Message From Our Board Chair

Throughout 2023, the Board has remained committed to furthering our aspiration to build confidence in a safety system that improves the wellbeing of British Columbians, and as we enter our 20th year as an independent safety regulator, we remain optimistic and inspired about the future.

A stronger safety system relies on the safety-minded decisions of contractors, qualified individuals, and operators of technical systems throughout the lifecycle of equipment. Technical Safety BC continues to invest in improved regulatory approaches, research, education, and directed enforcement to support the efforts to make British Columbia safer.

This year, close to 400 safety incidents were reported to Technical Safety BC, many of which resulted in harm to people and were preventable. The insights uncovered through our investigations often identify aging equipment, the impacts of extreme weather, and insufficient safety management, requiring changes to how people think about safety and what they do to keep equipment working properly, and people safe. Often these findings set in motion safety system education initiatives to address root causes and lead to changes in regulation and product design to prevent future harm.

The data from incidents is also useful in understanding the most impactful safety risks in the Province. In 2023 we published our Top 5 Safety Risks, based on the likelihood of an incident taking place and the severity of consequences of injuries or damage. This work is a pillar of our risk-based oversight model, which enables our organization to prioritize the greatest sources of hazard and build treatment strategies to address them.

It has become evident in the past several years that exposure to risk is not evenly distributed across British Columbia. Addressing these gaps is a priority. One example is our collaboration with the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, which combines technical knowledge with local expertise among Indigenous, rural, and remote communities. Driven by partner communities, this work will help determine what policies and innovations in housing and technical safety practices are needed to enable communities to reduce their vulnerability to the impacts of the climate crisis. We continue to honour our commitment to reconciliation through this and other safety-equity focused work.

In 2023, we were excited to welcome Shelley Williams and Michael Wrinch to the Board, each bringing valuable knowledge and expertise to our organization and safety system strategy. I wish to extend my thanks and gratitude to outgoing Board members Jeremy Black, Neil Cumming, and Gail Stephens who provided admirable contributions to Technical Safety BC and the broader safety system.

On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank Technical Safety BC’s employees, executive leadership, our clients and partners for their continued hard work and commitment to strengthening the safety system.

You can read more about the safety-focused work we accomplished in our 2023 State of Safety report.

George Abbott
Chair of the Board