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ShakeOut BC: Drop, cover, and hold on While the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation doesn’t cover natural disasters such as earthquakes, many companies incorporate disaster preparedness into their emergency planning programs. One easy way to prepare your business for the worst is to participate in the annual ShakeOut BC drill the third Thursday of every October, says Oak Bay fire chief Dave Cockle, who sits on the ShakeOut BC committee. The event offers instruction on practical procedures and raises awareness about the importance of personal and workplace preparedness. Cockle says there are four key reasons employers should build emergency planning and business continuity into their business plans: • Emergency-prepared employees will know how to better protect themselves at work and at home • Safety-minded employees are resilient, and will enable your organization to quickly resume normal business operations after an emergency • Regular drills and practice sessions will position your organization as a role model for disaster readiness • A strong emergency plan increases your organization’s ability to survive a significant earthquake “There’s a one-in-ten chance of a major earthquake on B.C.’s coast in the next 50 years,” Cockle says. “And we want to change the culture of apathy that exists around that. “On top of the drill, we have a tonne of resources on our website to help businesses prepare for an earthquake and move forward afterwards. If you plan for The Big One, you’re pretty much covered for every other emergency.” Employers can register for the event at www.shakeoutbc.ca. 12 September / October 2015 | WorkSafe Magazine
Policy notes New compliance agreements will give compliant employers the opportunity to sign written agreements rather than receiving orders. Help shape enforcement, other OHS policies By Gord Woodward The provincial government’s Bill 9 — enacted on May 14, 2015 — amended the Workers Compensation Act (the Act) to improve workplace health and safety, and strengthen WorkSafeBC’s tools for enforcing the Act and the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation. Accordingly, WorkSafeBC is currently asking for views on policies to support these changes. Employers and workers have until October 15 of this year to share their views on the following four topics: • The OHS Compliance Agreements policy • The OHS Citations policy and new regulation • The Stop Work Orders policy • Employer Incident Investigations policies and regulation changes What are OHS compliance agreements? Once the related Act changes come into effect on September 15, this new compliance tool will allow WorkSafeBC to work with cooperative employers to correct non-high-risk violations and improve workplace safety. Instead of issuing an order, WorkSafeBC prevention officers will have the discretion to enter into a written agreement with employers in appropriate circumstances. Compliance agreements are voluntary, so employers are not required to participate. Compliance agreements will specify the following in writing: • The corrective actions the employer agrees to take • The deadline for the work to be done • The deadline for the employer to report back to us As long as the agreement is fulfilled, an officer won’t issue an order for the specific violations that are addressed in the agreement. Who qualifies? Officers can enter into a compliance agreement with a willing employer, as long the following criteria apply: • The violation isn’t high-risk, as defined in the high-risk policy (D12-196-2) and doesn’t expose workers to immediate risk. • The employer has not committed the same violation within the last 12 months. • The employer has not had a previous compliance agreement cancelled within the last three years due to the fault of the employer. • The officer is confident the employer is likely to fulfill his or her obligations, based on factors that include the following: September / October 2015 | WorkSafe Magazine 13
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