This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.

WorkSafeBC

banner image

Initiatives for Construction

Construction High-Risk Strategy

Why is there a Construction High-Risk Strategy?

WorkSafeBC has reviewed historical incidents and claims statistics and has identified four industries that have a greater risk of injuries and fatalities, as compared to other industry sectors. These higher hazard industries include: construction, forestry, healthcare and manufacturing.

The Construction High-Risk Strategy is WorkSafeBC's multi-year prevention program, focusing time and resources to identified areas within the industry. The overall goal is to effect change and reduce injury, illness, disease and death within the construction industry. This includes an increased focus on serious injuries, return to work, claims management and duration reduction.

To see the overview of the construction high-risk strategy, click on the link below:
Overview of Construction High-Risk Strategy 2009 (PDF 97 KB)

Who does this involve?

The 2009 Construction High-Risk Strategy (CHRS) involves the entire construction industry including owners, prime contractors, subcontractors, supervisors and workers employed on worksites across BC.

The Construction HRS focuses injury prevention activities on a specific group of classification units (CUs) within the overall construction sector where 80% of all construction-related lost time injuries occur. The Strategy concentrates on initiatives that target the three most common accident types in construction, namely: falls, struck by/struck against and musculoskeletal injuries (overexertion). Success of WorkSafeBC's Construction High-Risk Strategy will take increased leadership and commitment from BC's construction industry to provide an environment where a safe and healthy culture can succeed.

"Prime Contractors: How Do You Measure Up?" Campaign

The "Prime Contractor: How do you measure up?" Campaign was designed to provide a structured and consistent method to measure if Prime Contractors are reasonably fulfilling their legal duties and responsibilities across seven key areas.

This measurement took place at 253 multi-employer worksites across the province in 2007. A series of 24 prescribed questions were asked of each Prime Contractor. Prevention Officers probed for answers and collected evidence to support the responses. In addition, Subcontractors working in the site were asked a series of 11 questions to validate and verify the Prime's response.

Results of the campaign have been summarized and communicated to the industry. Actions flowing from this effort continue in 2009.

Click on the links below for additional information on the "How do you Measure up?" campaign.

Resources
The following links list tools, publications, and other resources to help prevent injuries from the top three types of accidents
  1. Falls
  2. Struck by/Struck against object
  3. Overexertion
Young worker safety in construction

About 31,700* young people work in B.C.'s construction industry. Most help build houses, though some work on larger buildings.

Any job in construction involves some risk. For young workers these are the top injury types:

  • 30% from being struck by objects
  • 19% from overexertion
  • 16% from falls

Over the five-year period from 2003 to 2007 there were over 9,000 young worker injuries in construction representing nearly 20% of young workers claims in all industries. 2,171 of these claims were serious, life changing injuries.

The OH&S Regulation aimed at improving young and new worker safety was introduced in 2007. Click on the link below to learn more about how to protect young worker at your worksite:

* Numbers of young workers in different industries taken from Labour Force Historical Review, Statistics Canada, 2007, CD-ROM, No. 71F0004XCB.

High-Risk Classification Units (CUs)

CU Number Classification Unit
721028 Industrial, Commercial, Institutional, or Highrise Residential Construction
721052 Structural Concrete Forming
721012 Concrete Reinforcing
721009 Concrete Cutting/Coring
721010 Concrete Placing
721011 Concrete Pumping
721031 Land Clearing, Excavation, or Site Surface Preparation
721027 House or Other Wood Frame Construction or Renovation Work
721024 Framing or Residential Forming
721036 Low Slope Roofing
721051 Steep Slope Roofing
721049 Siding, Awning, or Gutter Installation, Service, or Repair
721018 Drywalling or Acoustic Board Installation
721041 Painting/Wallpapering
721042 Plastering/Stucco Work
721019 Electrical Work
721043 Plumbing, Heating, Vent, Residential Air Conditioning, or Central Vacuum System Installation or Repair
724013 Construction Labour Supply or General Labour Supply (not elsewhere specified)
722005 Steel Frame Erection

Certificate of Recognition (COR) - Pilot Project

WorkSafeBC (the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C.) is now partnering with the B.C. Road Construction and Maintenance Safety Network (the Safety Network) to pilot a Certificate of Recognition (COR) program that offers a rebate to companies that become certified.

Road builders pave way for incentive program (PDF 62 KB)
WorkSafe Magazine February 2003

Information to-date
Minutes of October 30, 2002 Meeting

COR Partners
Construction Safety Network

Prevention Matters

A series of articles by Don Nelson, Industry Services Manager: Construction.

    • Search on-line for Hazard Alert poster; On-line NOP form coming soon (PDF 131 KB)
      Mar 2003

      WCB has a new search engine for hazard alert posters. These highly popular one-page bulletins show real workplace accidents such as fatalities or traumatic injuries and how to prevent them.

    • Preparing for winter's cold in the workplace and Upcoming Events for 2003 (PDF 108 KB)
      Jan 2003
      Construction is affected by many weather conditions - wind, rain, snow, ice, hail, fog and of course, cold temperatures. Dealing with these elements properly can affect safety on the job site.

    • Statistics show too many musculoskeletal injuries in construction (PDF 111 KB)
      Dec 2002
      Statistics from the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. covering 1997-2001 show that there were more than 30,000 accepted claims in general construction. Almost one-third of those claims were musculoskeletal in nature. The human and financial cost of these claims is just too high.

    • Construction company wins award for young and new worker mentoring program (PDF 102 KB)
      Nov 2002

      Ledcor Industries Inc. was honoured in October with the award for Best Training/Orientation Program for Young and New Workers. The new award, sponsored by the Workers' Compensation Board of BC, was presented at the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) award banquet held on October 23, 2002.

    • Prevention incentive pilot success leads to Certificate of Recognition program (PDF 111 KB)
      Oct 2002
      The Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. is now partnering with the B.C. Road Construction and Maintenance Safety Network (the Safety Network) to pilot a Certificate of Recognition (COR) program that offers a rebate to companies that become certified.

    • Construction Safety Association to offer industry-based training and education (PDF 96 KB)
      Sept 2002
      New safety association formed for the construction industry.

    • BC ONE CALL makes it easy to 'call before you dig' (PDF 110 KB)
      August 2002
      Many workers and contractors are unaware of the consequences of damaging buried facilities such as pipelines, telecommunications cables, water and sewage lines and electrical wires.

    • Installing roof anchors during construction makes window washing less perilous (PDF 100 KB)
      July 2002
      This month's article talks about having suitable anchorage available for window washers.

    • Skills Canada competition brings more attention to careers in health and safety (PDF 105 KB)
      June 2002
      The BC Skills Competition held each year at BC Place Stadium, not only showcases the talent of the competitors but allows for an invaluable exchange of ideas between competitors, industry representatives and educators.

    • New WCB online registration service available, Accident alert issued on preventing caught-in-machinery accidents (PDF 29 KB)
      May 2002
      This month's article talks about the new online registration service and a recent accident alert issued to help prevent crushing and caught-in-machinery accidents.

    • When would a WCB officer visit your site (PDF 18 KB)
      April 2002
      There are several reasons why a WCB officer might arrive at your site. We prefer to visit construction sites when the principal contractor has filed a Notice of Project with the board. Our officers try to get on site as early as possible in the project to give you a brief outline of what is expected so there are no surprises in future visits.

    • When WCB officers arrive at your site (PDF 18 KB)
      March 2002
      When WorkSafeBC Prevention officers turn up at your work site, they are there to ensure a safe and healthy workplace by providing education and consultation as well as checking for compliance with the Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.

    • Notice of Accidents by E-mail Can Help Prevent Injuries (PDF 24 KB)
      February 2002



      INJURY TYPE: FALL -- FATAL
      Worker, along with portions of a scaffold, fell 39 feet to grade and received massive head injuries.
      INJURY TYPE: STRUCK BY -- FATAL
      (YOUNG WORKER)
      The worker was assisting to secure the first tier of pipe racks on a trailer. The loader struck the worker with the second lift of pipe racks, knocking the worker down. One pipe rack fell off the loader's forks landing on the worker.

      In a recent column, I mentioned a new feature on our injury prevention website (http://www2.worksafebc.com) -- the Notice of Accident (NOA) updates available by e-mail subscription. This initiative is designed to provide employers and workers with timely information about the types of accidents occurring in the construction industry.

    • Notice of Accidents Now Available by E-mail (PDF 21 KB)
      January 2002
      To provide employers and workers with timely information about the types of accidents occurring in the construction industry, WorkSafeBC will now offer regular updates by e-mail of Notices of Accidents (NOA) received by the Prevention Division.

      These reports may help you prevent similar accidents in your workplace. An NOA is a preliminary report of an accident before an investigation into the case has been completed. To sign up for these updates please send an email to with the words "subscribe NOA" in the subject line, or, if you have already subscribed to receive construction email you will be receiving them.

    • 2001 Articles



    You can return to the Top of this page