BC Regional Council Resolution #1
Strengthen Occupational Health and Safety Regulations for Vehicle and Crane Cabin Environments
Unifor B.C. Regional Council Will:
Lobby the British Columbia Provincial Government and Worksafe BC to create Occupational Health and Safety Regulation for worker protection inside vehicle and crane cabins that operate within workplaces where workers are or may be exposed to chemical agents and hazardous atmospheres.
Because:
- There are no specific WSBC Occupational Health and Safety Regulations regarding vehicle and crane cabins operating inside hazardous atmospheres where workers are or may be exposed to chemical agents.
- There are no specific WSBC Occupational Health and Safety Regulations requiring Industrial Hygiene sampling be done to identify chemical agents that workers are or may be exposed to inside vehicle and crane cabins.
- There are no specific WSBC Occupational Health and Safety Regulations requiring chemical agent gas detection alarms inside vehicle and crane cabins to inform workers of chemical agent exposures.
- The long-term health effects of low-level chemical agent exposures inside vehicle and crane cabins may not manifest as an immediate health concern.
- Certain respiratory protection does not protect workers from specific chemical exposures i.e. Carbon Monoxide.
- Worksafe BC has taken the position that positive cabin pressure indication will ensure workers are safe from exposure to chemical agents.
- Documented evidence from Maintainers has shown that HVAC systems are known to leak after HVAC filter indicating cabin pressure is being maintained while chemical agents are pumped into the cabins bypassing the filter.
- Personal Protective Equipment is the worker’s last line of defense.
Submitted by Unifor local 2301
B.C. Regional Council Resolution #2
Enhancing Enforcement of the BC Mines Code for Worker Safety
Unifor BC Regional Council Will:
Work with other industry Unions to lobby the BC NDP Government to make changes to The Health Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia (Mines code) and to lobby to involve WorkSafe BC in the Enforcement, Inspections, and Penalty aspect of the Mines code.
Because:
- Mining in BC supports approximately 35000 jobs in BC, translating into 1 billion dollars taxes generated. Mining equals 28% of all BC exports and 7.3 billion in total economic output of the province.
- The Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals (The Ministry) is responsible for enforcement of the Mines code, and to hold our Employers accountable to operate in accordance of the Mines code. Yet time after time the Ministry takes an approach of voluntary compliance and not a penalty of fines when an Employer is found out of compliance of the Mines code. When our Employers are found out of compliance of the Mines code, these corporations are only instructed to come into compliance of the Code. 2023/2024 The Ministry issued a total of $66,000 in fines and conducted a total of 1290 various inspections. The assessment of fines only occurs when voluntary compliance cannot be achieved or where noncompliance presents more significant risks.
- This model of enforcement does not work and has places mining workers in Danger. We work with and around some of the largest and most dangerous Equipment in industry. When our workers are at risk of injury, injured, or worse fatally injured on a mine site the Ministry is responsible for the investigation of these incidents. Yet the Ministry relays on a voluntary compliance model of enforcement. The voluntary compliance model is unacceptable workers safety and lives are at risk when Employers are not complying with the Exact legislation that allows these corporations to benefit from our resources and our labour.
- The only way to force these Employers to adhere to the Mines code is to change approaches and enforce the Mines code and apply penalties when an Employer is found out of compliance of the Mines code. Work Safe BC uses this enforcement model when enforcing The Workers Compensations Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
Submitted by Local 3018
