An article submitted by Andrew Mercier published by The Burnaby Now, and picked up by
The New West Record,
with the for-mentioned
'cowboy' headline
provides a very grim and frightening picture of the status of COVID-19 protection measures being practiced on residential construction sites, alludes this sector cannot regulate itself, and therefore requires strict oversight from WorkSafeBC.
From the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, HAVAN has consistently communicated to members and advocated to industry that the opportunity to continue working through this crisis has been, and continues to be a
privilege,
and that it is incumbent on all members, and the industry to conduct themselves, and their operations, in strict accordance with the
Provincial Guidelines and Standards
.
HAVAN has provided every opportunity for members to have access to information and resources issued by the province, construction safety agencies like
BCCSA
, and insight into what other members are doing through our dedicated
COVID-19 Resource Page
on our web site. These resources are free of charge and include a
2 hour site safety webinar
, and access to free templates/artwork to meet
signage requirements
.
We applaud the province for having designated the construction sector as an essential service vital to our economy, and there are no excuses or reasons why work sites cannot meet the Provincial guidelines in order to be allowed to keep working, and first and foremost to keep work forces
SAFE.
The Mercier article provides mostly anecdotal but scary accounts of poor sanitation, inadequate wash stations, lack of signage, and no respect to social distancing. The descriptions of sanitary facilities would not be acceptable under any circumstances, let alone during COVID-19.
One can only hope readers will find it hard to believe the entire industry is conducting themselves in this sort disrespectful and unacceptable manner, however, while there maybe a few bad actors out there, it is these substandard actions and conditions that attract attention and media response.
Are cowboys the image this sector wishes to project and be judged on? Do we really want WorkSafeBC all over construction sites, issuing orders to meet the proscribed guidelines that are either being ignored, or so backhandedly applied as to become a potentially life-threatening situation?
HAVAN urges members, as we have repeatedly done throughout this crisis, to embrace a culture of safety, not only in regard to COVID-19, but site safety in general for benefit of all –
Safety Is Everyone's Business
. Our member companies and their management need to adopt a leadership role in these matters before you wind up being regulated, policed into compliance, with the potential of jeopardizing the entire industry.
Thank you for your attention.
