NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2008LCS0018-001417 Sept. 18, 2008	Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Services
TRUCKING INDUSTRY ROLLS OUT NEW SAFETY COUNCIL

LANGLEY – Labour and Citizens’ Services Minister Iain Black congratulated the new BC Trucking Safety Council as it announced its inaugural board of directors today. The council was created by the BC Trucking Association in partnership with WorkSafeBC and other regulatory agencies.

 

“We want every trip to be a safe trip for truckers in British Columbia,” said Black. “This is a great example of employers working together with WorkSafeBC and others to focus on injury prevention. It will mean safer trucks and safer roads for the travelling public.”

 

There are over 10,000 general trucking and moving and storage employers in British Columbia. The council will address the safety needs of the sector, including evaluating the risks and developing practical prevention and mitigation programs. One of its first projects will be to participate in a national project to identify the principal causes of collisions involving heavy trucks.

 

“The trucking industry plays a key role in B.C.’s economy and our quality of life, and I’m proud that our industry has come together to take responsibility for improving the safety of our workers,” said Paul Landry, president and CEO of the BC Trucking Association. “We’re determined to reduce workplace risks and build an even stronger culture of safety on the road.”

 

The council’s board includes trucking company representatives from all regions of the province as well as the Teamsters Local 31, ICBC, the RCMP and the Ministry of Transportation, as well as non-voting members from the BC Forest Safety Council, WorkSafeBC and the BC Trucking Association.

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Media contact:	Rob Duffus Communications Director 250 387-3134
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