Technical Safety BC releases State of Safety 2017 report
Annual overview provides details of work to manage technical safety risk in BC
VANCOUVER, June 27, 2018 /CNW/ - Technical Safety BC has released its State of Safety 2017 Report. The interactive, online document provides an overview of incidents and injuries related to technical equipment observed over the previous year, and the organization's efforts to understand and manage safety risk.
The fully digital document provides an array of data including the number of incidents reported to Technical Safety BC in the last year, injuries, number and type of permits issued, number of assessments, incident investigations, as well as information on risk reduction and enforcement activities. Its interactive features allow users to isolate specific data sets by regulated industry technology in the following areas: Electrical; Gas; Boilers, Pressure Vessels, and Refrigeration; Elevating Devices; Rail; Passenger Ropeways; and Amusement Devices.
Several data sets including incidents and hazards are also be provided as open data .CSV files, allowing users to freely use and examine the data, providing new opportunities to collaborate on safety with clients, stakeholders, other safety organizations and interested members of the public.
"This initiative is part of our ongoing efforts to embrace data and share it with the public, so that everyone – particularly equipment owners, licensed contractors and homeowners – can better understand technical safety risks and make informed safety decisions," said CEO Catherine Roome. "It also reflects our drive towards a tech-focused culture that integrates data science and digitalization into our organization."
Some examples of Technical Safety BC's activities in 2017, as detailed in the State of Safety:
- Issued 118,000 operating permits and 119,521 installation permits.
- Conducted 68 incident investigations, compared to 48 in 2016. As of 2017, all completed incident investigations are placed online to help share safety insights.
- 431 compliance and enforcement actions undertaken.
- Received notifications of 425 incidents of failure of a regulated product, work or operation that caused damage or injury.
In September 2017, Technical Safety BC changed its operating name from BC Safety Authority. This new identity reflects the organization's evolution toward becoming a progressive knowledge and data-driven organization that uses smart systems and processes, predictive analytics, education, and knowledge sharing to operate more efficiently, prevent incidents, and enhance safety.
This new availability of safety data is just one of many exciting activities that Technical Safety BC has undertaken to further connection and improve its work processes over the last 18 months. Recently, the organization partnered with AI ethics consultancy Generation R to introduce an ethics roadmap that lays out a framework for using data, advanced algorithms and machine learning to enhance the safety system in BC.
Full State of Safety 2017 report: https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/State-of-Safety-2017
About Technical Safety BC
Technical Safety BC (formerly BC Safety Authority) is an independent, self-funded organization that oversees the safe installation and operation of technical systems and equipment. In addition to issuing permits, licences and certificates, it works with industry to reduce safety risks through assessment, education and outreach, enforcement, and research. For more information, visit www.technicalsafetybc.ca
Media Fact Sheet on Technical Safety BC Services
Technical Safety BC oversees the safe installation and operation of technical systems and equipment, based largely on permits issued for regulated work and equipment as well as certificates and licences issued to those performing regulated work.
Technical Safety BC delivers safety services across the following technologies in BC:
- Electrical equipment and systems
- Boilers, pressure vessels and refrigeration systems
- Natural gas and propane appliances and systems, including hydrogen
- Elevating devices, such as elevators and escalators
- Railways, including commuter rail
- Passenger ropeways, such as aerial trams and ski lifts
- Amusement devices
- Complex and integrated technical systems involving multiple technologies
In order to promote safe practices, services include:
- Assessing technical work and equipment, including collecting information through inspection, incident investigation and registering new equipment and designs.
- Certifying individuals and licensing contractors and operators to perform regulated work.
- Supporting clients in the development of alternative safety approaches, and auditing their safety management plans or equivalent standards approaches.
- Taking enforcement actions that promote an equitable safety system where all participants are compliant with regulations.
- Educating our clients and the public about technical safety to better control risks.
- Conducting research, including contributing to provincial and national code development and updating regulations for the technologies we serve.
SOURCE Technical Safety BC
Media contact: Please email us at [email protected].
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