Alert First Aid

BC Legislation

British Columbia - Colombie-Britannique
Fire Safety – Securite incendi
This material has been extracted from the Acts and Regulations of the Province to help students understand the subject. It is not an official source of information and must not be used for any other purpose.
The following is © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Copyright Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia
Richmond, B.C., Canada. All rights reserved.
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation

4.13 Risk assessment
(1) The employer must conduct a risk assessment in any workplace in which a need to rescue or evacuate workers may arise.
(2) If the risk assessment required by subsection (1) shows a need for evacuation or rescue, appropriate written procedures must be developed and implemented, and a worker assigned to coordinate their implementation.
(3) Written rescue and evacuation procedures are required for but not limited to
(a) work at high angles,
(b) work in confined spaces or where there is a risk of entrapment,
(c) work with hazardous substances,
(d) underground work,
(e) work on or over water, and
(f) workplaces where there are persons who require physical assistance to be moved.
4.14 Emergency procedures
(1) Emergency means of escape must be provided from any work area in which the malfunctioning of equipment or a work process could create an immediate danger to workers and the regular means of exit could become dangerous or unusable.
(2) Emergency exit routes must be designed and marked to provide quick and unimpeded exit.
(3) At least once each year emergency drills must be held to ensure awareness and effectiveness of emergency exit routes and procedures, and a record of the drills must be kept.
4.15 Maintenance of equipment
Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 312/2003, effective October 29, 2003.]
4.16 Training
(1) All workers must be given adequate instruction in the fire prevention and emergency evacuation procedures applicable to their workplace.
(2) Workers assigned to firefighting duties in their workplace must be given adequate training, by a qualified instructor, in fire suppression methods, fire prevention, emergency procedures, organization and chain of command, firefighting crew safety and communications applicable to their workplace.
(3) Retraining for firefighting duties must be provided periodically, but not less than once a year.
(4) A worker not covered by Part 31 (Firefighting), who is assigned to firefighting duties, must be physically capable of performing the assigned duties safely and effectively before being permitted to do them.
4.17 Notification of fire departments
(1) An employer having at a workplace controlled products covered by WHMIS, explosives, pesticides, radioactive material, consumer products or hazardous wastes in quantities which may endanger firefighters, must ensure the local fire department is notified of the nature and location of the hazardous materials or substances and methods to be used in their safe handling.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a workplace
(a) where materials are kept on site for less than 15 days if the employer ensures an alternative effective means for notification of fire departments is in place in the event of fire or other emergency, or
(b) which is not within the service area of a fire department.
4.18 Notification of utilities
An employer whose work activities result in a hit or damage to a pipeline, buried electrical cable or other such utility must notify the owner of the utility without delay.