"On October 01, 1999, the Workers Compensation (Occupational Health & Safety) Amendment Act became law. This law significantly changes the way occupational health and safety is administered in British Columbia". (Prevention at Work, Sept/Oct 99)

One of the most notable changes is that every employer with a workforce of 20 or more regularly employed workers requires a health & safety committee. Employer's with less than 20 employees, requires the designation of a health & safety rep. The employer is also required to provide each committee member with 8 hours paid leave each year for approved health & safety training. Other changes include clarified rights and duties of employers, workers, owners, corporate directors, and suppliers.

Effective January 01, 2000 a new rating system comes into effect. The old system with 71 classification units has been expanded to 606 to make the system more effective.

Keeping your health & safety costs to a minimum requires a proactive program. Three important factors in a comprehensive Health & Safety program are:

• Awareness
• Accountability
• Communication

An effective Health & Safety program consists of 13 elements. The first and most important element is that of a clear concise written safety policy outlining the organization's commitment and responsibility toward safety. The final element is that of establishing a process to annually review your Health & Safety program for effectiveness.

E-mail Lyle C. Wallace to setup a free 1/2-hour preliminary review of your current Health & Safety program.