WorkSafeBC hazard assessment requirements
Under the BC Workers Compensation Act and Part 3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, employers must identify and assess workplace hazards before work begins. For construction sites, this means:
- Hazard identification before each task or at the start of each work period
- Assessment of identified hazards for risk level
- Implementation of controls to eliminate or minimise risk
- Worker involvement in the hazard assessment process
- Documentation that the assessment occurred
The Field Level Hazard Assessment is the standard mechanism for satisfying this requirement at the individual worker level in BC construction.
BCCSA COR requirements for FLHAs
The BC Construction Safety Alliance administers COR certification and conducts external audits of construction company safety management systems. For the hazard identification and assessment element, auditors look for:
- A documented FLHA process that is actually being followed in the field
- Individual worker participation — not supervisor-completed forms
- Records demonstrating consistent daily completion across the workforce
- FLHAs that address specific site conditions and tasks — not generic checklists
- Supervisor review and confirmation of submitted assessments
BCCSA auditors interview workers on site as part of every external audit. They ask workers to describe the FLHA process, what hazards they typically identify, and how the form is submitted. Workers who can't describe the process — or who describe completing it after work starts — are a significant audit red flag.
What makes a BC-compliant FLHA
To satisfy both WorkSafeBC regulations and BCCSA COR requirements, an FLHA in BC should include:
- Worker name (individual, not crew-level)
- Individual worker signature
- Date and time (before work starts)
- Job site location
- Tasks to be performed
- Specific hazards relevant to those tasks
- Controls identified and implemented
- PPE worn
- Supervisor acknowledgment
A digital FLHA that captures GPS coordinates at submission additionally proves site presence — something no paper form can provide.
Record retention in BC
WorkSafeBC requires that safety records be maintained for a period following the work. For COR audit purposes, BCCSA may request records going back 12 months during an external audit. Maintaining digital records in a searchable, exportable system ensures you can meet any retrieval request immediately.