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Policy decisions finalized at the July, 2007 WorkSafeBC Board of Directors meetings
The following resolutions were finalized by WorkSafeBC's Board of Directors in January 2007. For information about the function and mandate of the Board of Directors, please see Governing Structure.
- Coverage for Volunteer Firefighters
- Miscellaneous Policy Amendments – Claims Management Solutions (“CMS”) System
- Preventive Measures Following Infectious Agent or Disease Exposures
- The Classification System and Assessment Rates
- Cost Relief
Coverage for Volunteer Firefighters
On July 17, 2007, the Board of Directors approved changes to policy item #7.10 in the Rehabilitation Services and Claims Manual, Volume II (“RS&CM”) to provide clarification on coverage during a volunteer firefighter's participation in training sessions which have a strong practice component; and during travel in cases of emergency. The policy changes also recognize the expanded scope of a volunteer firefighter’s duties to include emergency response and public relations activities and replace references to “fire brigade” and “siren” with updated language. These amendments come into effect on October 1, 2007 and apply to all injuries on or after that date.
For further information on this issue, please contact Susan Hynes at 604 276-5160.
You may also examine the complete resolution and amendments (PDF 45kb).
Miscellaneous Policy Amendments – Claims Management Solutions (“CMS”) System
On July 17, 2007, the Board of Directors approved changes to various policies in the Rehabilitation Services and Claims Manual, Volume II (“RS&CM”) to facilitate implementation of the CMS system and to improve the administrative efficiency of the new system. The key changes include the payment of clothing allowances and the cost of living adjustments on January 1st of each year rather than on July 1st of each year, deletion of the reference to computer errors as an example of an administrative error and deletion of the terms memo and memorandum in policy. These amendments come into effect on October 1, 2007.
For further information on this issue, please contact Susan Hynes at 604 276-5160.
You may also examine the complete resolution and amendments (PDF 111kb).
Preventive Measures Following Infectious Agent or Disease Exposures
On July 17, 2007, the Board of Directors approved the deletion of Rehabilitation Services and Claims Manual, Volume II (“RS&CM”) policy item #32.60: Preventive Measures, and the addition of new RS&CM policy item #13.40, Infectious Agent or Disease Exposures. These amendments expand the circumstances in which workers may be entitled to compensation following infectious agent or disease exposures. These amendments come into effect on October 1, 2007, and apply to all infectious agent or disease exposures on or after that date.
For further information on this issue, please contact Renee Teleske at 604 276-5160.
You may also examine the complete resolution and amendments (PDF 53kb).
The Classification System and Assessment Rates
The Board of Directors has approved amendments to WorkSafeBC's policies pertaining to the classification system and assessment rates, as provided in Assessment Manual items AP1-37-1 The Classification System and AP1-39-1 Assessment Rates . AP1-37-1 and AP1-39-1 were amended to move the c urrent references to rate setting in the classification policy to the assessment rate policy and to clarify the application of the Workers Compensation Act to the rate making system for decisions on cost relief.
The amended policy comes into effect on October 1, 2007.
For further information on this issue, please contact Lori Guiton at 604 276-5160.
You may also examine the complete resolution and policy amendments (PDF110kb).
Cost Relief
At its meeting on July 17, 2007, the Board of Directors (“BOD”) approved amendments to policy items #114.40, #114.41, 114.43, and #114.50 in Volume I
of the Rehabilitation Services and Claims Manual (“ RS&CM ”). The amendments
direct decision-makers to use policy in Volume II of the RS&CM for all initial
section 39(1)(e) cost relief decisions made on or after August 1, 2007, regardless
of the date of the compensable injury.
You may also examine the complete resolution (PDF 37kb). For further information on this issue, please contact Christina Stephen at 604 276-5160.