Workplace Safety & Compliance: Adapting to Bill 41’s Amendments

Understanding Bill 41’s Impact on Workplace Safety

Bill 41 Amendment, a critical amendment to the Workers Compensation Act in British Columbia, is set to revolutionize workplace safety and compliance. Effective from January 1, 2024, this legislation imposes a dual duty on employers and workers: the duty to cooperate for a timely and safe return to work, and for certain employers, a duty to maintain employment for injured workers.

The Dual Duties Defined

Duty to Cooperate: This duty necessitates a concerted effort from both workers and employers, alongside WorkSafeBC, to facilitate a safe and prompt return to work post-injury. It involves identifying suitable tasks for the injured worker and ensuring ongoing communication.

Duty to Maintain Employment: Applicable to employers with a workforce of 20 or more, this duty requires maintaining an injured worker’s employment, given they have been employed for at least a year prior to the injury.

Timeline and Retroactivity of the Bill 41 Amendments

Effective Date: The duties come into force on January 1, 2024.
Retroactive Application: The duty to cooperate applies to injury claims dating up to two years before the effective date, while the duty to maintain employment concerns claims up to six months prior.

Employer Obligations and Compliance

Offer pre-injury or comparable work to fit workers.
Provide the first suitable alternative if the pre-injury job is unfeasible.
Make necessary workplace adjustments, barring undue hardship.

Non-Compliance Consequences: Penalties and administrative actions await non-compliant employers, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the new regulations.

Benefits of Adherence to Bill 41 Amendments

For Workers: Safeguards income, job security, and health.
For Employers: Promotes a stable, efficient, and safe workplace environment.
For the Economy: Enhances overall workforce productivity and reduces the financial strain on the healthcare system.

Consultation and Feedback Mechanisms

Extensive consultations with stakeholders have shaped these policies. Employers can participate in information sessions and submit inquiries to understand their new obligations fully.

Implementation Strategies for Employers

Policy Review and Update: Employers should revise their workplace policies to align with Bill 41.
Training Programs: Implement training for staff and management on the new duties.
Communication Channels: Establish clear communication lines for injury reporting and return-to-work coordination.

Embracing the changes brought by the Bill 41 Amendments is not just a legal requirement but a strategic move towards fostering a safer, more resilient, and inclusive workplace. By complying with these duties, employers not only adhere to the law but also contribute to a healthier, more productive workforce, ultimately benefiting their business and the broader economy.

For more information go to: WorkSafeBC.com

NAOSH Week and Strengthening Workplace Safety | May 1-6

Blog

The history of NAOSH Week

NAOSH (North American Occupational Safety and Health) Week has a long and rich history of promoting workplace safety in North America. The event was first established in 1997 as a joint initiative between the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) and the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP). The goal was to raise awareness about the importance of occupational health and safety, and to promote best practices for preventing accidents and injuries in the workplace.

When is NAOSH Week?

NAOSH Week is held annually in the first full week of May. This year it is held, May 01–06, 2023, All across Canada and the United States.

The Importance of NAOSH Week

The benefits of NAOSH Week are many and far-reaching. The event brings together employers, employees, safety professionals, and others to share knowledge and experiences, and to develop new strategies and initiatives for improving workplace safety. This collaborative approach to safety can help to identify potential hazards and develop effective solutions to address them, ultimately creating a safer and healthier work environment for all.

Here are just a few of the key benefits of NAOSH Week:

Raises Awareness: Helps to raise awareness about the importance of workplace safety and health. This can help to encourage employees to take safety seriously and to adopt safe behaviors on the job.

Promotes Best Practices: Employers and employees have the opportunity to learn about best practices for preventing accidents and injuries in the workplace. This can help to ensure that everyone has the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe on the job.

Encourages Collaboration: Provides an opportunity for employers, employees, and safety organizations to come together to focus on workplace safety. This collaboration can help to build stronger relationships, create a culture of safety, and promote a safer work environment for all.

Reduces Accidents and Injuries: By raising awareness and promoting best practices, NAOSH Week can help to reduce the number of accidents and injuries that occur in the workplace. This can result in a safer work environment, lower costs for employers, and improved health and well-being for employees.

What activities take place during NAOSH Week?

NAOSH Week events and activities can vary depending on the organization or industry, but some common activities include:

Safety training and workshops: Many companies and organizations use NAOSH Week as an opportunity to provide safety training and workshops for their employees. These may cover topics such as hazard identification, emergency preparedness, and best practices for preventing workplace injuries.

Safety awareness campaigns: Some organizations use NAOSH Week to launch safety awareness campaigns, such as posters or social media campaigns that promote workplace safety messages.

Download the Tools & Resources directly from here: Tools and Resources

Safety inspections and audits: NAOSH Week can also be a good time for companies to conduct safety inspections and audits to identify potential hazards and ensure that safety protocols are being followed.

Safety contests and challenges: Some organizations use NAOSH Week to engage employees in safety-related contests or challenges. For example, a workplace might challenge employees to come up with the most creative safety slogan or to identify the most hazards in a simulated workplace.

NAOSH Week is a valuable opportunity for organizations to prioritize workplace safety and promote a culture of safety across North America. By emphasizing the importance of first aid training, first aid supplies, and implementing OHS programs, organizations can take concrete steps to prevent accidents and injuries in the workplace, and create a safer and healthier environment for all employees. #WorkSafeBC

SOS Emergency Response Technologies
First Aid Supplies

First Aid Training for:
Alberta
British Columbia

Find Safety and Health Week events to attend or to help inspire your own event ideas at: safetyandhealthweek.ca

Does your emergency evacuation plan account for staff with mobility issues?

Blog

As a safety coordinator have you taken into consideration any staff with mobility issues in your emergency planning? Keep in mind staff with unobservable challenges that may or may not self-identify before an emergency. These individuals may need additional help during emergency situations.

Such issues may include:
◦Arthritis
◦Asthma
◦Cardiac condition
◦Chronic back problems
◦Psychological disability

Prepare a personal evacuation plan for individuals requiring special assistance during an evacuation. Be sure to include:
◦Intended route and means of evacuation
◦Who will assist them
◦Areas of refuge where they can wait for assistance

Update your department Emergency Action Plan annually to accurately describe:
◦The number of people who may require special assistance during an evacuation
◦Their primary work location

Assign 2 or more staff members who are willing and able to assist a colleague with a disability during evacuation.

Ensure that you have evacuation chair(s) on hand. Evacuation chairs are specially constructed for evacuating non-ambulatory persons from multi-level facilities. Most designs enable 1 or 2 assistants to control movement down stairs without lifting. Call our office at 604.277.5855 for more information on this product.

Make Emergency Preparedness Your New Year’s Resolution

Blog

Although we originally posted this blog in 2014, we thought it was prudent to re-post in light of the earthquake near Christmas 2015.

Each year it seems we all rotate the same resolutions in order to achieve a longer life: eat healthier, exercise more or quit a bad habit. All of these changes are controllable throughout the whole year, but what about unexpected events that can threaten your life? Unfortunately many people don’t think about emergency preparedness until they hear about a disaster that has happened somewhere else.

What if the disaster hits closer to home? Are you and your family prepared? Do you have an emergency plan?

Instead of recycling those usual and tired resolutions, this year make a resolution for you and your family to be safe. To help you out we at SOS Emergency Response Technologies have come up with 3 quick and easy steps to achieve this goal, so you can sit back and boast to your friends that you accomplished your resolutions for the year.

Step one – Check the batteries in your smoke detector.
Step two – Check your first aid kits. Take a look and see if any products are expired and need to be replaced. If you don’t have a first aid kit we recommend our General Purpose First Aid Kit FK1021 $14.95.

Step three – Check your emergency preparedness kit and update your emergency plan/contacts if needed. If you use bottles of water they have to be replaced yearly. Emergency Food Ration Bars and Emergency Sterile Water Packets last longer (5 years). Double check your contact lists to make sure it is up to date with current information and remind your family about the emergency plan you put in place. If you don’t have an emergency plan there are many sources on the internet. These days we find ourselves working and running errands at all hours of the day so the chances of your family being split up when a disaster hits are larger. Make sure you set a meeting point.

If you don’t have an emergency preparedness kit SOS Emergency Response Technologies has a variety of options to choose from. We have kits for 1, 2 and 4 person families and have economical versions as well.

That’s all there is to it! Although, there are a few extra steps you could take to make sure those around you are safe as well. Ask the human resources team if your workplace has an emergency plan as well as emergency kits. If you are on the safety committee make a point to bring it up at the next meeting and set up an emergency plan for your work place. SOS Emergency Response Technologies can also provide emergency preparedness kits and products for your workplace.

Emergency Planning: Protect Your Employees and Your Bottom Line

Blog

Are you ready for a severe emergency? Many businesses are not adequately prepared and as a result 40% of businesses affected by a major emergency or disaster never reopen.

It is tempting to believe that accidents and emergencies will never occur at your workplace, but the reality is that emergencies can occur anywhere, any time. And the fact is that most businesses just are not adequately prepared. A 2013 emergency preparedness survey conducted by Staples found that less than half of employers report being prepared for severe emergencies, and nearly 40 percent said their small business does not have emergency safety training or drills.

But according to Bob Risk, senior strategic safety, health, and preparedness manager for Staples, “It’s much easier to prepare for an emergency than to explain why you didn’t.”

The heart of your preparation is an emergency action plan (EAP) that covers the actions the company and employees must take to ensure safety in a crisis. You should train employees on the EAP as you would train them on any safety or health program. Frequent practice drills are an important part of ongoing emergency training.
Once employees are familiar with the basic procedures to follow in an emergency, it can be beneficial to introduce obstacles into your drills that mirror unforeseen circumstances that could occur during a real emergency. For example, force employees to use an alternate exit route, or plan for some key personnel to be absent so that their backups get a chance to practice their emergency duties.

And in order to succeed, an emergency plan must also be embraced by employees. After all, incidents don’t discriminate, and when an emergency hits, the impact is not limited to managers and safety committee members. No matter what type of workplace emergency your company may face, you can be prepared to respond effectively and help protect employees, property, and resources. Don’t wait for disaster to strike – take action now and put an emergency plan in place.

Call SOS Emergency Response Technologies today 604.277.5855 and one of our Health & Safety Consultants can help you prepare. Our staff can consult on your WorkSafeBC first aid requirements, safety needs and/or earthquake preparedness interests.

« Older Entries