular situation.
As far as giving advance notice of their inspections is concerned, they have done that in regards to SOME of the dust initiatives. But that’s not always the case. They have also made random inspections, too. We have had them. Looking for dust, and other safety violations. And I believe that’s going to be more the norm in future now that both employers and employees have had a chance to realise what’s expected of them in regards to dust control.
Ohhhh.. They wrote them up.. And what did that do..nothing except cost a few lives..
I see a nightmare in the horizon.
The minute you give Worksafe a bit of power they will completly run with it. I see smaller struggling outfits getting shut down because somebody (only if they wanted to) could maybe possibly potetially stick their skinny (not chubby) finger into that chain gaurd and hold it there reaching and get their nail scratched. Now they are out of compliance giving them 7 days to correct or have a hefty fine and shut down till corrected.
I get people`s due dilligence in making a work place safe but, sometimes it`s every person`s responsibility to watch your own damn ass. Rules are only as good as the practicality in pretty much every case.
A friend once said to me at a shutdown job “I feel so safe here that I don`t even have to look anymore”…
Now if only the Liberals hadn’t gutted WCB in the first place…
“Worksafe had written up both those sawmills for being too dirty. What are they supposed to do grab a shovel?”
How about make them fix the problem then and there if it is urgent, or shut down if necessary?
Good idea Bill, but WS didn’t have that power. They used to, but the Liberals took that away in order to “reduce red tape.”
Comments for this article are closed.