This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.

WorkSafeBC

banner image

Prevention Line

1 888 621-SAFE (7233)
Fax: 604 276-3247

The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation contains legal requirements that must be met by all workplaces under the inspection jurisdiction of WorkSafeBC. Many sections of the Regulation have associated guidelines and policies.

OHS Regulation & Related Materials

 
Search for: in

Safety Spotlight

Regulation cd cover
OHS Regulation CD
Download for free
Order CD

Updates & Decisions

Regulatory Amendments

New amendments now in effect

Guideline Updates

February 1, 2008

WCB Standards Update

February 1, 2008
 
About the Regulation About the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
The OHS Regulation contains legal requirements that must be met by all workplaces under the inspectional jurisdiction of the WCB. This includes most workplaces in B.C., except mines and federally chartered workplaces such as banks, interprovincial and international transportation, telephone systems, and radio, television, and cable services.

The purpose of the OHS Regulation is to promote occupational health and safety and to protect workers and other persons present at workplaces from work-related risks to their health, safety, and well-being.

The OHS Regulation is divided into 32 Parts.

Parts 1 - 4: Core Requirements apply to all workplaces

Parts 5-19: General Hazard Requirements deal with general hazards found in a number of workplaces. Topics include the safe use of chemicals, confined space entry, guarding of machinery and the use of mobile equipment. In many workplaces, including office environments, only a small portion of these requirements may apply.

Parts 20-32: Industry/Activity Specific Requirements deal with requirements for specific industries -- such as forestry, oil and gas, and construction - or to specific hazardous activities -- such as blasting and diving.

Note: The requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation are adopted under the authority of the Workers Compensation Act as amended from time to time.

Many parts of the OHS Regulation have associated guidelines, which are used to help interpret and apply the OHS Regulation. Other policies and practices of the Workers' Compensation Board are set out in Prevention Policies (Prevention Manual).

Regulation Parts

  1. Definitions
  2. Application
  3. Rights and Responsibilities
  4. General Conditions
  5. Chemical Agents and Biological Agents
  6. Substance Specific Requirements
  7. Noise, Vibration, Radiation and Temperature
  8. Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment
  9. Confined Spaces
  10. De-energization and Lockout
  11. Fall Protection
  12. Tools, Machinery and Equipment
  13. Ladders, Scaffolds and Temporary Work Platforms
  14. Cranes and Hoists
  15. Rigging
  16. Mobile Equipment
Printing the Regulation Printing the Regulation

Use your browser print option to print Regulation files. If you wish to compile different parts of the Regulation use the Personalized Regulation feature to compile the parts before you print.

 

  1. Transportation of Workers
  2. Traffic Control
  3. Electrical Safety
  4. Construction, Excavation and Demolition
  5. Blasting Operations
  6. Underground Workings
  7. Oil and Gas
  8. Diving, Fishing and Other Marine Operations
  9. Camps
  10. Forestry Operations
  11. Wood Products Manufacturing
  12. Agriculture
  13. Aircraft Operations
  14. Laboratories
  15. Firefighting
  16. Evacuation and Rescue
About the Acts About the Workers Compensation Act (B.C.) Excerpts and Summaries

The Workers Compensation Act (WCA) describes the jurisdiction of the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia (the Board) and its authority to make regulations, inspect workplaces, issue orders and impose penalties. The WCA also explains the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers with respect to health and safety. More

About the Hazardous Products Act (Canada) Summaries

Applies to persons who deal with WHMIS-controlled products in the workplace or who supply these products. More

Acts

About Prevention Policies About Prevention Policies

Section 82 of the Workers Compensation Act provides that the Board of Directors of the Workers' Compensation Board must set and revise as necessary the policies of the Board of Directors, including policies respecting compensation, assessment, rehabilitation and occupational safety and health (or prevention).

This Prevention Manual sets out the policies and practices that relate to the Board's Prevention mandate. It is used by Board staff in carrying out their responsibilities under the Workers Compensation Act.

This web site contains the Prevention policies and is updated as new policy is developed and approved.

Regulation Policies

  1. No Policies - Definitions
  2. Application
  3. Rights and Responsibilities
  4. General Conditions
  5. Chemical Agents and Biological Agents
  6. No Policies - Substance Specific Requirements
  7. No Policies - Noise, Vibration, Radiation and Temperature
  8. Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment
  9. No Policies - Confined Spaces
  10. De-energization and Lockout
  11. No Policies - Fall Protection
  12. Tools, Machinery and Equipment
  13. Ladders, Scaffolds and Temporary Work Platforms
  14. Cranes and Hoists
  15. No Policies - Rigging
  16. Mobile Equipment
Printing Prevention Policies Printing Prevention Policies

Use your browser print option to print policy files. You can use Personalized Regulation feature to compile policies before you print. Prevention policies are also published in the Prevention Manual (PDF 1.5MB).

 

  1. Transportation of Workers
  2. No Policies - Traffic Control
  3. Electrical Safety
  4. Construction, Excavation and Demolition
  5. No Policies - Blasting Operations
  6. No Policies - Underground Workings
  7. No Policies - Oil and Gas
  8. Diving, Fishing and Other Marine Operations
  9. No Policies - Camps
  10. Forestry Operations
  11. No Policies - Wood Products Manufacturing
  12. No Polices - Agriculture
  13. No Policies - Aircraft Operations
  14. Laboratories
  15. Firefighting
  16. No Policies - Evacuation and Rescue

Act Policies

About Guidelines About the Guidelines

Many sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and Workers Compensation Act (WCA) have associated guidelines. Guidelines are intended to assist with providing ways of complying with the legislation, not to provide exclusive interpretations. Guidelines generally provide information on administrative matters and on technical matters not already addressed by policy or regulation.

Periodically, guidelines are updated and new ones added. There are links within Parts of the OHS Regulation and the WCA to the associated guidelines. If you want more information on how the guidelines are numbered, read "About the OHS Guideline Numbering" [PDF 14 KB].

More background information on policies and guidelines, and on the hierarchy of authority among the WCA, OHS Regulation, policies, and guidelines, is available in "About Prevention Policy and the OHS Guidelines" [PDF 15 KB].

OHS Guidelines

  1. Definitions
  2. Application
  3. Rights and Responsibilities
  4. General Conditions
  5. Chemical Agents and Biological Agents
  6. Substance Specific Requirements
  7. Noise, Vibration, Radiation and Temperature
  8. Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment
  9. Confined Spaces
  10. De-energization and Lockout
  11. Fall Protection
  12. Tools, Machinery and Equipment
  13. Ladders, Scaffolds and Temporary Work Platforms
  14. Cranes and Hoists
  15. Rigging
  16. Mobile Equipment
Printing OHS Guidelines Printing OHS Guidelines

Use your browser print option to print OHS Guidelines. You can use the Personalized Regulation feature to compile guidelines before you print.

 

  1. Transportation of Workers
  2. Traffic Control
  3. Electrical Safety
  4. Construction, Excavation and Demolition
  5. Blasting Operations
  6. No Guidelines - Underground Workings
  7. Oil and Gas
  8. Diving, Fishing and Other Marine Operations
  9. No Guidelines - Camps
  10. Forestry Operations
  11. No Guidelines - Wood Products Manufacturing
  12. Agriculture
  13. Aircraft Operations
  14. Laboratories
  15. Firefighting
  16. No Guidelines - Evacuation and Rescue

Act Guidelines