WorksafeBC
BC's WCB Act to be amended to broaden coverage for mental stress conditions arising in workplace
The British Columbia Government has introduced amendments to the Workers Compensation Act that, among other features, broaden compensation coverage for mental stress conditions arising in the workplace.
The amendments were introduced in the legislature on November 3, 2011. In the government's news release, Minister of Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government Margaret MacDiarmid states:
Our government recognizes that we need to treat job-related mental stress the same way we treat physical illness and injuries. We know mental stress has a significant impact on workers, their families and their workplace.
The Ministry's Backgrounder that accompanied the news release states:
What are the effects of mental stress?
Since mental stress most often results in physical and psychological symptoms, it has a significant effect on workers and their families. read more »
Highest penalty imposed by WorkSafeBC on employer in 2010 was $145,000, according to enforcement report
WorkSafeBC released its "enforcement report" for 2010 today. Key stats from the report are: read more »
Off-duty transit officer entitled to workers' comp benefits for injuries sustained confronting intoxicated driver
The Vancouver Sun published a story today ("Off-duty transit officer wins precedential injury compensation") about a recent BC Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal decision in which a transit police officer was awarded workers compensation benefits for injuries he sustained, on a day-off, confronting an intoxicated driver.
The Sun's story was spurred by a news release issued yesterday by the transit police officers' union, the Canadian Office and Professional Employees' Union, Local 378 (COPE 378).
The WCAT decision (WCAT-2010-01816) was issued on June 30, 2010. As noted in the decision, the issue before the panel was "whether or not the worker's multiple soft tissue injuries arose out of and in the course of his employment entitling the worker to compensation under section 5(1) of the Act.". read more »
"Employer Rights and Obligations in Connection with Employee Personal Medical Information"
Vancouver labour and employment lawyers Carmen Overholt, Q.C. and Matthew Curtis have written a paper on, "Employer Rights and Obligations in Connection with Employee Personal Medical Information".
The paper was written for the Meeting of the Council of Industrial Relations Executives on June 8 and 9, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia with the assistance of David R. Phillips, articled student.
Tomorrow is annual "Day of Mourning" for workers killed by accidents or occupational diseases
Tomorrow is the annual "Day of Mourning" for workers killed by accidents or occupational diseases. It is sponsored in BC by WorksafeBC, the Business Council of BC and the BC Federation of Labour.
Doug Alley, VP of HR, for the Business Council wrote a piece on the Day of Mourning in Monday's Vancouver Sun ("One death at work is one to many) and the statistics he sets out are sobering: (1) 121 workers lost their lives in 2009 in BC, 61 through work related accidents and 60 through occupational disease; and (2) BC has had an accident rate of three accidents per 100 workers for many years now.
A letter from the BC Federation of Labour, which sets out some of the history on the Day of Mourning, can be found here.
WorkSafeBC's Day of Mourning webpage can be found here.
WorkSafeBC imposes record total penalties of $4.4 million in 2009 against employers
WorkSafeBC imposed a record total penalty amount of more than $4.4 million in 2009 against employers for violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and the Workers Compensation Act.
Key facts set out in the News Release, 2009 Penalty Report and Backgrounder issued by WorkSafeBC on March 11, 2010, include:
2009 Penalty Report read more »
