RICHMOND, B.C. -- Independent provincial statutory agency WorkSafeBC said that it has found significant levels of noncompliance with safety regulations in gas bars across British Columbia.
As of June 30, 2006, WorkSafeBC safety officers had conducted 366 inspections of gas stations as part of a special three-month enforcement initiative. These random inspections are part of WorkSafeBC's response to the death of a station attendant and a growing concern about young people and all workers working alone late at night, it said.
The [image-nocss] pilot phase of this initiative has resulted in virtually every inspection documenting violations and issuing orders, said the agency.
Results so far have reinforced the importance of educating employers and workers in this industry, said Betty Pirs, executive director of srevention services for WorkSafeBC. It is clear that these employers do not have a complete understanding of their legal responsibilities to protect workers who are working alone and/or who may be susceptible to acts of violence in their workplace.
Most of the worksites inspected by WorkSafeBC have fallen short on site-specific procedures needed to address unique situations present at the work location, and found employers relying solely on generic policy and procedures supplied by the oil company head offices. The inspections also found that very little, if any documentation existed to demonstrate that worker instruction, orientation and supervision had been satisfactorily performed to meet the required standards and requirements of occupational health and safety regulations.
Enforcement is only part of this initiative, however. WorkSafeBC safety officers are also working with employers in this sector to increase their understanding and awareness of their responsibilities under the Occupational Health & Safety Regulation and the Workers Compensation Act, and to develop appropriate site-specific procedures.
The preliminary results from these inspections support the finding that an effective system or policy for injury prevention while working alone is only as good as the training, implementation, and followup done by the employer, said Pirs.
The first phase of this compliance is nearing completion. In the second phase, WorkSafeBC safety officers, while continuing to conduct inspections, will also conduct followup inspections and review compliance plans submitted by noncompliant employers.
While the station inspection initiative is an important response to a public concern about worker safety, it's important to note that gas bars are not typically high-risk workplaces. Since 1982, there have been two acts of violence leading to deaths in stations (a gunshot fatality during a robbery in 1990 and the young worker fatality in 2005). Both deaths resulted from criminal activity; however, last year's death of a young worker has been a wakeup call for all employers to ensure that appropriate procedures, training and safety measures are in place to protect workers who work alone, whether late at night or in the daytime or who are at risk of violence in the workplace, WorkSafeBC said.
Click here for more information on the Occupational Health & Safety Regulation and Working Alone and Violence in the Workplace regulations.
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