Frequently Asked Questions

For information on vehicles that are restricted to incidental operations on the road, click here. The Motor Vehicle Act Regulations provides information on slow moving vehicles on the roads. See Division 7B. When operating a slow-moving vehicle on the highways, follow all the rules that would apply to all vehicles. The vehicle operator, however, should be particularly careful of his/her surroundings and other traffic since other drivers may be impatient and attempt unsafe driving maneuvers.
WorkSafeBC website would be the best place to look to for a description of the new closure process. This is very new, as it was announced quite recently by the provincial health officer. Details have been formed in the most recent days what the approach will be with feedback from all the health regions. WorkSafeBC would be the go to site for that. Each of the health authorities will be monitoring for a cluster of cases over time. They've seen a number of cases have occurred in succession that are within the workplace would come to our attention, and the direction would be that those would be closed.
Amanda (TeksMed Services): Employers should keep in mind they do not NEED to wait for medical to make an offer of suitable/modified work. They can base the offer off common-sense restrictions (Ie: one-handed duties for a left-hand injury). Also, other treatment providers can provide limitations or assist in reviewing modified work (Ie: Physiotherapist). As WCB receives more detailed medical at all assessments, if clarification is still needed one can always connect with WCB to obtain specific limitations or abilities.
Refer to the guideline to see the Advanced first aid kit (based on CSA Z1220 Type 3: Intermediate first aid kit — medium, includes oxygen kit) contents list. Reference: OHS Guidelines for Part 3 - Occupational First Aid | WorkSafeBC
CSA Z94.3 has optional standards for tinted lens sun protection. Tints of 15% or less are still considered "clear" lenses (as defined on Table 1 of the standard), tints up to 60% are considered "Cosmetic", and tints between 60% and 92% are considered "General Purpose" sun protection (as defined on Table 7 of the standard). Please note that tint percentages beyond 92% are not recommended for daylight driving. Sun protection should also include UV protection, and most labs will require/include UV protection when manufacturing safety eyewear with a tint. Most prescription lens labs will also not tint a lens higher than 85-90%.
You can find the Occupational Health & Safety regulation details for Northwest Territories here. Please look at 97(1-4) which currently reads: "Eye and Face Protection 97. (1) If there is a risk of irritation or injury to the face or eyes of a worker from flying objects or particles, splashing liquids, molten metal or ultraviolet, visible or infrared radiation, an employer shall provide and require the worker to use an approved industrial eye protector or approved face protector to eliminate or reduce the risk. (2) An employer shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that a worker does not perform electric arc welding if another worker could be exposed to radiation from the arc, unless the other worker is using an approved industrial eye protector or is protected from the radiation by an approved screen. (3) A worker shall not perform electric arc welding if another worker could be exposed to radiation from the arc, unless the other worker is using an approved industrial eye protector or is protected from the radiation by an approved screen. (4) A worker who is required by these regulations to use an industrial eye protector or face protector shall not wear contact lenses." Under the definitions of the Safety Act it defines "Approved" as "approved by the Chief Safety Officer in a code of practice approved and issued under subsection 18(3) of the Act; (approuvé)". The specific codes of practice can be found on the Northwest Territories' Workers Safety and Compensation Commission website. The specific code of practice for Eye and Face Protection PPE is listed and can also be found here. In short: CSA Z94.3-20 (the 2020 version) along with Z94.3.1-16 (the guidelines for selection, use and care of protective eyewear) are the standards that should be used for safety eyewear in Northwest Territories.

The most common symptoms is a dry cough, soar throats and fever plus symptoms like full-body aches and fatigue - similar to flu-like illness. Some have the symptoms of gastrointestinal illness.

Risk areas will vary from one plant to another based on layout and staffing levels. In general, common areas to consider in establishing cleaning, physical distancing, maximum occupancy, and entry/exit protocols include washrooms, change rooms, lunchrooms, and stairways, as well as door handles and other frequently touched surfaces. Beyond that, any space where 2-metre physical distancing is not possible is a risk point that requires effective controls.

Amanda (TeksMed Services): This depends on the circumstances, failure to report is not always necessary a bar to claim but can be depending on the situation and circumstances. One would need to review the specifics for a recommended action, but generally one can always ask WCB to investigate or if the factors are strong enough object to acceptance.

Also, no first aid report and no proof of the injury. What if the worker in question has a history of claiming WCB?

Amanda (TeksMed Services): Again, it depends on the specifics, WCB does see a worker’s claim history when filing a claim and that is not a bar to acceptance but can be considered by the Board. This being said, employers are always free to ask WCB to investigate and/or protest the acceptance based on the specific concerns regarding each case. What if worker has no prior history of claiming WCB, but they are very much aware that they must report to injuries immediately at work but did not? Amanda (TeksMed Services): This alone is not generally enough to bar a claim. Again, it very much depends on the circumstances and if the delay can be considered reasonable in the circumstances.
This is definitely one of the more challenging situations to resolve, especially when ownership and leadership are closely intertwined. When one owner is setting a strong example and another is undermining that through their behaviour, it sends mixed messages to employees and can quickly destroy trust and consistency. In those cases, I would try to focus on impact, not intention. Rather than framing it as a personality conflict, I’d approach it by pointing out how the inconsistency is affecting the employees and business, whether that’s in morale, retention, or confusion around expectations. Data helps immensely with this as most business owners focus largely on overall company performance and statistics. Most business owners genuinely want the company to succeed and the culture to thrive even if their approach is different. So, I’ll often align the conversation with bigger goals: 'Here’s what employees are responding to positively, and here’s where we’re seeing issues or friction.
OSSE 101, a new public e-learning course, will be announced next year. In the meantime, contact our OHS Audit team to set up an in-house OSSE 101 training at any time.

This would be falsely picking up a signal that matches Sars-CoV-2 genetic material. This is extremely rare.