Prevention Services data for COVID-19
The following statistics provide a record of our efforts to help workers and employers effectively manage the risk of COVID-19 and communicable disease in the workplace. The following information reflects our prevention activities from the start of the pandemic to February 28, 2022.
Prevention Information Line enquiries
Our Prevention Information Line is often our first point of contact for workers and employers enquiring about health and safety in the workplace. Prevention Information Line staff will either resolve the enquiry directly or triage to prevention officers for response as needed.
COVID-related enquiries
Questions | 35,027 |
Reports of potential violations | 9,373 |
Reports of workplace incidents* | 5 |
Total | 44,405 |
* The number of reports of workplace incidents has been restated from previous updates due to a change in coding. “Reports of workplace incidents” now only includes serious workplace injuries, fatalities, or issues such as equipment failure with the potential to cause injury or death.
Consultations
Consultations, either virtual or in person, are a key method for helping employers create safe and healthy workplaces. They provide an opportunity for a WorkSafeBC representative to share information and guidance specific to the needs of the employer.
COVID-related consultations
Construction (e.g. commercial and residential construction, roofing, and mechanical installation) | 512 |
Manufacturing (e.g. meat processing, breweries, sawmills, and pharmaceuticals) | 319 |
Primary Resources (e.g. forestry, oil and gas, fishing, and agriculture) | 297 |
Public Sector (e.g. government and law enforcement) | 140 |
Service Sector (e.g. hotels, restaurants, gyms, hospitals, schools, real estate, hair salons, performing arts, and motion picture) | 2,877 |
Trade (e.g. retail and wholesale operations, supermarkets, and service stations) | 705 |
Transportation and Warehousing (e.g. taxis and ride hailing, movers, transit, ferries, recycling depots, warehouses) | 227 |
Total | 5,077 |
Workers or employers who would like to request a consultation can call WorkSafeBC’s Prevention Information Line, toll-free, at 1.888.621.7233.
Worksite inspections
Worksite inspections are an important part of ensuring health and safety in B.C. workplaces, including verifying that employers are meeting their obligations to manage the risk of COVID-19 and communicable disease transmission in their workplaces. Prevention officers may call or visit unannounced.
COVID-related inspections
Construction (e.g. commercial and residential construction, roofing, and mechanical installation) | 6,414 |
Manufacturing (e.g. meat processing, breweries, sawmills, and pharmaceuticals) | 2,996 |
Primary Resources (e.g. forestry, oil and gas, fishing, and agriculture) | 1,840 |
Public Sector (e.g. government and law enforcement) | 364 |
Service Sector (e.g. hotels, restaurants, gyms, hospitals, schools, real estate, hair salons, performing arts, and motion picture) | 10,285 |
Trade (e.g. retail and wholesale operations, supermarkets, and service stations) | 5,441 |
Transportation and Warehousing (e.g. taxis and ride hailing, movers, transit, ferries, recycling depots, warehouses) | 696 |
28,036 |
Orders issued
Where a prevention officer observes a health and safety violation, the officer will ordinarily issue an order to the responsible workplace party. Orders are issued as a result of an inspection or can be part of follow-up activity.
COVID-related orders
Construction (e.g. commercial and residential construction, roofing, and mechanical installation) | 985 |
Manufacturing (e.g. meat processing, breweries, sawmills, and pharmaceuticals) | 556 |
Primary Resources (e.g. forestry, oil and gas, fishing, and agriculture) | 185 |
Public Sector (e.g. government and law enforcement) | 25 |
Service Sector (e.g. hotels, restaurants, gyms, hospitals, schools, real estate, hair salons, performing arts, and motion picture) | 1,146 |
Trade (e.g. retail and wholesale operations, supermarkets, and service stations) | 686 |
Transportation and Warehousing (e.g. taxis and ride hailing, movers, transit, ferries, recycling depots, warehouses) | 118 |
Total | 3,701 |
Social media enquiries
To help workers and employers understand their rights and responsibilities regarding COVID-19 and communicable disease and the workplace, we use our social media channels to actively promote information and resources. The questions we receive are triaged in a similar way as our Prevention Information Line.
COVID-related social media enquiries
Social media platform | COVID-related enquiries |
---|---|
450 | |
376 | |
99 | |
Total | 925 |
Website activity
To support workers and employers in reducing the risk of workplace transmission of COVID-19 and communicable disease, WorkSafeBC has been sharing health and safety information and resources on its website throughout the pandemic.
COVID-related website page views
Web content | Page views |
---|---|
COVID-19 health and safety web pages | 4,641,905 |
COVID-19 resources | 1,719,174 |
Total | 6,642,357 |