LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Infectious Illness 

Apr 8: BC began offering free additional COVID-19 vaccines doses to residents at higher risk, including adults aged 65 and older, Indigenous adults aged 55 and older, adult residents of long-term care homes and assisted-living facilities, and individuals diagnosed as clinically extremely vulnerable. 

Action Point: Use the OHS Insider Infection Exposure Control Plan template to guard chickens against H5 and humans against measles, COVID, and other potential infectious illness outbreaks at your workplace. 

New Laws 

Apr 3: Second Reading for legislation (Bill 7) that would give the BC cabinet new tools to fight back against U.S. tariffs, including authority to: i. remove or revise barriers impeding interprovincial trade; ii. impose tolls/fees on non-Canadian commercial vehicles using provincial public infrastructure such as highways; and iii. direct public-sector bodies to exclude U.S. suppliers when procuring goods and services.  

New Workers 

Mar 27: WorkSafeBC launched a new campaign to make immigrants and other newcomers to the province aware of their safety rights under OHS laws and ensure they understand that those rights vest immediately starting on their very first day of work, regardless of their immigration or workers’ comp status.  

Action Point: Find out how to implement a legally sound and effective new and young workers safety and compliance game plan. 

Industry Challenges 

Mar 19: The federal Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources announced that it’s investing over $20 million to support BC’s crucial forestry sector. The money will go to 67 projects across the province designed to boost the industry’s competitiveness and resiliency especially in the face of U.S. tariffs.  

Industry Challenges 

Feb 26: BC announced that the Bridging to Retirement Program, which has played a critical role in helping forestry workers and contractors transition to retirement, is now fully subscribed and will no longer accept applications. Since its creation in 2019, the Program has provided more than $92 million in funding to nearly 2,220 forestry workers in BC. 

Workers’ Comp 

Apr 7: Under workers’ comp laws, benefits paid out periodically are paid until either the worker’s disability ends or earlier if WorkSafeBC believes that the worker “would retire.” WorkSafeBC launched public consultations on proposed policy changes affecting how the agency determines whether a worker “would retire.” Deadline to comment: June 6.   

Workers’ Comp 

Apr 7: From now through May 2, WorkSafeBC will hold public consultations on proposed changes to the rules governing how the employer of a volunteer firefighter is determined for purposes of workers’ comp coverage. The policy changes will have a direct and significant impact on volunteer firefighters and the society fire brigades that engage them.  

Environmental 

Apr 1: BC enacted and proclaimed legislation (Bill 8) to eliminate the consumer carbon tax in the province, effective immediately. Eliminating the tax of roughly 17 cents per litre on fuel and 15 cents per cubic metre on natural gas will save families in the province an average of roughly $410 in the coming year.  

CASES

Excavations: Contractor Fined $255,346 for High-Risk Excavation Violations 

A backhoe removing gravel from a ditch struck a gas line, causing a release of natural gas. WorkSafeBC fined the contractor $255,346 for a pair of high-risk and repeat violations, including failure to ensure that excavation work near an underground utility service was carried out in accordance with the utility owner’s requirements and not accurately determining the location of all underground utility services before excavating with powered tools and equipment [Complete Utility Contractors Ltd.] 

Action Point: Use the OHSI Excavations Compliance Game Plan to avoid costly fines for excavation and trenching violations at your site. 

Powered Mobile Equipment: Injuries to Untrained Tractor Operator Result in $145,441 Fine  

An orchard worker driving a tractor to tow a sprayer had to jump out of the vehicle when it began sliding down a steep slope resulting in serious injuries. WorkSafeBC socked the employer with $145,441 in administrative monetary penalties after determining that the worker received neither training in the tractor’s safe operations procedures nor adequate supervision in choosing the equipment and performing the work [Jealous Fruits Ltd.] 

Action Point: Implementing an effective Powered Mobile Equipment Operation Policy like the one on the OHS Insider site can help you prevent such injuries and the 6-figure OHS fines they can lead to. 

Workplace Fatigue: Sleeping on the Job Is Just Cause to Fire Maintenance Worker 

A tennis club fired a maintenance worker for allegedly sleeping in the laundry room during his shift and then lying about it during the investigation. The union claimed that the worker should have gotten only a written warning given his 8 years of outstanding service and strong relations with club members. The BC arbitrator ruled that termination wasn’t excessive and that the club was justified in concluding that a worker who sleeps on the job and shows dishonesty during the investigation can no longer be trusted [Jericho Tennis Club v Unite Here, Local 40, 2025 CanLII 17236 (BC LA), March 3, 2025]. 

Action Point: Find out how to implement a Workplace Fatigue Risk Management System for your workers.