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WorkSafeBC is increasing site inspections in the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions in response to rising COVID-19 rates and stricter orders from the Provincial Health Officer.
The head of prevention services says employers must remain vigilant and keep their COVID-19 safety plans up to date.
“The goal of our inspections is to ensure that employers are effectively implementing measures to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace, including health screenings,” said Al Johnson.
On Saturday, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced radical new pandemic restrictions for Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health for a two-week period as cases in the two regions increase.
Prime Minister John Horgan said on Monday that the province could revert to the tougher lockdown measures it first experienced in March if the number of cases continues to rise.
WorkSafeBC says the 22 inspectors dedicated to the activity will prioritize locations with the highest risk of transmitting COVID-19. The examples given were food processing sites, night clubs, restaurants, and warehouses.
In general, inspectors will focus on sites where physical distances are difficult to maintain, where staff interact with many people, and where workers are in frequent contact with shared surfaces, tools and equipment.
WorkSafeBC is also increasing consultations with employers and plans to launch a multi-channel and multilingual public awareness campaign across social media, television and digital platforms.
On Monday, the province announced that 998 new cases of COVID-19 had been diagnosed in the previous 48 hours, with 98 percent of those cases in Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health.
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