Would you like a chance to give your feedback on the proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR)? Employers, workers, stakeholders, and all interested parties are invited to attend our upcoming public hearings in May and June of 2011. This annual activity is part of our regulatory development process.

Before making regulations, the Workers Compensation Act (the Act) requires us to:

·       give notice of the proposed regulations
·       hold at least one public hearing
·       conduct additional consultations with stakeholder representatives at our discretion

“We far exceed the legal requirements set out in the Act, because we want to ensure there is transparency and ample opportunity for stakeholder feedback,” says Anne Burch, Director, Prevention Policy and Regulation Review.

Engaging stakeholders is important to WorkSafeBC.  First, pre-consultation sessions are held with select subject matter experts from the worker and employer communities. Then, a broad, province-wide stakeholder consultation is held over the course of a few months.

The consultation period for the 2011 proposed amendments ended on December 10, 2010. Based on the feedback received from stakeholders, some of the proposed amendments were revised.

Now that the consultation period is done, WorkSafeBC will hold five public hearings throughout the province to give stakeholders another opportunity to comment on the proposed amendments. The hearings will be held in the following cities:

·       Prince George on May 3
·       Cranbrook on May 10
·       Richmond on May 12
·       Kelowna on May 31
·       Victoria on June 2

Anyone can participate in the public hearings. You can attend and speak at the public hearings or provide feedback through written submissions. You are also welcome to observe the hearings without participating.

All of the feedback received during the public hearing process is recorded and provided to our Board of Directors (BOD). The BOD then makes the final decision on each of the proposed regulation changes.

For a description about the proposed amendments and details about the public hearings, please click here.