Everyone plays a role in making UBC’s Vancouver campus a safe and welcoming place. A number of resources are available to ensure safety for practicum/clinical placement students
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Practicum or Clinical Placement Students
What WorkSafeBC coverage is available for Practicum or Clinical Placement Students?
What does NOT qualify for WorkSafeBC coverage?
What mandatory training is available for Practicum or Clinical Placement Students?
How should Practicum or Clinical Placement Students report Accidents/Incidents?
What safety resources are available for Practicum or Clinical Placement Students?
Practicum/Clinical Placement Students
What WorkSafeBC coverage is available for Practicum or Clinical Placement Students?
The Ministry of Advanced Education (not UBC), determines which practicum students are eligible for workers’ compensation.
Students completing the practicum portion of their studies are eligible for workers’ compensation if they experience work-related illness or injury while doing their practicum, provided their practicum is defined as:
- An assigned work experience component of a UBC-sanctioned program;
- A required component of the program which is included in the program description in the institutional calendar, normally as a credit course; and which must be successfully completed by the student as a requirement for program graduation and certification; and
- Unpaid work activities, which are supervised by the host employer or a qualified designate, and which occur at the host employer’s regular business location.
The practicum/clinical placement may occur either:
- Off-site at the host employer’s regular place of business; or
- On-site on UBC premises, but only in a work place that is part of UBC’s regular business activities, such as an office administration practicum in the administration department.
In this instance, students are deemed to be “workers of the crown,” with the BC government deemed as “employer.”
Note that WorkSafeBC only covers workers/students while they are in British Columbia.
Not sure if your practicum/clinical placement is covered by WorkSafeBC?
- Contact the Ministry of Advanced Education, Julie.Hatch@gov.bc.ca directly for clarification.
What does NOT qualify for WorkSafeBC coverage?
Simulated Work Experience:
- WorkSafeBC coverage does not extend to work places created specifically for the purposes of experiential training/simulated work experience while attending a program established by UBC.
Paid Work Experience:
- A student who is paid by an employer while on a work experience or practicum component of their post-secondary education will be provided WorkSafeBC coverage through that employer.
Out-of-Province Practicums:
- WorkSafeBC coverage is for workers who are injured while on the job in British Columbia. Students working outside of BC should confirm coverage with the province or country in which they will be on practicum. It is advisable that students obtain their own medical insurance for out-of-country placements. Each province and territory in Canada has an organization that administers workers’ compensation insurance, although these organizations go by different names. WorkSafeBC administers the program in British Columbia.
Click on the province name(s) below to learn more about workers’ compensation for UBC students.
When UBC students do their placement/practicum within British Columbia, they are automatically covered through WorkSafeBC, if the placement/practicum is:
- an assigned work experience component of a UBC-sanctioned program
- a required component of the program which is included in the program description in the institutional calendar, normally as a credit course; and which must be successfully completed by the student as a requirement for program graduation and certification
- unpaid work activities which are supervised by the employer or a qualified designate, and which occur at the employer’s regular business location
In this instance, students are deemed to be “workers of the crown,” with the BC government deemed as “employer.”
Note that WorkSafeBC only covers workers/students while they are in British Columbia.
UBC has arrangements with workers’ compensation in Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, PEI, and New Brunswick to provide coverage to UBC students participating in placements/practicums in those provinces.
The university assumes the role of employer and pays the fees on behalf of students. The office of Insurance & Loss Prevention manages this relationship for the university; they provide the workers’ compensation agency in each province with information about the individuals who will be in their province for their placements/practicums.
To obtain coverage for any of these five provinces, the student’s department should complete this online form with the information below about each student. I&LP will provide the information to the necessary agency and confirm coverage with you.
- Name of academic program
- Legal name of student
- Start and end dates of placement
- Total number of days worked
- Placement institution name and address
- Department contact and email address
- Clearance certificate/proof of coverage
Organizations that host students for their placements/practicums usually require some form of proof that students have workers’ compensation coverage. A “clearance certificate,” issued by the insurer, serves this purpose. Once the student has been registered, a certificate can be obtained by requesting one from I&LP by contacting Insurance & Loss Prevention.
Workers’ compensation is not available for students who wish to do their placement/practicum in Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia or Newfoundland and Labrador. Placement coordinators with students who want to do a placement/practicum in any of these provinces can contact I&LP directly to discuss possible options. Depending on the specific circumstances, it might be possible to make alternate arrangements that are satisfactory to the student, the host organization, and the university. Contact Insurance & Loss Prevention.
Manitoba workers’ compensation is available only if certain conditions can be met. Placement coordinators with students who want to do a placement/practicum in Manitoba can contact I&LP directly to discuss these conditions and possible options. Contact Insurance & Loss Prevention.
What mandatory training is available for Practicum or Clinical Placement Students?
To be in compliance with WorkSafeBC legislation, all practicum/clinical placements must complete:
- All paid students must take the following UBC Required Safety Courses:
- Preventing and Addressing Workplace Bullying and Harassment
- New Worker Safety Orientation
- Workplace Violence Prevention Training
- Privacy & Information Security – Fundamentals Part 1 Online
- Privacy & Information Security – Fundamentals Part 2 Online
- A site-specific safety orientation and training with their supervisor.
- Additional training related to any hazards present or handled during the course of the work.
- Individual departments may also hold in-person training sessions addressing one or more of these requirements. Talk to your supervisor about what resources are available in order to meet WorkSafeBC legislation and the requirements of the workplace.
How should Practicum or Clinical Placement Students report Accidents/Incidents?
If a practicum student has seen a doctor or has missed time from work as a result of a work-related injury/illness, (s)he must start a claim by calling the WorkSafeBC Teleclaim Contact Centre at 1.888.WORKERS (1.888.967.5377).
In addition, both the student and his/her supervisor (employer) must complete an online report on the UBC CAIRS website.
What safety resources are available for Practicum or Clinical Placement Students?
Blood and Body Fluid Exposure Control Plan – Students – Faculty of Medicine: