If you work as a construction worker in Vancouver, you know that your job comes with inherent risks. From heights to heavy machinery, there are many potential hazards on a construction site. While safety protocols are in place to minimize these risks, accidents can and do still happen. When they do, it's essential to investigate what went wrong to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The construction skyline of Vancouver is dotted with cranes, symbols of growth and development. However, the recent surge in crane accidents casts a shadow over this urban expansion. As construction workers and employers in British Columbia, it is crucial to recognize this worrying trend and understand the implications for workplace safety.

An accident on the job can happen to anyone at any time. However, certain hazards can be far more common during the winter months. Knowing what these are allows employers to take proactive steps to prevent them and helps workers identify and avoid them.

Gig work is an increasingly significant part of Canada's economy, and the tens of thousands of people who work in these jobs are a crucial element of the workforce. However, these individuals don't have the same protections as Canadian employees protected under federal and provincial laws. For example, they do not have as much job security compared to other employees. In addition, gig workers face a number of workplace accidents.

Workplace accidents and injuries can happen anytime, during any season. However, some conditions are more likely to present a danger to workers during certain times of the year. With that in mind, workers may want to prepare for certain spring-related factors that could create risks on the job.

Workplace safety is a concern for all workers, employers and their loved ones. Young adults and teenagers can gain great experience from working, but they may not be prepared to manage certain hazards on the job. To respond to this issue, British Columbia is enacting new rules by setting out minimum ages for hazardous work.

A new provincial regulation requires employers to inform workers about the reason employees refused to partake in work due to safety concerns. The regulation was put forth in an Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) amendment, effective August 2022.

When it comes to preventing workplace accidents in British Columbia, a great deal of responsibility falls on employers. Their policies as well as their follow-through will often be thoroughly examined if a worker is hurt. However, they are not the only ones with obligations when it comes to safety. Here is a general overview of the responsibilities different parties carry to keep a workplace safe. 

Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal within minutes. Any workplace where fuel-powered engines run could be a hazardous area where employees could be overwhelmed by this deadly gas.

British Columbia workers who suffered work-related injuries can typically return to their jobs after recovery. However, when a workplace accident causes traumatic brain injuries, returning to work may not be a given. Each TBI victim faces unique challenges to overcome, depending on the severity and location of the damage to the brain.

WorkSafeBC, through its Road Safety At Work initiative, is campaigning to reduce the number of lives lost in on-the-job vehicles accidents. The agency says workplace accident risks involving motor vehicles are significantly higher now than in 2014.

Sunday, April 28, 2019 was the National Day of Mourning, and the Olympic Cauldron in Vancouver was lit to mark the day. Deceased workplace accident victims were honoured in memorial services across the province.

Workers in most industries in British Columbia are entitled to workers' compensation benefits. Some employers will do anything to avoid paying a victim of a workplace accident, but injured workers should not give up.

With the fresh legalization of cannabis for recreational use, employers and employees in British Columbia might have concerns about how cannabis use will affect work environments. WorkSafeBC has launched an educational awareness campaign dealing with cannabis impairment and potential workplace accident incidents.

A British Columbia family who lost a loved one who died an unexpected death in March last year might be able to move forward after a year of battling with unanswered questions. Workplace accidents can be particularly traumatic because investigations can take many months before the cause of the incident is officially determined.

Safety advocates expressed their concern about the rate of fatalities in the construction industry. At the annual commemoration of a 1981 workplace accident in Vancouver when a construction platform collapsed, surviving family members of four workers who died there came together.

Stories of young workers killed or injured while on the job are becoming increasingly common. One recent case involves a young man who lost his life in a workplace accident in Chilliwack, B.C.

Employees in British Columbia benefit from laws set in place for their protection while on the job. For those engaged in one of the province's most hazardous careers - asbestos removal - questions about enforceability have been an ongoing concern.

On February 2nd, a 31-year old British Columbia man died in a work-related accident after a ladder the man was in contact with touched a power line. The 31-year old Nanoose Bay man was working on an apartment building when he was electrocuted.

Sometimes it takes a tragedy before major change can take place. After a fatal workplace accident that took the life of her boyfriend, one Vancouver Island woman is calling for changes to construction safety regulations.