320 businesses written up for violating COVID-19 measures: WorkSafeBC

WorkSafeBC has issued 320 orders to businesses in the province for violating COVID-19 safety measures.

According to a spokesperson for WorkSafeBC, as part of a province-wide inspectional initiative, the organization has conducted more than 12,000 worksite inspections related to COVID-19.

“The focus of our inspections has been to ensure employers have a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place. This plan needs to assess the risks to workers, and implement measures to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace,” said Ivy Yuen, Media Relations WorkSafeBC, in a statement to Daily Hive.

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“Overall, the vast majority of employers are taking health and safety very seriously during the reopening. Our inspections are finding that businesses want to be in compliance, and our prevention officers are providing support to help them have an effective COVID-19 Safety Plan.”

As of June 26, 320 health and safety violations were issued.

“Enforcement measures will be considered if employers are not taking measures to protect workers from COVID-19 exposure. Orders are issued as a result of an inspection or can be part of follow-up activity,” said Yuen.

At the end of June, 101 orders were given out in the service sector, such as hotels, restaurants, gyms, hospitals, schools, real estate, and hair salons, and 79 orders were given out in the manufacturing sector, including meat processing, breweries, sawmills, and pharmaceuticals.

Sixty-two orders were given out in the trade sector, which includes retail and wholesale operations, supermarkets, and service stations, while 55 were given out in construction, including commercial and residential construction, roofing, and mechanical installation.

Eighteen orders were given out in the primary resources sector such as forestry, oil and gas, fishing, and agriculture; three were given out in the public sector (e.g., government and law enforcement), and two were given out in transportation and warehousing (e.g., taxis and ride-hailing, movers, transit, ferries, recycling depots, warehouses).

Information about prevention data and inspections can be found online.