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After several years of planning, Safety & Risk Services’ Emergency Management team was able to see the plan come to life in a full set up. The team of UBC staff and volunteers set up registration, group lodging, and feeding services, including the set-up of 260 emergency cots, and invited the community to experience what supports evacuees could access during a disaster.

Wildfires are becoming more prevalent, devastating and enduring in British Columbia, and is a seasonal occupational hazard for many workers. People may feel mild exposure symptoms such as a sore throat, shortness of breath, and irritated eyes. Wildfire smoke may cause headaches and worsening allergies. The level of risk from wildfire smoke exposure depends on various factors.

As the temperatures rise, learn how to identify signs and symptoms, the risks related to heat-related illnesses and how to protect yourself by completing the Heat Stress Awareness course. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms early on so that more serious heat disorders can be prevented. 

Jack Wong, Tom Powers, and Jeff de Castro joins PrISM as part of the Compliance Support Program. In their new role, they will each be taking on various challenges and find areas of improvement to support UBC’s mission as a world class teaching, learning and research university.

Featured in University Affairs (UA), Hailey Maxwell, Manager of Emergency Management & Continuity Planning speaks about some of the programs and activities UBC offers to help students, faculty, and staff prepare for different types of emergencies.

UBC Campus Security and UBC Sprouts — a 100% volunteer and student-run organization at the UBC, along with volunteers from across the university will be taking part in the Homelessness Services Association of BC’ s Point-in-Time Homeless Count to collect details about the experiences and demographics of people who are experiencing homelessness.

Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and the AMS Nest are open late during the weekend. If you are stranded on campus due to the current winter conditions and require immediate support, please contact Campus Security at 604-822-2222.

Stop by UBC Campus Security’s booths to learn how you can help keep yourself and the UBC community safe and secure.

Sam has been a driving force in finding opportunities to build a stronger foundation for our Campus Security teams. His extensive experience in leading projects and teams within Compliance, Security, and Risk Management roles in the public sector will make him a valuable leader to the Campus Security team.

Starting October 11, 2022, Influenza (flu) vaccines will be available at community pharmacies across British Columbia. Book your flu vaccine through the provincial government’s Get Vaccinated system and locate a clinic on ImmunizeBC. For members of the UBC Community, there are pharmacies on campus where you will be able to receive your influenza vaccine.

Safety & Risk Services within VP Finance & Operations (VPFO) in collaboration with VP Human Resources (VPHR), and UBC Information Technology (UBC IT) are launching a pilot project in VPHR and VPFO to increase compliance with required training, as mandated by legislation and UBC policies.   

Help increase the campus community’s resilience, emergency awareness and preparedness by joining us on September 6-8. Find our Emergency Preparedness booth on Imagine UBC at Main Mall on September 6, and Ride the Quake Cottage, an earthquake simulator at University Commons outside the Nest on September 7 and 8.

A heat warning has been issued this week for Metro Vancouver — make plans for you and your loved ones to stay cool during the day. Daytime high temperatures of 29 to 35 degrees Celsius inland and near 27 degrees Celsius near the water. Early morning low temperatures of 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. Cooling centres and temporary water features are open on the UBC Vancouver campus.

Environment Canada has issued a heat warning for Metro Vancouver for the rest of today June 27, 2022 with inland temperatures reaching 34 degrees. Given the current high temperatures, we wanted to provide some resources and information to help you stay cool and safe.

Safety practices for walking are just as important as those for riding on a bus or in a car. We have put together some simple road safety guidelines to prevent pedestrian injuries.

As of May 1, 2022, UBC is transitioning from COVID-19 Safety Plans to a Communicable Disease Prevention Framework in alignment with the BC Centre for Disease Control, WorkSafeBC, and Public Health Guidance for Post-Secondary Institutions. This means the university will replace the seven institutional plans, with a Communicable Disease Prevention Framework to cover all UBC activities.

As there are now signs of further Omicron variants and increased case numbers, experts have indicated that BC is about to enter into a sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of these factors, UBC has made the decision to maintain the requirement to wear masks until June 30, 2022.

Research Compliance & Occupational Hygiene with Occupational Health & Safety welcomes Eve Neesham-Grenon to the team as the Safety Associate focused primarily on the Biological & Radiation Safety Programs. Eve brings a fantastic mix of laboratory and hygiene experience to her new role and we are thrilled to have her move into the position. 

The latest Public Health Order indicate that while face coverings will be optional for people in all indoor public settings, individual organizations can choose to continue to require mask wearing on their premises. As such, UBC will continue with the current approach, requiring masks to be worn in public indoor spaces on both campuses, until the end of the 2021/22 Winter Session on April 30, 2022.

Wastewater monitoring for COVID-19 involves testing for presence of the fragments of the virus (called SARS-CoV-2 RNA gene fragments) that are shed by both asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals in wastewater. For Winter Term 2, UBC is scaling up wastewater monitoring to include more of the UBC Vancouver campus community and student residences.

UBC will be providing a supply of medical grade masks to all students, faculty, and staff starting February 7th. A supply will be provided to Faculties and Departments. Additionally, UBC representatives on campus will be handing out packages of medical grade masks. You can recognize these representatives by their colourful vests.

UBC has recently updated the COVID-19 Campus Rules to align with the latest guidance from the Provincial Health Officer.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

COVID-19 safety plan outlines the policies, guidelines and procedures UBC have put in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. As part of each safety plan, all students, faculty, staff, and visitors must assess themselves daily for COVID-19 symptoms prior to using campus property.

Emergency Management Training, Exercising and Engagement program courses are now available, at no cost to all UBC faculty and staff throughout the year.