Published on: May 12, 2020

It is with great sadness that we announce that Ralph McGinn, WorkSafeBC’s Board Chair, passed away suddenly on May 11. This is shocking and saddening for all of us who knew him. He was respected and valued both personally and professionally, and will be greatly missed.

Mr. McGinn had a long history of dedication to WorkSafeBC and to this province. He served as president and CEO of the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia (now WorkSafeBC) from 1998 to 2003. Prior to that, he was vice president of Prevention Services and was responsible for overseeing the revision of B.C.'s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulations, which came into effect in 1998.

Mr. McGinn also contributed to a wide range of policy and regulatory development for mining safety, health, and environmental protection, in Australia, South America, and Africa. As a professional engineer, he had senior roles with the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, including chief inspector of mines from 1988 to 1993.

His contributions to WorkSafeBC were significant, and we honour his legacy to our organization and the communities we serve.

Thank you,

Anne Naser
President and CEO, WorkSafeBC