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1560 - Occupational Safety, Health & Accidents

Last updated on January 30, 2025

Records relating to promoting safe and healthy workplaces, as well as treating, reporting, and investigating accidents, injuries, and diseases that result directly from work duties pursuant to the Workers Compensation Act (RSBC 1996, c. 492, part 3) and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (BC Reg. 296/97).  This includes ministry and local worksite occupational safety and health (OSH) program planning, ergonomic assessments, first aid needs assessments, hazardous materials testing, incident reporting, and safety inspections.

Record types include correspondence, forms, reports, and other types of records as indicated under relevant secondaries.

NOTE:  This primary is designed for ministries and agencies that use the OSH and disability management services provided by the BC Public Service Agency (BCPSA).   Agencies with their own internal human resources services should use the Human Resource ARCS Supplement (HRAS), the Emergency Health Services ARCS Supplement, or the Liquor Distribution ARCS Supplement.  Agencies must be registered to use HRAS. For guidance, please contact your Government Information Management Specialist (GIMS) or Ministry Records Officer.

For information about the disposal of hazardous material, see primary 500-03.
For emergency plans and procedures, see primary 275.
For joint employer/union health and safety committee, see primary 200.
For return to work plans, see secondary 1385-20.

non-OPR NOTE: Offices will retain non-OPR copies of records for: SO nil DE 

Primary-Secondary Records Series OPR  
  A SA FD  
1560-00 Policy and procedures SO nil DE  
1560-01 General CY+1y nil DE  
1560-02 Ergonomic assessments SO = when employee no longer works at the jobsite
NOTE:  This secondary covers routine ergonomic assessments performed by ministry OSH coordinators or equivalent ministry staff.  Ergonomic assessments performed by occupational health practitioners are on the employee’s health file held by the BC Public Service Agency.
NOTE:  For administrative convenience, these records may be classified on the relevant branch employee file under secondary 1385-20, rather than under this secondary.		 SO nil DE PIB
1560-03 First aid needs assessments
SO = when replaced by new assessment in accordance with Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (s. 3.16)
NOTE:  Pursuant to Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (s. 3.16), risks and hazards must be identified in worksites "within 12 months after the previous assessment or review and whenever a significant change affecting the assessment occurs in the employer's operations".		 SO nil DE  
1560-04 First aid treatment books
SO = upon conclusion of first aid care, and when book is closed
7y = The seven-year retention period satisfies the minimum three-year retention period for first aid treatment records specified under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (part 3.19) and is consistent with the retention period for the joint health and safety committee files classified under secondary 200-20.
These records document work-related incidents that result in first aid treatment.   Serious injuries, including exposure to contaminants, are reported to WorkSafe BC (formerly the Workers’ Compensation Board [WCB]) on incident investigation reports classified under secondary -20.		 SO 7y DE PIB
1560-05 Hazardous material information
(includes Material Safety Data Sheets [MSDS]) SO = when replaced by new information
NOTE:  If controlled products are used in the workplace, a WHMIS program must be established.  Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (part 5) requires that MSDSs be updated at least every three years and that Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) programs be reviewed at least annually.		 SO nil DE  
1560-06 OSH inspection files SO = upon conclusion of inspection and if relevant, upon implementation of corrective measures
7y = The seven-year retention period is consistent with the retention period for the joint health and safety committee files classified under secondary 200-20.
NOTE:  This secondary covers inspections to ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
NOTE:  For administrative convenience, these records may be classified on the joint health and safety committee file under secondary 200-20, rather than under this secondary.		 SO 7y DE  
1560-07 OSH program information NOTE:  This secondary covers ministry and local worksite OSH program information (e.g., roles and responsibilities and instructions). SO nil DE  
1560-08 Personal protective equipment information SO = upon completion of next annual review
NOTE:  Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (part 8) requires that personal protective equipment programs be reviewed annually and that equipment fit tests be repeated at least annually		 SO nil DE  
1560-09 Refusal to work because of unsafe conditions SO = upon conclusion of investigation, and if relevant, upon implementation of corrective measures
7y = The seven-year retention period is consistent with the retention period for the OSH inspection files classified under secondary -06.		 SO 7y DE PIB
1560-20 Work-related incident reporting files
(covers WCB claim correspondence and investigations and exposure to hazardous materials case files)
(includes accident and incident reports (e.g., joint accident investigation form [PSA 38]), employer’s report of injury or occupational disease [WCB form 7], first aid report [WCB form 7A], and may include worker's report of injury or occupational disease to employer [WCB form 6a])
(arrange by employee surname) SO = upon adjudication of claim by WorkSafe BC, and if relevant, upon implementation of corrective measures
7y = The seven-year retention period is consistent with the retention period for the first aid treatment records classified under secondary -04.
NOTE:  These records document work-related incidents that result in death, time loss, or medical attention or have the potential of causing serious injury to a worker or involve a major structural failure or exposure to hazardous or bio-hazardous substances (e.g., asbestos and avian influenza viruses).  These incidents must be reported to WorkSafe BC even if a claim is not anticipated.
NOTE:  If the injury or accident results in time loss or health care costs, copies of the WCB form 7, WCB form 7A, and WCB form 6a must be sent to BCPSA for filing on the employees’ personnel file.
NOTE:  Appeals of WorkSafe BC claim decisions are handled by BCPSA, as are disability case management and return to work planning for ill and injured employees.		 SO 7y DE PIB

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OPR – office of primary responsibility

A – active
SA – semi-active
FD – final disposition

CY – calendar year
nil – no retention period
SO – superseded or obsolete
y – year
DE – destruction
PIB – personal information bank

Contact information

For general inquires, contact the Government Information Management (GIM) Branch at:

Email
GIM@gov.bc.ca