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Policy decision finalized at the July 2009 WorkSafeBC Board of Directors meeting

The following Resolution was finalized by WorkSafeBC's Board of Directors in July 2009. For information about the function and mandate of the Board of Directors, please see Governing Structure.

WorkSafeBC Coverage for Olympic Family Members and Non Canadian Rights Holding Broadcasters during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games

On July 14, 2009, the Board of Directors approved a coverage exemption for Olympic family members, and alternate assessment arrangements for non Canadian rights holding broadcasters.  

These amendments come into effect on July 14, 2009.

For further information on this issue, please contact Susan Hynes at 604 276-5149.

You may examine the complete resolution (PDF 121kb).

An Annual Classification Cycle

On July 14, 2009, the Board of Directors approved changes to two policies in the Assessment Manual to adopt an annual cycle for assigning classifications to registered firms. 

These amendments come into effect on October 1, 2009, and apply to all decisions made on or after October 1, 2009.

For further information on this issue, please contact Cameron Angus at 604 232-1849.

You may examine the complete resolution and amendments (PDF 161kb).

You may also review a table summarizing the consultation results here (PDF 342kb).

Policy item #13.30 – Mental Stress

At its meeting on July 14, 2009, the Board of Directors approved changes to policy item #13.30, Mental Stress of the Rehabilitation Services and Claims Manual, Volume II (“RS&CM”). This policy provides direction on the adjudication of claims for mental stress.

The key changes to the policy are as follows:

  • Deletion of the policy statements and examples that were severed by the British Columbia Court of Appeal in the decision Plesner v. BC Hydro and Power Authority et al, 2009 BCCA 188.
  • Inclusion of a definition of a traumatic event as “an emotionally shocking event”, which reflects both the Dorland’s Medical Dictionary, 24th Edition and The Concise Oxford Dictionary definitions of traumatic.
  • Inclusion of a reference that an acute reaction may be delayed in certain circumstances, in keeping with the diagnostic features of mental stress. This change and some additional editorial changes were previously approved by the Board of Directors in October 2007 as part of a policy project to re-write all of the policies in Chapter 3 of the RS&CM.

The policy changes apply to all decisions, including appellate decisions, on or after April 30, 2009, the date of the Court of Appeal decision.

You may examine the complete resolution (PDF 165kb).

For further information on this issue, please contact Susan Hynes at 604 276-5160.

Approved occupational exposure limits for styrene and formaldehyde

At its meeting on July 14, 2009, the Board of Directors (“BOD”) approved that the current occupational exposure limits (“OELs”) for two substances – formaldehyde and styrene – be retained. At issue was whether WorkSafeBC should adopt the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (“ACGIH”) Threshold Limit Values (“TLVs”) or retain the current OELs for these substances. 

The current OELs that are retained are as follows:

Formaldehyde
Styrene
TWA: 0.3 ppm TWA: 50 ppm
Ceiling limit: 1.0 ppm STEL: 75 ppm
   
TWA= 8 hour time weighted average
STEL = 15 minute short term exposure limit

 

For both of these substances, there were:

  • Comprehensive reviews of the research on the health effects;
  • Meetings with employer and worker representatives;
  • Consultations with stakeholders;
  • Jurisdictional comparisons of OELs;
  • Visits to workplaces that use these substances; and
  • Analyses of claims data.

Discussion papers with the research obtained from the above were prepared and sent out for consultation with stakeholders in 2007. 

Subsequently, for each substance, an independent peer reviewer was asked to:

  • Review the scientific literature on the health effects at levels between the current B.C. OELs and the ACGIH TLVs; and
  • Review the discussion paper to ensure it accurately reflected what was stated in the scientific literature on health effects.

For styrene, both the independent peer reviewer and the OEL Review Committee confirmed that the health effects outlined in the discussion paper were complete and accurate, and agreed that the current weight of evidence showed no adverse health effects at the B.C. OELs for styrene, or between the B.C. OELs and the ACGIH TLVs. They confirmed that at the current B.C. OELs, the weight of evidence showed that styrene is not a carcinogen, genotoxin or reproductive/developmental toxin. A summary of their findings along with the discussion paper previously sent out for consultation is available.

Similarly, for formaldehyde, both the independent peer reviewer and the OEL Review Committee confirmed that the health effects outlined in the discussion paper were complete and accurate, and agreed that the current weight of evidence showed no adverse health effects at the B.C. OELs for formaldehyde, or between the B.C. OELs and the ACGIH TLV. They confirmed that at the current B.C. OELs, the weight of evidence showed that formaldehyde is not a carcinogen, genotoxin, reproductive/developmental toxin, or cytotoxin. A summary of their findings along with the discussion paper previously sent out for consultation is available.

Further to the conclusions reached by the independent peer reviewers and the OEL Review Committee, the BOD made the decision to retain the current OELs for styrene and formaldehyde.

However, to ensure due diligence, the BOD directed the Policy and Research Division to report back to them on an annual basis with the following information regarding both styrene and formaldehyde:

  • Results of any new scientific research – especially at the lower levels where the current OELs are;
  • WorkSafeBC claims;
  • Claims in other Canadian jurisdictions that are significant users of the substances; and
  • Results of inspections by prevention officers.

Both styrene and formaldehyde continue to be designated substances under section 5.57 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. As such, the requirements regarding substitution and an exposure control plan to maintain workers’ exposures as low as reasonably achievable below the exposure limit continue to apply for both substances.