LANGLEY, B.C. — The Trucking Safety Council of B.C. has developed a draft business plan designed to improve safety in the province’s trucking industry and wants to know what you think.

The council is inviting motor carriers to review and discuss the plan at Town Hall meetings being hosted during June and July.

The Safety Council, which was formed with funding and support from WorkSafeBC, is focused on providing programs and services to help the industry reduce the human and financial costs of workplace and road incidents. The industry currently suffers 10 to 15 fatalities and over 1000 injuries per year.

In addition to the toll these incidents take on companies, their employees and families, they also represent about $165 million in WorkSafeBC and ICBC claims per year. The Safety Council intends to work with employers across the province to reduce these incidents and make the industry a safer and better place to work.

The business plan defines how the Safety Council will be governed, organized, staffed and funded over the next five years. The draft plan also discusses the quality programs and services that the Council will provide to the industry, including the new safety Certificate of Recognition (COR) program that was recently approved by WorkSafeBC.

The Safety Council’s primary client group is the employers and employees in WorkSafeBC’s General Trucking and Moving and Storage classification units, which will fund the council’s work. Employers in these groups will automatically become members of the council.

The Town Hall meetings will provide an opportunity for the council to receive input from industry employers on the plan and to incorporate suggestions into the final draft. The meetings are scheduled for:

– Kelowna: June 24, 7 pm – 9 pm, Holiday Inn Express, 2429 Hwy 97 North
– Cranbrook: June 25, 7 pm – 9 pm, Sandman Hotel, 405 Cranbrook Street
– Nanaimo: July 7, 7 pm – 9 pm, Best Western Inn, 70 Church Street
– Prince George: July 8, 7 pm – 9 pm, Ramada Inn, 444 George Street
– Langley: July 15, 7 pm – 9 pm, BC Trucking Association, 20111 93A Avenue

People interested in attending these meetings are encouraged to RSVP directly to Rob Weston, general manager of the Safety Council, at safety.council@bctrucking.com.