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The BC ��������ion Safety Alliance (BCCSA) has long counted on its Prime Contractors Technical Advisory Committee (PCTAC) and Fire and Flood Restoration Program Technical Advisory Committee (FFRP TAC) to help identify and address health and safety challenges and priorities at the provincial level.

Launched in 2025, a new BCCSA initiative — Regional Safety Committees (RSCs) — is drilling down to the local level to bring the BCCSA safety message to regional, and often smaller, contractors using local working groups established to identify and address regional safety issues.

RSCs are made up of owners/prime contractors, general contractors, safety professionals, trade-specific employers (such as electrical, gas and plumbing), regional construction organization representatives and WorkSafeBC, who work closely with the BCCSA.

The members’ common goal: to unite each construction community and strengthen health and safety culture by identifying and addressing unique regional safety challenges in a collaborative, non-competitive environment and to improve workplace safety for the entire region.

In June, the Vancouver Island Regional Safety Committee was the first RSC established as part of a broader program that will see at least one additional RSC established in the province this year.

“We’re intending to replicate the successful model demonstrated by the PCTAC and FFRP TAC on a regional scale,” says Erin Linde, director, health and safety services with the BCCSA.

“We believe that local owners, prime contractors and safety professionals are the people best positioned to identify and address safety issues and develop practical solutions that reflect the realities of construction in their region.”

The Vancouver Island RSC has already met numerous times. Now it’s ready to present its first open public meeting, a safety series kickoff event, inviting all Vancouver Island employers and safety professionals to meet in Victoria on Feb. 27.

Hosted by the BCCSA, the event is guided by feedback collected following a survey of Vancouver Island employers and will include the following presentations:

• Safety Sh*t you can use today, a roundup of BCCSA tools and resources;
• Heads Up, Hands Free, an examination of artificial intelligence (AI) in construction safety;
• Friggin’ Riggin’, a look at crane rigging safety; and
• Everyone’s Entitled to My Opinion, a panel offering regional leadership perspectives on safety.

“This event is designed to give employers and workers something they can actually use the next day,” says Elyse Taylor, a BCCSA regional safety advisor for Vancouver Island. “It will help address today’s safety challenges while building a stronger safety culture across Vancouver Island by offering practical tools, local connections, and real conversations in a relaxed environment — all while having a little fun.”

All those who attend the event will be eligible to receive 1.5 Continuing Professional Development Points, as approved by BC Housing Licensing and Consumer Services.

The Vancouver Island Regional Safety Committee event is scheduled for Friday, February 27^th at the Hotel Grand Pacific (Vancouver Island Ballroom), 463 Belleville St. #3, Victoria, BC. To register at no cost, please follow this .

This content is an Industry Special by BCCSA in collaboration with ��������Connect™ Media.