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Resources and Tools

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A joint occupational health and safety (JOHS) committee is an advisory group of employer and employee representatives working together to promote a safe and healthy workplace.
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In long-term care it is increasingly apparent that who is on shift is just as important as how many staff are on shift. Quality care is difficult to achieve when we do not routinely engage with one another in a positive, or civil, manner.
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Safety A-Z
Programs & Services

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Leading from the Inside Out
Our Programs
Leading from the Inside Out provides a safe space for leaders in continuing care to share their challenges and learn self-care practices.
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The Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum is recognized as best-practice in violence prevention training for health care workers.
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Guidelines & Regulations

Guidelines and Regulations

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Amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR), Part 5: Chemical Agents and Biological Agents – Emergency Planning came into effect on February 3, 2025. Changes include additional requirements to minimize the risk, likelihood, and harm caused by an emergency involving hazardous substances.   Hazardous substances include biological, chemical or physical hazards that may reasonably […]
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WorkSafeBC has acknowledged an error in calculating the 2025 SafeCare BC levy, which is included in the premiums paid by our two member employer groups–those providing community health support services (classification unit 766006) and those in long-term care (classification unit 766011).
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Guidelines and Regulations
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Hierarchy of Control

Basic Safety Hierarchy of Control

Elimination
Physically remove the hazard.
Substitution
Replace the hazard
Engineering Controls
Isolate people from the hazard
Administrative Controls
Change the way people work
PPE
Protect the worker with Personal Protective Equipment

Elimination

Physically removing a hazard, such as eliminating a toxic chemical from a workplace, is the most effective way to ensure safety under the elimination portion of the hierarchy of controls.

Substitution

Replacing the hazard with a safer alternative, such as using a less toxic cleaning agent instead of a harmful chemical, is the essence of substitution in the hierarchy of controls.

Engineering Controls

Engineering controls involve isolating people from the hazard, such as installing ventilation systems to remove harmful fumes from a workspace.

Administrative Controls

Administrative controls involve changing the way people work, such as implementing safety training programs and rotating job assignments to minimize exposure to hazards.

PPE

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) serves as the last line of defense by providing barriers, such as gloves, masks, and helmets, to protect workers from hazards when other controls are not feasible or fully effective.
The above are examples of control measures that could be considered for each step in the hierarchy of controls, and act only as a guidance for possible controls measures that may be suitable for your organization. You are still required to minimize workplace hazards through an organization-specific risk assessment. The information in this document does not override the current provincial measures or guidance from your local health authority.

More Hierarchy of Controls

Reducing exposure to communicable diseases involves considering the hierarchy of controls for infection prevention to eliminate or minimize exposure in the workplace. The first step to reducing exposure is identifying and assessing tasks that may result in exposure to communicable diseases. Be sure to involve staff and your JOHS Committee or OHS representative in this […]
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Reducing exposure to communicable disease involves considering the hierarchy of controls for infection prevention to eliminate or minimize exposure in the workplace. The first step to reducing exposure in your care home is to identify and assess tasks that may result in exposure to communicable disease. Be sure to involve staff and your JOHS Committee […]
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Safe resident handling involves an approach that considers the hierarchy of controls to eliminate or minimize the risk of injury in the workplace. The first step is to identify and assess tasks that may result in injury from resident handling. Be sure to involve staff and your JOHS Committee in this process. Then, using the […]
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Safe client handling involves an approach that considers the hierarchy of controls to eliminate or minimize the risk of injury in the workplace. The first step is to identify and assess tasks that may result in injury from client handling. Be sure to involve staff and your JOHS Committee in this process.  Then, using the […]
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We strive to empower those working in the continuing care sector to create safer, healthier workplaces by fostering a culture of safety through evidence-based education, leadership, and collaboration.
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