Soaring temperatures shatter records as the southwest region of British Columbia experiences relentless heat waves.
Heatwave Hits British Columbia: WorkSafeBC Reminds Employers to Protect Workers
A heatwave has swept across British Columbia, with temperatures reaching record-breaking highs in several regions. In the Lower Mainland, White Rock saw temperatures of 32.2 C, while Abbotsford recorded a scorching 35.8 C. The town of Pemberton broke a 48-year-old record on Monday, with the mercury rising to 37.4 C.
The heatwave has prompted heat warnings for several regions in southwest B.C., including the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast, Sea-to-Sky regions, Fraser Canyon, Thompson, and South Okanagan.
As the heatwave persists, WorkSafeBC, the province's workplace safety and compensation board, is reminding employers to ensure both indoor and outdoor workers are protected from heat-related illness. Susana Prpic, WorkSafeBC's senior manager of prevention services, emphasised that heat stress is a risk in the workplace, just like any other occupational health and safety risk.
To protect outdoor workers during heatwaves, WorkSafeBC advocates a hierarchy of controls. This starts with eliminating heat exposure, if possible, and progresses through engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Key safety measures include eliminating or substituting tasks to a cooler environment, modifying facilities or equipment to reduce heat exposure, changing work practices and schedules to limit heat risk, and using heat-reflective clothing or cooling suits as a supplementary measure.
Employers are also advised to adjust work-rest cycles, improve airflow, provide shaded or air-conditioned rest areas, and ensure constant access to drinking water to keep workers cool and hydrated. WorkSafeBC encourages employers to plan ahead for extreme heat and wildfire smoke conditions.
Notably, records were also broken in several areas on Vancouver Island, including Victoria, Nanaimo, Campbell River, and Duncan. As the heatwave continues, it is crucial for everyone to take necessary precautions to stay safe and healthy.
[1] WorkSafeBC. (n.d.). Heat stress and the outdoors. Retrieved from https://www.worksafebc.com/en/health-safety/hazards-and-risks/heat-stress-and-the-outdoors
[2] WorkSafeBC. (n.d.). Heat stress and the indoors. Retrieved from https://www.worksafebc.com/en/health-safety/hazards-and-risks/heat-stress-and-the-indoors
[3] Environment Canada. (2022, June 28). Extreme heat warning for several regions in southwest B.C. Retrieved from https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?bc0001
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