Safety & Risk Services (SRS) team members recently worked with the Faculty of Dentistry and Ministry for Advanced Education, Skills & Trade to confirm the application of WorkSafeBC coverage for Dentistry students for the first time.
The team were able to confirm that due to the practical work performed by students they could be classed as “workers of the Crown” (no pun intended) under the Workers Compensation Act, and therefore covered. UBC Dentistry Students often provide supervised patient care at the UBC Dental Clinic or other third party at a much reduced cost to general public, something they will continue to do throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Manager, Insurance & Loss Prevention within SRS, Shannon Boychuk, helped to secure the coverage for Dentistry students, she said “It was great to help some of our hardworking students gain access to the coverage they deserve, especially taking into account the unusual circumstances they have been working under this year. We know that it’s not just Dentistry students providing this type of care as part of their studies, so we’re currently looking for other courses they may qualify for this type of coverage as well.”
