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Motor vehicle incidents are among the leading causes of traumatic workplace injuries and fatalities in BC. The Safe Driving for Work Checklist has been developed to help employers and their workers take proactive steps to manage driving-related risks. This checklist serves as a practical guide to reinforce safe driving practices and is designed to be used before, during, and after each trip.
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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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Leading from the Inside Out
Leading from the Inside Out waitlist
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 insurance premiums that are 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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Safety Month - August 2025

Workplace inspections

Workplace inspections are an essential incident prevention tool in an organization's occupational health and safety program. Inspections involve critically examining the workplace to identify and record hazards for corrective action.

Workplace inspections make the workplace a safer place for everyone. The employer conducts them or a supervisor, with participation from the Joint Occupational Health and Safety (JOHS) committee or the worker health and safety representative. They must be done at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, annually, etc.) depending on the type of inspection and the level of risk. They can be formal or informal. Formal inspections are scheduled inspections that follow a straightforward procedure and are documented. Informal inspections occur spontaneously and almost daily. It is less structured and involves employees being proactive and observant of hazards while performing their everyday duties and reporting any potential hazards to their supervisors.

Regular inspections will help:

  • Identify unsafe acts and conditions that could cause injuries and illnesses
  • Determine corrective actions
  • Prevent unsafe work conditions from occurring

What must be inspected in the workplace?

  • Buildings, structures, grounds, tools, emergency exits, tools, equipment, machinery, work methods and practices

Examples of items included on an inspection checklist:

  • Tools, equipment, machinery (i.e., mechanical lifting devices, slings and transfer belts)
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  • Ergonomics
  • First aid
  • Emergency procedures
  • Hazardous products
  • Occupational Health and Safety bulletin board
  • Ventilation
  • Lighting
  • Signage, wall hangings, fixtures, shelving
  • Floors, walkways, doorways
  • Noise levels
  • Work practices and procedures

Inspection dos and don’ts:

Dos:

  • Involve workers to participate in the inspection process
  • Ensure inspections are conducted systematically and consistently
  • Document inspection process and results
  • Prioritize hazards found in inspection using hazard ratings
  • Develop corrective actions that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) – assign a due date and person responsible for corrective action
  • Follow-up on identified issues
  • Communicate inspection findings to workers
  • Review previous inspection reports for any uncorrected issues
  • Rotate inspectors to gain new perspective

Don’ts:

  • Let inspections become routine or box-checking
  • Rush the inspection process
  • Ignore minor safety hazards
  • Delay or cancel inspections
  • Conduct an inspection without receiving appropriate training
  • Falsify information during the inspection process
  • Assume everything is fine and skip areas or items during the inspection
  • Ignore employee concerns

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Workplace inspections

Featured Resources

Motor vehicle incidents are among the leading causes of traumatic workplace injuries and fatalities in BC. The Safe Driving for Work Checklist has been developed to help employers and their workers take proactive steps to manage driving-related risks. This checklist serves as a practical guide to reinforce safe driving practices and is designed to be used before, during, and after each trip.
Files Attached
View Checklist
Download this safety huddle to help guide your staff through the proper reporting procedures set out by your organization.
Files Attached
View Safety Huddle
Workplace inspections are an essential incident prevention tool in an organization's occupational health and safety program. Use this checklist to help identify and record hazards for corrective action.
Files Attached
View Checklist
Workplace inspections

Videos

This video was created to help you know what to expect when a WorkSafeBC prevention officer visits your workplace to conduct a safety inspection. It will help you better understand the inspection process so that it will be more efficient and productive.
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Workplace inspections

Web links

See how many hazards you can spot. Challenge your students, staff or co-workers. Take the picture to a safety committee or staff meeting - anywhere you can to generate discussion about the safety issues in the photo.
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Workplace inspections resources

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Emergency preparedness and the aging population: Addressing the unique needs of older adults 

Emergency Preparedness, Environmental Hazards, First aid, Flood, Hazard Identification, Health hazards, Heat stress, Physical hazards, Safety hazards, Safety training, Weather, Wildfire

Emergencies such as floods, wildfires, power outages, and severe weather can occur without warning. Older adults are often the most vulnerable during these events because of health, mobility, and cognitive challenges. For workers in long-term...

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Musculoskeletal Diseases: 4 Common Causes of Musculoskeletal Injuries and How to Avoid Them 

Hazard Identification, Injury prevention, Risk Assessment, Safety Basics, Safety Culture, Safety hazards, Workplace hazards, Workplace inspections

Musculoskeletal disorders know no age or lifestyle bounds, impacting an astonishing 1.71 billion individuals worldwide—a testament to their widespread prevalence and the urgent need for awareness and action. (2022, par 1).   There are numerous ways...

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Identifying hazards - WorkSafeBC

Hazard Identification

Your first step in protecting workers involves accurately identifying potential hazards in your workplace. You're looking for all the things and situations that could possibly harm your workers or other workers that may be on...

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Hazard and Risk - CCOHS

Hazard Identification

Risks should be systematically identified and reviewed to ensure those things, activities, situations, processes, etc. that cause harm to people or property are controlled.

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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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