Here are some general Occupational Health and Safety Resources applicable to crane operations in BC. Find more specific resources to support safety on your worksite on our Industry Resources page.

BC Occupational Health and Safety Law

BC Workers Compensation Act – OHS Provisions

Parts of the Workers Compensation Act related to Occupational Health and Safety address matters such as the rights and responsibilities of people at workplaces, joint committees and worker representatives, protection against OHS-Related prohibited actions, accident reporting, investigations, enforcement, offences, administrative procedures, and regulation-making authority.

The full Act also describes how the workers compensation system is applied in BC, including back-to-work provisions. Here is one essential part that all workers and employers need to know and understand:

Part2: Division 4 – General Duties of Employers, Workers and Others

BC Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR)

The OHSR contains legal requirements that must be met by all workplaces under the inspectional jurisdiction of WorkSafeBC. Many parts of the OHSR have associated guidelines, which are used to help interpret and apply the OHSR. Other policies and practices of WorkSafeBC are set out in the Prevention Manual.

The purpose of the OHSR is to promote occupational health and safety and to protect workers and other people at workplaces from work-related risks to their health, safety, and well-being. Compliance with the requirements provides the basis for workers and employers to solve workplace health and safety problems co-operatively.

Here are the main parts of the OHSR that apply to crane operations:

Part 3 – Rights and Responsibilities

Part 13 – Ladders, Scaffolds and Temporary Work Platforms

Part 14 – Cranes and Hoists

Part 15 – Rigging

Part 16 – Mobile Equipment

Part 19 – Electrical Safety

WorkSafeBC

WorkSafeBC is committed to creating a province free from workplace injury or illness, and to providing service driven by core values of integrity, accountability, and innovation. By partnering with workers and employers, WorkSafeBC helps British Columbians come home from work safe every day.

WorkSafeBC provides a wide variety of resources and statistics on their website. WorkSafeBC’s dedicated Crane Team works closely with BC Crane Safety to develop resources and promote safe crane operations through initiatives such as the “Level Up” program and inspection protocols.

Find more WorkSafeBC resources on our page.

Communicable Disease Prevention

On June 17 2021, the provincial health officer issued a statement for employers on transitioning from a COVID-19 Safety Plan to communicable disease prevention.

The statement recommends that employers maintain some existing COVID-19 protocols that do not negatively impact business operations. Examples of these protocols may include barriers already erected in the workplace or directional signage to reduce points of congestion. This will allow for a transitional period and progression from COVID-19 Safety Plans to communicable disease prevention.

Get the latest news on preventing communicable disease at your worksite through WorkSafeBC’s Restart page.

Here are some other useful resources for information about COVID-19:

BC Centre for Disease Control – COVID-19 Resources
Information about COVID-19, how to protect yourself, your family and your community and what to do if you suspect you have the virus.

BC COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool
This online tool will help you determine whether you may need further assessment or testing for COVID-19.

BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA)’s Health Screening Tool
This downloadable form helps worksites set up onsite programs to ask workers to answer screening questions before work starts.

BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) Communicable Diseases Resources and Signage
This website offers additional information related to preventing the spread of communicable disease including downloadable signage, bulletins and work practices for construction sites.

COVID-19 – Standardized Protocols for All Canadian Construction Sites

The Canadian Construction Association published this guide to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 on construction sites.

Engineers and Geoscientists BC Guidelines

The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation requires employers to ensure that a professional engineer provides annual certification that the following types of equipment are safe for use:

• Vehicle-mounted elevating work platforms
• Self-propelled boom-supported elevating work platforms
• Mobile cranes
• Aerial firefighting devices

The OHS Regulation states that inspections of these types of equipment must be in accordance with “good engineering practice.”

To clarify what “good engineering practice” means, Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC) has released a helpful resource, Certification of Annual Equipment Inspections In BC – Professional Practice Guideline.