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Occupational Health and Safety

June 19, 2013

Unauthorized water system shut down in Alberta

Smoky Valley Aggregate Inc. has been issued an enforcement order to immediately stop operation of an unauthorized water system servicing a campground near Grande Prairie, Alberta.

June 17, 2013

Pushing for accountability in safety

(Re: Orders and fines could increase safety, JOC, June 5, 2013.) With the continued push from the Council of Construction Associations (COCA), we all have to pressure WorkSafeBC to hold employees accountable as well as employers.

June 17, 2013

Public protection site safety plan required with permit application

Starting this week, the City of Calgary requires a paper copy of a public protection site safety plan to be submitted along with a building permit application.

June 12, 2013

Vancouver and New Westminster gas lines ruptured

Construction crews working in both Vancouver and New Westminster, B.C. ruptured gas lines, which resulted in the injury of one worker and the evacuation of nearby buildings as FortisBC got the leaks under control.

June 12, 2013

ERCB investigates Zama City, Alta pipeline spill

The Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) is conducting an investigation into the cause of a spill from a produced or toxic water pipeline owned and operated by Apache Canada Ltd about 20 kilometres northeast of Zama City, Alberta.

June 12, 2013

Journal of Commerce Update for the week of June 17th, 2013

In this week's update, we look at some of the stories we'll be covering in the Journal of Commerce for the week of June 17th, 2013.

June 12, 2013

Translink begins Pattullo Bridge consultation

Consultations are underway for the replacement of the Pattullo Bridge and the review team is asking the public to consider three sites for the new structure which crosses the Fraser River between Surrey and New Westminster, B.C.

June 10, 2013

Apprenticeship report gets mixed reaction

Some provincial leaders of trades governing bodies are calling a recent report, that says restricting the rate of apprentice entry acts as a barrier to entry into the trades, "food for thought."

June 5, 2013

Canada Job Grant details taking shape

The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is engaged in discussions with the federal government about the Canada Job Grant in order to help ensure this new program is successful.

June 5, 2013

Orders and fines could increase safety

For many years, the Council of Construction Associations (COCA) has been lobbying for a balanced system of occupational health & safety (OH&S).

June 3, 2013

Northern Alberta community recruits Rhino Snot in battle against dusty rural roads

When the snow and ice have finally melted and spring arrives, rural towns and villages in Western Canada face their next climatic test: Clouds of dust, which can last from April until October.

June 3, 2013

Vancouver highway project blazes trail for seismic standards

The Port Mann Highway 1 (PMH1) Improvement Project is blazing trails to higher seismic standards for embankment construction using expanded polystyrene (EPS) blocks.

June 3, 2013

1,000 projects have been LEED certified in Canada

One thousand Canadian building projects have now been LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, representing the second largest number of certified buildings in the world after the United States.

June 3, 2013

New regulations intended to protect Manitoba flaggers

Holding a sign on the side of a highway at a construction site can be a dangerous job. Last August, flagger Ashley Richard was struck and killed by a car near Weyburn, Saskatchewan on her first day on the job.

June 3, 2013

One Call should be legislated in B.C.

Knowing what underground utilities are buried near a jobsite is essential for avoiding the risk of destructive accidents, where digging or excavation work can strike buried facilities.

May 29, 2013

Calgary mobile crane incident instigates investigation

An investigation is currently being undertaken into a power line being snagged and pulled down by a mobile crane in Calgary last week.

May 29, 2013

Saskatchewan roofing firm fined

Saskatoon-based Cactus Roofing pleaded guilty to six counts under the Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Act.

May 27, 2013

Fit to Work program being developed

The B.C. Road Builders Association is working with the B.C. Construction Safety Alliance to develop worker wellness Fit to Work programs and best practices.

May 27, 2013

Acetylene torch explosion causes significant damage

A plumber who stored a torch with an acetylene tank in his car is responsible for an explosion that caused a tremendous amount of damage to buildings in Vancouver's West End.

May 22, 2013

RFQ issued for Kamloops hospital project

A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) has been issued for the Royal Inland Hospital Clinical Services Building in Kamloops, B.C.

May 22, 2013

Hiring of foreign workers for hospital project outrages union

A construction union leader is accusing an Edmonton-based contractor of importing foreign workers to a hospital jobsite in Winnipeg without meeting the federal government's requirements to advertise in the local market and ensuring to Canadians are available to do the work.