Heat warnings blanket Metro Vancouver as temperatures climb to mid-30s

Environment Canada has issued heat and air-quality warnings for parts of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, with temperatures expected to climb to the mid-30s Celsius. But workplace protections aren't keeping pace, advocates say.

WorkSafeBC requires employers to conduct workplace-specific risk assessments and develop safety plans, but the rules are too vague, said Brynn Bourke, executive director at the B.C. Building Trades Council. "What we think is needed is more than just that general obligation," Bourke said. "Give real clarity to the industry on what they should be doing."

The council has been advocating for a trigger-temperature approach: when a threshold is hit, employers must provide cooling spaces or shade, ensure access to cold drinking water near the work site, supply electrolytes, and schedule strenuous work during cooler parts of the day. "It's not safe to work exposed in full heat, without shade or without water for eight hours," Bourke said.

WorkSafeBC does recommend these measures during heat warnings, and Todd McDonald, head of Prevention Services at WorkSafeBC, said "elevated temperatures increase the risk of heat stress and heat stroke, which can be serious and even life-threatening." But without enforcement, many workers aren't seeing those protections. Raul Gatica, spokesman for the Dignidad Migrantes Society, said migrant farm workers report headaches, dizziness, and a lack of cold water or breaks as the norm. His group visits 50 farms across the province to check conditions and encourage workers to report problems.

Gatica believes heat-related injuries are under-reported, partly because migrant workers fear losing their jobs. "There is not enough, almost no action to enforce employers," he said.