Celebrating promotions within the newly renamed division – Occupational Health and Safety, Safety & Risk Services
As mentioned in last month’s announcement, Safety & Risk Services is making changes to the reporting structures to strengthen alignment with the university and VPFO’s strategic priorities. Janet Hankins has been promoted to Manager – Research Compliance and Occupational Hygiene, Paul Gill to Manager, Health & Safety Partnerships, and Paul Nakagawa to Manager – Safety Program Management and Systems.
Environmental Services Facilities (ESF) will be closed starting December 20 until January 4
Please note that the Environmental Services Facilities (ESF) will be closed starting December 20 until January 4. The last day of pick-ups from academic departments will be December 16.
Last pick-ups from Environment Services Facilities will be on December 16
The Environmental Services Facilities (ESF) will be closed starting December 20, 2021 until January 4, 2022. The last day of pick-ups from academic departments will be December 16. For questions or concerns, please contact your ESF technicians before December 20.
Avoid slips, trips, and falls this winter with some simple tips
Winter is almost here, and with it comes cold weather and greater risk of slips, trips or falls. Practice safe winter walking to help you stay on your feet this winter. Safety & Risk Services invites you to follow some prevention tips.
Information about working alone while working remotely (at home) available
Information about working alone while working remotely has been updated on the Working Alone or in Isolation page. Find out what you need in place as a supervisor if a worker is working alone remotely (at home).
Aligning enhanced safety and reducing risk for the university
In alignment with the VPFO and SRS strategic plan, Safety & Risk Services (SRS) is moving to the next step that builds on our strengths and opportunities to continue to align around enhanced safety and reduced risk for faculty, staff, and students.
75,868 text notifications sent via UBC Alert as part of the annual ShakeOut drill
As part of the annual ShakeOut drill, a UBC Alert test notification by text and voice message was sent on October 21, 2021, at 10:21 am, to remind students, faculty, and staff to drop, cover, and hold on when an earthquake occurs.
Cassandra Torres and Evan Lloyd join Safety & Risk Services as Management & Continuity Planning Advisors
Cassandra Torres (she, her, hers) and Evan Lloyd join the Emergency Management team in Safety & Risk Services as Emergency Management & Continuity Planning Advisors. Their education and backgrounds in emergency response will be great assets to the team.
Shilan Keshvadi joins Safety & Risk Services as Associate, Health & Safety Education and Audit
Prior to joining us, Shilan was a Research Safety Coordinator at Simon Fraser University, where she acted as the EHS (environment, health, and safety) resource person for the Local Joint Health & Safety Committee to provide updates on policies and practices and address health & safety concerns.
Protect yourself from the flu: Get your flu shot
UBC Vancouver is once again offering free flu immunization clinics to students, faculty and staff. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. Getting the flu shot is your best protection.
Wherever you are, “Drop, Cover, & Hold On!”
Join us in the annual province-wide earthquake drill, Great BC ShakeOut at 10:21 a.m. on October 21, 2021, and learn more about the risks in our community and what UBC is doing to plan ahead. If you are registered for UBC Alert, you’ll receive a test notification by text and voice message on October 21.
Preparing for the Big One: UBC research lab to shake, rattle and roll
UBC’s Earthquake Engineering Research Facility (EERF) will shake, rattle and roll for the public this International ShakeOut Day. EERF will open its doors to the public from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 21, after the shakeout drill at 10:21 a.m.
Safety Awareness Week: Outdoor Event on Safety & Security
Meet our Campus Security team and community partners (RCMP, Transit Police, SVPRO, ICBC, Crimestoppers, and VFRS), and learn more about their role on campus vs. community partners, as well as tips on maintaining safety and security on campus. Find them at the University Commons (University Boulevard & East Mall) from October 19 to 21, 2021.
Flu season is coming and it could be ugly: what you need to know
As COVID-19 restrictions ease, Canada is seeing a resurgence of many respiratory viruses—and many experts predict this year’s flu season could be severe. Dr. Michael Curry (he/him), clinical associate professor with UBC faculty of medicine’s department of emergency medicine, reveals how this year’s flu season will be different from the last and weighs in on how to reduce your risk of getting sick.
First Aid is provided by UBC Campus Security
UBC Campus Security provides First Aid for students, faculty, staff, student-staff, and visitors on the UBC Vancouver Point Grey campus. Our patrol officers are Occupational First Aid Level 2 (OFA2) certified and will respond and provide initial care and implement any critical interventions up to the scope of their training until paramedics arrive on scene. All medical emergencies should continue to be directed to 9-1-1.
UBC Library and UBC Campus Security launch Theft Prevention Pilot campaign
To support the safety and security of students, the library has partnered with UBC Campus Security to launch a Theft Prevention Pilot campaign that will run throughout the fall term. The goal of the campaign is to ensure students have peace of mind when visiting library branches and to foster good habits when using public spaces.
Required COVID-19 Rapid Testing Program
UBC requires COVID-19 rapid testing for all students, faculty and staff, with exemptions provided for those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As the first step of the COVID-19 Rapid Testing Program, all students, faculty and staff are required to complete an online, confidential declaration of their vaccination status.
Non-medical masks required in public indoor spaces on UBC campuses from August 25
As a result of a Public Health Order, effective August 25, 2021, non-medical masks are required for all indoor public areas at UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan, including lobbies, hallways, stairwells, elevators, classrooms and labs. The Order also applies to anyone taking public transportation, in a taxi or ride-sharing vehicle. You can view the announcement
VCH drop-in vaccination clinic is available at Life Sciences Centre
The Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) drop-in vaccination clinic will be open at the Life Sciences Centre on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on your eligibility and vaccine availability.
Drinking water fountains and bottle-filling stations are reopening
Starting mid-August 2021, the Facilities team will begin to proceed with un-bagging and flushing all the drinking water fountains and bottle-filling stations across the UBC Vancouver campus. Flushing the water will remove any stagnant water from the building’s pipe network system to ensure the water is kept fresh and the stations are ready for use.
Heat Stress Awareness course available
The Heat Stress Awareness course is recommended for all workers that are at risk of heat exposure, and for their supervisors to complete. The course was developed to increase your awareness of the risk factors and associated heat disorders related to heat stress. The course will also identify controls to protect yourself against heat stress.
VCH vaccination site at Pharmaceutical Sciences Building is closing on July 30
On Tuesday, July 27, 2021, the provincial government announced the Vax for BC campaign, announcing that “the Province will gradually refocus its vaccine efforts from mass clinics onto programs targeting the hardest to reach people. In the weeks ahead, B.C.’s vaccine strategy will shift toward more local public health clinics, community outreach efforts, mobile programs and pop-up clinics”.
Air quality health & safety awareness
In light of the recent wildfire in BC, more information about wildfire smoke health & safety has been added to the Emergency Preparedness website and the Occupational Hygiene section on the SRS website.
UBC’s HVAC teams are making sure we can breathe easy
Over the past 18 months, learning, research, and work at UBC have been taking place remotely, wherever possible. But one group of people has diligently stayed on campus to keep its infrastructure humming through all this time: the teams responsible for ensuring that heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are functioning properly across the university.
UBC community supports COVID-19 research with rapid antigen testing clinic
The pilot project—the first of its kind at a Canadian university—ran from February to April, and helped identify positive cases of the virus in asymptomatic individuals who were quickly moved into isolation. Now, it has expanded into a clinical trial of the SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test developed by Roche, and is open to anyone living or working at UBC until August 20.
New COVID-19 Return to Campus Guidelines released
On July 5, 2021, the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training released the new COVID-19 Return-to-Campus Guidelines, effective immediately.
The Centre for Occupational Health, Safety & Wellbeing reopens its doors
The Centre in the University Services Building (USB) reopened its doors for individual exercise as of Monday, July 5th, 2021. To request access to The Centre, please submit an access form and adhere to some important protocols to keep our community safe.
Updated UBC COVID-19 Safety Framework
With the recent announcement of Public Health moving to Step 3 of BC’s Restart Plan and as mentioned in the UBC Bulletin on June 28— Supporting our return to Campus, UBC has aligned our safety planning process with the BC Restart Plan.
Resources for dealing with heat stress and exposure
Working in hot environments, outdoors and indoors, can affect the body’s cooling system. Find resources and references to help you identify signs and symptoms of heat stress, and guidance to prevent heat exposure.
Campus Security honours victims of the Kamloops Residential School
This week, Campus Security has put on orange epaulets in shared grief and to pay our respects to the children of the Kamloops Residential School, their families and communities.
Access Services joins Campus Security in Safety and Risk Services (SRS)
Safety & Risk Services is excited to announce that Access Services is transitioning from Student Housing and Community Services (SHCS) to Campus Security in SRS, effective Monday, May 31, 2021.
Campus Security Review
The University of British Columbia takes all matters of campus security very seriously, which is why we commissioned an external independent review of campus security policies and procedures in 2020. The review has made a number of findings and recommendations which we have shared with our university community.
UBC Alert test notification this week
As part of our regular testing program, UBC Alert will be sending out a test notification to students, faculty and staff via a phone call and text message, on Thursday, May 13 to UBC Okanagan campus, and
Friday, May 14 to UBC Vancouver campus.
VCH Vaccination site re-opens at Pharmaceutical Sciences Building
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is reopening the vaccination site on Wednesday May 12 at the UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences Building (PharmSci) for administering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible members of the public, based on specific phases of B.C.’s COVID-19 Immunization Plan.
VCH immunization site temporarily pausing
Vancouver Coastal Heath (VCH) will be temporarily pausing the COVID-19 vaccination site at UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences Building to consolidate this clinic with the Vancouver Convention Centre (East) clinic. VCH will be re-evaluating the need to re-open as needed. The last day of appointments will be Sunday, April 18, 2021.
Decommission of the Power House
The new Water Supply Centre is now completed, and the old water mains at the Power House is scheduled to be disconnected between April 9-14, 2021. To facilitate the work, there will be changes to the flow of water in UBC’s pipe, however, disruptions are not anticipated.
VCH Vaccination site opens at Pharmaceutical Sciences Building
UBC has entered an agreement with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), enabling them the use of Pharmaceutical Sciences Building (PharmSci) to host a vaccination site, running March 29 – August 2021, for administering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible members of the public, based on specific phases of B.C.’s COVID-19 Immunization Plan.
B.C. Government Updates the Provincial Restrictions on Gatherings
Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia, and the B.C. Government has updated the advice posted on the Province-wide Restrictions webpage.
Rapid COVID-19 Screening Tests underway at UBC
Safety & Risk Services has been assisting UBC Student Housing & Community Services in a pilot project offering rapid COVID-19 screening test. This voluntary initiative is a collaboration between the Federal and Provincial Governments, Providence Health Care, Vancouver Coastal Health, UBC’s School of Nursing and Student Housing and Community Services.
Pink Shirt Day 2021: Celebrate equity, diversity, and inclusion across the VPFO
The VPFO Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee presents Pink Shirt Day on February 24, 2021. The VPFO will be celebrating equity, diversity and inclusion across our portfolio with a virtual event and cookies for those working on campus. Join in on Zoom to hear an update on where the VPFO is going with EDI.
Pre-approved suppliers now available for resusable, non-medical masks
In order to facilitate the sourcing and purchasing of masks at UBC, Financial Operations in partnership with Safety & Risk Services have secured non-exclusive contracts and fixed pricing with three pre-approved qualified suppliers. These contracts are available for any faculties and departments who wish to order directly from a supplier.
Province-wide restrictions extended until February 5
On January 7, 2021, the Provincial Health Officer announced the extension of province-wide restrictions that have been in place in B.C. since November 19, 2020, until February 5, 2021, at midnight.