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Policy decisions finalized at the October 2004 WCB Board of Directors meetings
The following resolutions were finalized by the WCB Board of Directors in October 2004. For information about the function and mandate of the Board of Directors, please see Governing Structure.
- Amount and Duration of Noise Exposure Required by Section 7
- Obligations of Owners in Multiple Owner Situations
Amount and Duration of Noise Exposure Required by Section 7
At the October 26, 2004 meeting, the Board of Directors approved minor amendments to policy item #31.20, Amount and Duration of Noise Exposure Required by Section 7, of Volume II of the Rehabilitation Services & Claims Manual, to update and clarify the policy, and to remove an ambiguity regarding the jurisdictional requirement for the minimum occupational noise exposure duration threshold. The policy change is effective December 1, 2004, and applies to all decisions made on or after that date.
You may examine the complete resolution.
For further information on this issue, please contact Kristin Helgason at (604) 276-5160.
Obligations of Owners in Multiple Owner Situations
At its meeting on October 26, 2004, the Board of Directors approved amendments to policies in the Prevention Manual dealing with the responsibilities and accountability of owners in multiple owner situations. The key changes include:
- Amendments to Item D3-119-1 (General Duties - Owners) to:
- expressly recognize that more than one person may simultaneously qualify as an owner of a particular workplace,
- clarify that all owners are responsible for fulfilling the occupational health and safety duties in respect of a particular workplace unless the "limited exemption" under section 124 of the Workers Compensation Act ("Act") applies,
- clarify that more than one owner may be held responsible for the same regulatory violation in a multiple owner situation, and
- clarify that WCB officers will apply the factors listed in the Owners Policy (which are rephrased in a more directive manner) to decide which owner(s) should be held responsible for a particular regulatory violation.
- Amendments to Item D3-123/124-1 (General Duties - Overlapping Obligations)
to clarify that.
- the "limited exemption" under section 124 of the Act will only apply if the Workers' Compensation Board determines that the three stated requirements have been satisfied, and
- any agreement between two or more persons regarding who will comply with their shared obligations, will only relate to the first of these requirements.
The policy amendments take effect on December 1, 2004 and apply to all situations in which an owner has responsibilities under section 119 of the Act on or after December 1, 2004.
You may also examine the complete resolution.
For further information on this issue, please contact Karen Lindsay at (604) 276-5160.