Adapting our approach to safety education and engagement

Technical Safety BC provides safety and technical training across the province. Our insights from safety officer inspections, incident investigations, and direct feedback from clients helps us identify education opportunities and design courses. Our courses are designed and taught by industry leaders with the most up-to-date knowledge of regulatory codes, safety best practices, and potential hazards.

In 2021, we continued to offer self-paced online courses and online-blended formats to deliver education services to our clients, stakeholders, and the public. We also launched our digital engagement site engage.technicalsafetybc.ca to improve access for clients and stakeholders across the province. We use insights gathered to inform how we design, test, and improve our policies, programs, products, and services. It’s essential that the voices we hear represent our clients, industry, and British Columbians. This includes ensuring everyone has a fair opportunity to participate and that traditionally under-represented and excluded groups also have a voice.

This year we conducted discovery research with building owners, property managers and contractors to understand the value and challenges of obtaining and renewing their electrical operating permits, which is feeding into improvement efforts in 2022.

We began a new phase of engagement with the amusement rides and devices industry to understand how our regulatory framework can best support them in achieving safety within their facilities and for their equipment and devices.

In 2021, Technical Safety BC continued to provide education courses on the 2018 Canadian Electrical Code and the changes to BC’s Acts and Regulations. The course includes interpretations and applications of the code and new definitions and tables.

We also launched the Ammonia Safety Awareness Program, developed by Technical Safety BC and industry partners. This no-cost specialized education and training program is designed to share best practices for maintaining ammonia refrigeration equipment and systems across their lifecycle. The goal is to enable participants to establish formal maintenance and operational programs to identify, document and manage risks, and make informed budgetary decisions and plans to support the safety of the equipment. Throughout 2021, we worked in collaboration with our partners to pilot, launch, and evaluate the program and make ongoing improvements to the content and delivery to ensure it would be accessible and impactful for the industry. In 2021, more than 170 individuals participated in the Ammonia Safety Awareness Program.

From July to mid-September 2021, our carbon monoxide marketing campaign provided safety tips to campers, RV owners, boaters and vacationers who stayed in rental homes. This was followed by a fall campaign, encouraging the importance of testing carbon monoxide alarms and protecting people who could be the most at risk of Carbon monoxide poisoning.

Ammonia education and awareness 

Learn more about how we are improving education, training and awareness of ammonia risks.

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