Yesterday BCGEU staff representatives and members from the Component 1 executive met with Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) representatives to discuss the ongoing inspections of provincial correctional centres.

A senior WCB manager and the three WCB inspectors who are conducting the inspections were on hand. The meeting was an opportunity to get firsthand information on the inspection process and to provide feedback to the inspectors.

So far two prisons have been inspected. Inspectors found health and safety violations at both prisons and wrote 19 orders (11 at FRCC, 8 at Surrey Pretrial). These are thorough, multi-day inspections, carried out by experienced WCB inspectors. This province-wide enforcement strategy came about because of concerted lobbying by the BCGEU.

At the meeting your union raised concerns around:

• the direct supervision model and officer/inmate ratios as risk factors in the violence prevention risk assessments
• single Corrections Officer hospital escorts
• OC spray as personal protection equipment
• egress routes
• the formation of a tripartite committee (the union, the employer, the WCB) to examine health and safety issues in corrections.

At the meeting, the WCB reiterated that the current inspections are looking for compliance with safety regulations. The WCB has no legislated authority to address staffing levels.  Staffing levels, double bunking, and the direct supervision model can be considered when conducting risk assessments for workplace violence.

The WCB inspectors are conducting a detailed examination of OH&S documents at each correctional centre. They are also meeting with Corrections Officers at each facility.

The WCB inspectors reiterated the importance of specific examples in order to confirm non-compliance of regulations. Specific examples allow the WCB to direct the employer to take specific actions to be in compliance of regulations. It is crucial that CO’s who meet with the WCB inspectors, provide detailed, specific examples of violations and unsafe working conditions.

The remaining seven correctional centres will be inspected in the next few months. The next inspection could occur as early as next week. The BCGEU will be notified in advance and we will keep you informed.

Dean Purdy- Component 1 Chair
Tony Tessari Component 1st Vice Chair & Local 105 Chair
Brian Campbell Component 2nd Vice Chair & Local 103 Chair
Sheila Moir-Staff Representative OHS
Wiho Papenbrock–Staff Representative