Frequently Asked Questions

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.

  • The illusion of control. The belief that I and I alone or my partner and I are the only ones that are running this company: I have realized that we can’t be in control of everything, and the load of running a business needs to be shared to the best of everyone’s ability across the whole organization. (panelist 1)
  • Having assurances that work can occur as efficiently at home as at work was a bit of a leap of faith for me.  While there is still evidence to suggest that our employees aren’t as efficient at home as they are in the office, the main reasons are attributable to hardware limitations, internet speed, and incomplete systems that were created in such a short amount of time.  As these issues are resolved and improved, I think the efficiency level will be on par and then it will be a matter of what cultural implications there will be as more people choose (or are mandated) to work from home more often. (panelist 2)

For the purpose of COVID-19 self-monitoring, constitutional symptoms are the ones listed by the Public Health Office.

When it comes to recognition, I believe it needs to be authentic, timely, and tailored to the individual. We try to celebrate even the small wins—for example, something as simple as saying, ‘Great job cleaning that spill up quickly before it became an issue.’ That kind of real-time acknowledgment reinforces positive behaviour and helps build a strong safety culture. We also recognize that not everyone wants to be in the spotlight. Some employees appreciate a public shout-out, while others prefer a quiet thank-you. It’s important to know your team and understand how each person prefers to be recognized. The goal is to make people feel valued, not uncomfortable. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. We’re exploring ideas like bi-weekly company emails or newsletters that include a “shout-out” section, especially for safety contributions, to help formalize recognition while keeping it inclusive and culture-driven. Personally, I’m cautious about over-relying on physical rewards like gift cards. While they can be a nice gesture, I never want recognition, especially around safety, to feel transactional. The goal is for employees to take pride in working safely because they understand the value and importance of it, not because there’s a prize attached.
Ale WorkSafeBC: keeps a record of the phone calls throughout a claim. Case Managers often summarize conversations after speaking to a worker or an employer. You can find this under the “Communications” tab via the online claim portal. The call centre may also “log” a message that you leave for the Case Manager, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant or Long Term Disability Officer. This is helpful for claim management purposes. For example, if a new Case Manager is assigned to the claim, they can review previous correspondence with the worker to pick up where they left off. Phone memos can also be used as evidence in Review Division and WCAT appeals. An employer or worker may use these logged messages to confirm that the Duty to Cooperate was not/complied with. Amanda (TeksMed Services): All claim communication (calls, correspondence, emails, etc.) is logged on a claim by WCB and may appear in claim disclosure.

Ensure attendants receive training and education on how they should protect themselves, and proper disinfection protocols. Recommended PPE when attending an emergency includes mask, face shield, and gloves. Do a risk assessment to determine what other controls and PPE may be required in specific situations.

Teresa (WorkSafeBC): In response to your question, it seems that you are asking about the DTME and how to communicate to the employer that they cannot terminate an employee who may not meet the DTME because they were recently hired. The DTME applies to employers who regularly employ 20 or more workers and workers who have been employed with the employer for at least 12 months. If the worker in question meets these criteria, the employer has an obligation to maintain their employment, which may require making changes to the work or workplace to accommodate the worker. Additionally, the DTC is still there. The worker should be contacted at the first moment practicable and suitable work should be identified. If you are firing someone just because of an injury, you are still subject to Employment Standards and other legislation Amanda (TeksMed Services): Being on Probation does not bar a worker from claim, however the Duty to Maintain employment only applies to workers who have been employed for at least 12 months.

For those businesses that are permitted to remain open, the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) has required the physical distancing of two metres where possible between workers.

Employers may need to assess those parts of a production area where this is a challenge and may need to modify their operations accordingly (i.e., temporarily shutting down areas of non-critical operations where physical distancing is not possible).

Employers are expected to implement all reasonable steps to ensure physical distancing practices are implemented in their workplace in accordance with the PHO’s direction.

See: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/employers-businesses

Except where work is subject to specific regulatory requirements around personal protective equipment (PPE), such as are in place for exposure to silica, mould, etc., WorkSafeBC is not advising employers in general at this time about specific use of PPE.

PPE should be selected and used as set out in OHSR s. 8.3, and in consultation with the joint health and safety committee at your workplace. To discuss your specific situation with a safety advisor, please (contact the Alliance by email)[mailto:[email protected]] or call 1-604-795-9595.

At this time, it is unlikely that WorkSafeBC would consider exposure to COVID-19 in a manufacturing setting to be a high-risk violation that could result in a stop-work order, and they have stated that they will not issue stop-work orders against essential services. It is possible, however, that other regulators could. For example, Black Press reported on March 29, 2020 that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency temporarily halted production at a Calgary beef processing plant after a worker tested positive for the virus until the plant could demonstrate that it had a plan in place to ensure the safety of both employees and inspectors.

The regulators recognize that achieving 2m physical distancing may not be possible in some facilities. To mitigate the risk, refer to {Canada's public health guidelines for risk-informed decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic)[https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/guidance-documents/risk-informed-decision-making-workplaces-businesses-covid-19-pandemic.html].

According to WorkSafeBC's The Certificate of Recognition Program: Standards and Guidelines, page 36:

We recognize that employers may not be in NOM currently. Maintenance audits can be performed at any time of the year, and our S&G requires that they are completed prior to December 31. Therefore, employers have until the end of the year to complete their maintenance audit.

Please keep in mind, however, that the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC is now forecasting a backlog of audits in Q3 and Q4. Therefore, we recommend that employers try to work with their normal anniversary date for the maintenance audit. If this is not possible, please contact the OSSE Department to discuss a time-frame for your maintenance audit that will be suitable to both parties to ensure a timely QA process.

Many employers have communicated their OSSE concerns in relation with COVID-19. As a certifying partner (CP), we have been working closely with WorkSafeBC in getting answers on how to remain safe and trying to work around COVID-19.

According to WorkSafeBC: As per our policy, an employer with a valid COR is eligible to receive a financial incentive for each year they hold a COR and where none of the exceptions to COR financial incentive eligibility apply. Employers approved by WorkSafeBC and provided one-year certifications under the waiver program will be considered to have valid certificates for 2020. As such, they will be considered for a 2020 financial incentive in May of 2021.