Proposed Changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation Regarding Joint Committees - Your input is needed.
On July 28th BC WCB announced Public Hearings for changes to the Occupational Health & Safety Regulation including proposed changes regarding Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees.
These changes stem from the Coroner's recommendations following the Lakeland & Burns Lake tragedies that injured over 40 workers and took the lives of Glenn Roche and Alan Little (2012 Prince George mill explosion) and Carl Charlie and Robert Luggi (2012 Burns Lake mill explosion).
In June of this year the OH&S Centre sent out an email urging you to consider taking part in a BC WCB online questionnaire on this topic. These upcoming public hearings are the second phase of this process that will hopefully result in these proposed regulation changes taking effect.
These are extremely important improvements for Joint Committees. It is likely that some groups will be lobbying against them or trying to water them down. Your perspective as a member of a Joint Committee is extremely valuable in this process.
The Sections of most impact are as follows:
New sections on joint committees in the OHSR:
Section 3.26, Evaluation of joint committees and Evaluation tool (draft)
Section 3.27, Minimum training requirements for new joint committee members and worker health and safety representatives
Section 3.28, Participation by employer or representative of employer and worker representative
As the largest provider of OH&S Committee education in British Columbia, the BCFED Health & Safety Centre believes the above changes are positive. While they are not perfect, they will assist workplace parties in improving occupational health and safety.
Please consider making a written or oral submission at these upcoming hearings and be part of the changes that can contribute to preventing these needless tragedies that have necessitated them.
You can make a submission online or in person.
Online submission deadline is 4:30 pm on Friday, October 7, 2016.
If wanting to provide a submission in person you must register for one of the sessions below by calling 604.232.7744 or toll free in BC at 1.866.614.7744. Hearings are scheduled for September and October 2016.
Schedule for hearings:
September 21, 2016 Victoria - Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel & Marina - 146 Kingston Street
September 27, 2016 Kelowna - Best Western Hotel - 2402 Highway 97 North
September 27, 2016 Cranbrook - Via video conference - Community Futures - 110A Slater Road NW
October 4, 2016 Prince George - Ramada Prince George - 444 George Street
October 6, 2016 Richmond - Executive Airport Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre - 7311 Westminster Highway
Session Times: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
If wanting to provide a submission in person you must register for one of the sessions below by calling 604.232.7744 or toll free in BC at 1.866.614.7744.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
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