VPD steps up enforcement in support of roadside worker safety
Richmond, B.C. – Today, the Vancouver Police Department is partnering with the Work Zone Safety Alliance and WorkSafeBC to kick off the seventh annual B.C. Cone Zone Campaign with an enforcement blitz at a roadside worksite on Burrard Street in Vancouver. Last year, one roadside worker died on the job and 21 were injured and missed time at work.
Cone Zones are work areas set up by roadside workers to protect themselves and the driving public. Workers at risk include traffic-control persons, tow-truck operators, first responders and machine operators who work alongside or on roads in close proximity to traffic. Between 2007 and 2016, 15 roadside workers were killed and 229 were injured and missed time from work as a result of being hit by a motor vehicle.
"We want to remind drivers to slow down, pay attention to instructions from roadside workers, abide by temporary road signs and leave their phones alone," says Trina Pollard, Manager of Industry and Labour Services, WorkSafeBC. "Every roadside worker deserves to make it home to their family at the end of their shift without injury."
Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety of their workers and are required to train and supervise their workers. Roadside workers can engage in safe work by:
- Knowing how to identify hazards and assess risks
- Following safe work procedures
- Following set-up and take-down regulations
- Wearing appropriate high-visibility garments
- Reporting unsafe work conditions to their supervisor
Major projects underway during the 2017 spring and summer months include the Mountain Highway Interchange Project in North Vancouver, Hwy 91 at 72nd Ave. Interchange Project in Delta, Road Resurfacing on Highway H19 in the Campbell River area and the Burrard Corridor Infrastructure Upgrade in Vancouver.
Employers and workers can access online tools and resources at Cone Zone BC and worksafebc.com/conezone.
About the Work Zone Safety Alliance:
The Cone Zone campaign is a joint provincial initiative supported by organizations committed to improving the safety of roadside workers. They are Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., Automotive Retailers Association, BCAA, B.C. Construction Safety Alliance, B.C. Flagging Association, B.C. Landscape and Nursery Association, B.C. Municipal Safety Association, B.C. Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association, City of Prince George, City of Surrey, Government of B.C., International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 258, Insurance Corporation of B.C., Justice Institute of British Columbia, LiUNA Local 1611, RCMP, SafetyDriven, Telus, Lower Mainland Police and WorkSafeBC.
About WorkSafeBC:
WorkSafeBC is an independent provincial statutory agency governed by a board of directors that serves about 2.3 million workers and more than 225,000 employers. WorkSafeBC was born from the historic compromise between B.C.'s workers and employers in 1917 where workers gave up the right to sue their employers and fellow workers for injuries on the job in return for a no-fault insurance program fully paid for by employers. WorkSafeBC is committed to safe and healthy workplaces and to providing return-to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits.
Contact:
Lennea Durant
Media Relations, Road Safety at Work
Tel: 604-875-1182
Cell: 778-822-0178
Email: lennea.durant@roadsafetyatwork.ca
Trish Knight Chernecki
Media Relations, WorkSafeBC
Tel: 604.232.5814
Cell: 778.871.5841
Email: trish.chernecki@worksafebc.com