WorkSafeBC finds more than 1,600 violations of COVID-19 safety plans

Inspectorswith WorkSafe BC have now found more than 1,600 violations of COVID-19 health and safety plans in workplaces across the province, according to the agency.

The numbers spiked in December, with 392violations that month alone.

All employers open in B.C. during the pandemic must have approvedhealth and safety protocols in place to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 on site. The requirement has been in place since B.C. began reopening in May,after the first shutdown.

WorkSafe BC hasdonemore than 21,800 inspections to ensure plans are in place and being followed. Inspections can be planned ahead or unannounced, and are sometimes done in response to complaints from the public.

Nearly one-third of theviolation orders concerned employers in the service sector, which includeshotels, restaurants, gyms, hospitals, schools, real estate and hair salons. It also includes the film industry.

The construction industry received the next-highest number oforders at 373. The trade sector, which includes wholesale operations and supermarkets, was in third at 325.

The full breakdown of violations is as follows:

• Construction: 373.
• Manufacturing: 263.
• Primary Resources: 67.
• Public Sector: 8.
• Service Sector: 470.
• Trade: 325.
• Transportation and Warehousing: 47.

By month:

• July 2020: 67.
• August: 55.
• September: 81.
• October: 81.
• November: 333.
• December: 392.
• January 2021: 200.

The non-compliance orders from WorkSafeBCtellthe employer how it must improve to avoid further penalties. Stop-work orders are an option if the violations are creating a particularlyhigh risk.Flagrant or repeatviolations can lead to fines.

The organization saidit has received5,772reports of potential violations as of Jan. 22.

In addition toemployment enforcement, businesses and individuals who break provincial and federal COVID-19 orders outside the workplace can also be issued violation tickets. Nearly $500,000 in those violation tickets have been issued since the pandemic began, according to the province.

More than 103 tickets went to people breaking the public health order on gatherings and events, while 450 went to people who refused to listen to law enforcement investigating an issue.

A further 77 tickets were handed to people who did not comply with the federal Quarantine Act.