Complete Resolution

The Board of Directors approved amendments to reduce duplication and redundancy in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and the Regulations for Agricultural Operations. In addition, the amendments incorporate a 1998 Supreme Court of British Columbia decision that restricts the WCB's jurisdiction in aircraft operations.

As required by section 226(1) of the Workers Compensation Act ("Act"), the WCB held a public hearing on the regulatory amendments on March 25, 2003 in Prince George; and on March 27, 2003 in Richmond. The proposed amendments taken to public hearing consisted of ten categories of amendments.

The Board of Directors has approved nine of the ten categories of amendments. The proposed amendments that repeat general duty provisions in the Act relating to the training of workers were withdrawn in response to submissions received about the value of retaining repetition of training requirements.

The regulatory amendments provide an opportunity to streamline the current regulations, maintain a reasonable standard for protection of worker health and safety, and enable the WCB to meet its statutory obligation to review regulations on an ongoing basis. The amendments came into force on October 29, 2003.