BC Corrections has informed us that OC spray (pepper spray) will be issued to living unit officers at all six maximum security jails in B.C. The announcement follows a WCB inspection of the North Fraser Pretrial Centre (NFPC) in April. Health and safety violations were found at NFPC and nine orders were written by WCB officers, including one that says OC spray must be provided to all living unit officers at the NFPC. The WCB officers concluded that the current policy of not providing OC spray to officers working on the living units fails to minimize the risk to officers from inmate violence.

B.C.’s maximum security prisons include: NFPC, Fraser Regional Correctional Centre, Surrey Pretrial Services Centre, Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre, Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre, and the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre.

Background
BCGEU staff representatives and members from the Component 1 executive initiated meetings with WCB representatives to discuss increasing violence inside B.C.’s nine provincial jails. These meetings led to the comprehensive health and safety inspections of all provincially operated prisons. The inspections are similar to other enforcement strategies the WCB has implemented in other high risk working environments such as construction and the forest sector

WCB wants to hear from as many Corrections Officers as possible and encourage all staff to speak to them about the realities that officers face. It is crucial that CO’s who meet with the WCB inspectors provide detailed, specific examples of violations and unsafe working conditions. This was very beneficial during the NFPC inspection and resulted in exposing a number of safety violations.

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.

The remaining five correctional centres will be inspected in the next few months. 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