Job Site Safety-COVID-19 Member Rights and Responsibilities

These are still crazy times. We all must stay informed and when we go to work not accept anything less than what is required by the Provincial Health Officer, Center for Disease Control and WorkSafe BC. Below are links to critical information about what employers have to do to protect you on the job. Hand in hand with that is what we should be doing to protect each other. Remember many of us have contact with older relatives in our home, children and spouses. If you have any symptoms stay home for at least ten days. If you have been exposed to someone with a Positive COVID19 test, then self isolate for 14 days. They are making it much easier to get tested now. Just call your doctor for a telephone consultation and explain your symptoms. You will most likely be given an immediate appointment for testing. Remember if you have to stay home because of the covid you can collect the CERB benefit of 500 per week for up to 16 weeks. Check the link to confirm you would be eligible.

Worksafe BC Regulations and Guidelines Concerning Lunch Rooms Washrooms Changing Areas. The Public Health Officer has now made it more imperative to follow the guidelines.

Provincial Health Officer Order re Industrial Camps

Provincial Infection Prevention and Control Officers

Guidance to Construction Sites-BC Public Health

Guidance to Mining and Smelting Operations

WorkSafe BC Frequently Asked Questions

During the Work Slowdown

Now is a good time for health and safety training and apprenticeship training. Our apprenticeship training will soon be available with an online component to handle the classroom work and testing and scheduled practical sessions using proper physical distancing to protect your health. Let’s make lemon-aid out of this COVID19 lemon we have to chew on right now. Contact Sharon at the office 604-584-2021 or Geoff at 778-847-2472 to get you name on the list for apprenticeship training. Check back on this site for links to online health and safety training including the new Regional Safety Training Course. for now, enform/ossa (the new Energy Safety canada group) has extended the expiry date of all tickets that expire in the first half of 2020 to September.

Hours Banks for Union Health and Welfare Plan during EI Sickness Benefits Claim

Just a reminder that if you end up on EI Sickness Benefits for whatever reason, please remember to notify DA Townley so you can have the disability coverage of your contributions kick in. That way you won’t lose your hours bank while on sickness benefits. DA Townley has sent us a reminder of this, see below.

I just wanted to remind you that it will be important for your Members to know that when they apply and are accepted for EI Sickness Benefits, they will need to contact our office to apply for Disability Credits in order to keep their hour banks intact. Our staff will advise any Members who call our office that we refer to apply for EI Sickness Benefits, but in the chance they just go directly to EI Sickness Benefits without calling us, they will need to be reminded to apply for Disability Credits.’

Email D.A. Townley at admin@datownley.com to apply for disability credits.