WorkSafeBC’s special advisor Gordon Macatee has released his last status report on his WorkSafeBC Review and Action Plan recommendations.

The report confirms that as of March 1, 2016, all 43 recommendations to enhance workplace safety have been implemented. 

The improvements to worker safety flowing from the report continue to inform the ongoing work by the Province and WorkSafeBC to ensure B.C. has a world-class inspection and investigations regime. The report covers the impact of the recommendations, lessons learned and next steps.

Following the 2012 Babine and Lakeland sawmill explosions, and the 2014 Dyble Report, Macatee was appointed as a special administrator and asked to develop the action plan to improve worker safety in the province. The plan and recommendations were accepted by the Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour Shirley Bond and the WorkSafeBC board on July 15, 2014.

Macatee stayed on as a special advisor and oversaw implementation of the recommendations to:

• Ensure future investigations are handled correctly;
• Ensure B.C.’s sawmills are safer workplaces;
• Understand the merits of and determine best practices in organizational structures, specifically relating to the separation of enforcement vs. regulation;
• Develop a plan for implementing a world-class inspection and investigation regime; and
• Conduct the search for and finalize the appointment of a new and permanent WorkSafeBC CEO.

The B.C. government made changes to the Workers Compensation Act, through Bill 9, to enable WorkSafeBC to finalize a number of the recommendations.

The report is available here: http://worksafebc.com/publications/reports/ActionPlan/default.asp