Physical Hazards

Wood dusts have been designated as confirmed human carcinogens by WorkSafeBC and other jurisdictions. Depending on the type of wood processed, airborne concentration, duration of exposure, extent of respiratory protection and individual susceptibility, wood dusts can cause a variety of health effects ranging from nasal cancer, asthma, to skin irritation. Wood dusts may also cause fire safety concern and tripping hazards.

This Exposure Control Plan is designed to minimize employee, student, contractor, and visitor exposure to wood dust, to eliminate fire hazards due to the accumulation of wood dust, and to ensure compliance with applicable WorkSafeBC regulations.

This Exposure Control Plan applies to any areas or tasks at BCIT where there is the potential for the generation or accumulation of wood dust. The Control Plan outlines the measures to prevent exposures to wood dust on campus. The appendices to this document describe the processes that are taken and schedules that are followed in order to minimize exposures to wood dust in each of the buildings at BCIT where wood dust would be generated or accumulated.

• Wood Dust Exposure Control Plan [PDF]
• Appendix A – Planned Maintenance [PDF]
• Appendix B – Carpentry [PDF]
• Appendix C – Joinery [PDF]

The Radiation Safety Committee together with the Radiation Safety Officer are committed to providing a safe working environment for staff , students and visitors on all BCIT campuses employing ionizing or non-ionizing radiation sources. As part of the Health, Safety and Environment division, this group provides training, advice and emergency response to the BCIT community.

The purpose of this committee is to promote, maintain and audit safe working practices using radiation sources within the framework of the Canadian national regulatory bodies.

Radiation Safety Manual [PDF]

Noise is a common physical hazard at BCIT. Early hearing impairment usually starts at high frequencies and may initially be unperceivable. Over time, if noise is too loud, it can cause permanent hearing loss.

The BCIT Hearing Conservation Program has been developed to minimize employee, student, contractor, and visitor exposure to hazardous sound levels and ensures compliance with WorkSafeBC regulations.

Hearing conservation is made up of three elements:

1. Noise Control – Where possible, engineering controls must be instituted to reduce or eliminate the noise. This may include installation of vibration mounts and barriers, or redesign of some processes. Specifying noise levels of new equipment encourages manufacturers to produce quieter models.
2. Hearing Protection – When noise cannot be eliminated, personal hearing protection is required. Both earmuffs and earplugs are good protectors and the employee should have a choice to get a good fit. Hearing protection must be maintained in good condition.
3. Industrial Audiometry – Annual tests provide a monitor of hearing conservation effectiveness and act as a strong personal motivator for worker understanding about her/his hearing and to protect it properly.

The program requires that all employees, instructors, entry level and apprentice trade students who are exposed to noise in the workplace must be hearing tested annually. Workers and students who are exposed to noise levels exceeding 85 dBA must wear hearing protection devices.

The BCIT Burnaby Campus has an ‘in house’ audiometric testing facility and a WorkSafeBC certified Industrial Audiometric Technician (IAT) onsite. The primary responsibility of the IAT is to schedule and process hearing tests for noise exposed workers on campus. Audiometric testing is also offered to employees who have medical, trauma or age related hearing loss. In addition, employees who are interested in having a hearing test done as part of a routine physical or general auditory acuity monitoring are welcome to make use of this service.

Information for audiometric tests on Burnaby campus is as follows:

• Audiometric Office: NE16–127
• Operating Hours: 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. (by appointment)
• Industrial Audiometric Technician: 604-432-8712

Procedures have also been developed for Satellite campuses to arrange annual hearing tests for their employees and students through private contract companies.

Education is a priority. The following means are used to inform staff and students about noise levels, hazards to hearing and ways to prevent hearing loss:

• Entry Level (ELTT) – a one hour in class education session
• 1st year Apprentices – WCB Hearing Video (20 minutes)
• 2nd–4th year Apprentices – WorkSafeBC pamphlets
• OH&S students – hands on audio lab/practicum (2 hours)
• Nursing students – hands on audio lab/practicum (2 hours)
• BCIT Instructors – class information session and WorkSafeBC video
• BCIT Employees – information sessions, updates and personal counselling
• BCIT General Public – health & safety fairs and q&a sessions with the IAT

This program can be used as a means for education. It also provides a general guideline for departments to develop their activity specific hearing protection plans.

• Hearing Conservation Program [PDF]