The ARA is moving forward with a number of proposals designed to keep tow operators safer on the road.
WorkSafeBC has completed its public consultation for newly proposed amendments to Part 18 of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations. The new regulations are now on their way to being ratified.
The ARA’s towing and recovery division is embarking on a new training initiative in collaboration with WorkSafeBC and other stakeholders to help industry meet the new regulatory compliance criteria.
In 2020, amendments to Part 18 of the WorkSafeBC regulations were presented for public consultation. The ARA responded with a submission. Included within the proposed amendments is a provision that now defines towing and recovery operators as emergency responders when it comes to providing traffic control at an emergency scene. The new section will help provide clarity to the role towing and recovery operators perform while recovering a vehicle on the side of the road or providing roadside assistance to a stranded motorist. The requirements detailed in Part 18 of the proposed regulatory amendments came about in part of ongoing discussions with industry.
The ARA continues to advocate that operators need to be recognized as roadside emergency responders for the jobs they perform. The efforts have been matched by a commitment from industry to work with government and provide solutions to improve the safety standards all workers must meet. The ARA is now embarking on its fifth project with WorkSafeBC, to develop an emergency response traffic- control training program for industry that will support the proposed regulations.