Occupational Health & Safety

1. Immunization Self-reporting – Provincial Workplace Health Contact Center

Residents are required to self-report their immunizations status to the Provincial Workplace Health Call Center (WHCC) prior to their training. Self-reporting must be done during a specific timeframe according to your last name initial and the date you are or will be living in British Columbia. For more information please see ‘Immunizations – Self Reporting’ below.

Immunizations - Self Reporting

Residents are required to self-report their immunizations status to the Provincial Workplace Health Call Center (WHCC) prior to their training. Self-reporting must be done during a specific timeframe according to your last name initial and the date you are or will be living in British Columbia.

Please do not self report prior to the dates specified, as your employment record will not yet have been created and you will be asked to self report later.

If you have any questions in regards to immunizations, please contact the Workplace Health Call Centre directly. You MUST be physically located in British Columbia (BC) to call the WHCC. The phone number is toll free and useable in BC only 1-866-922-9464. Please have all previous immunization records ready before talking to the Occupational Health Nurse (OHN) at the WHCC. A baseline TB skin test must be done within 6 months of hire or chest x-ray within one year of hire.

The schedule as agreed upon with the Provincial WHCC for residents for the online self-reporting of their Baseline Health Immunizations will be based on location and surname as follows:

  • 2023 reporting schedule TBC

Within your first 90 days (3 months)

Residents must self-report their vaccination status at QR code or Link below
• For a step-by-step guide, please go to whcallcentre.ca Enter “Self-Reporting” in the search bar on the main page. Click on “Self-reporting Tool Guide for New Employees”, and it will provide you with detailed instructions.

WHCC Self-Reporting Tool

Note: when reporting through the WHCC Self-Reporting Tool, all residents should select Vancouver Coastal Health as their Health Authority employer, regardless of training location.

Vaccine Documentation Required for WHCC

Hepatitis B

A series of 3 vaccines and documentation of antibody level >10 IU/L. Residents working in Northern BC, Vancouver Island Health Authority, or Interior Health who are unsure of their Hepatitis B antibody level-should get serology testing done before starting. Residents working in any of the Vancouver area hospitals can come to a drop-in vaccination clinic at the hospitals to get vaccines or a lab REQ for serology testing.

Measles/Mumps/Rubella

2 documented doses measles/mumps vaccine required for all Residents born after 1956. History of disease no longer considered reliable. Reactive serology from measles is accepted but not for mumps.

Chicken Pox/Varicella

History of chicken pox, reactive serology, or documentation of two vaccines accepted.

Polio

Adult dose of polio vaccine recommended for Health Care Workers.

Tetanus/Diphtheria

Booster needed every 10 years. One adult dose of Pertussis recommended also (Tdap).

COVID Vaccines

A minimum of Two documented doses are required.

TB skin testing

TB skin testing is a baseline required for all new VCH employees. Report of a TB Skin Test (TBST) within 6 months of hire is acceptable and a new hire TB skin test is not required.

TBSTs are done free at Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) or Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) hospitals. Residents are to obtain their free TB skin test at our VCH sites once they have been assessed by the Provincial Workplace Health Call Centre. Staff who are located in rural areas and unable to attend a VCH site clinic can have a TB skin test done at Public Health or TB Control and will be reimbursed.

You will need to send the original receipt or a pdf copy of it (no camera photo) and your contact information—including complete home mailing address and employee ID number by email safetyandpreventionFSN@vch.ca or mail your receipts to.

VCH People Safety
Doctor’s Residence Building
Room 18, 2775 Heather Street
Vancouver, BC, V5Z 3J5

TB screening for work and school purposes is an important public health measure. As per the Provincial TB guidelines, baseline TB screening is routinely recommended for all workers in a healthcare institution upon first hire. Additionally, TB screening is also recommended for students at the start of their employment/program or at the discretion of the employer and/or institution.

Provincial TB Services, along with Vancouver Coastal Health are in agreement the ability to hire workers, or accept students, should not be hindered by these temporary changes to routine TB screening for work and school purposes.

2. Employee Immunization Clinics

Once you have an employee ID and have self reported your immunizations to the Provincial Workplace Health Contact Center, you may attend one of the Immunization clinics for UBC residents. Please book your appointment on the WaitWhile App (see ‘Employee Immunization Clinics – Appointment registration’ below).

Employee Immunization Clinics - Appointment registration

Please book your appointment on the WaitWhile App at the link below:

WaitWhile App

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2023 Dates TBC

Residents within the lower mainland may book their appointment on the WaitWhile app to attend the clinics listed above. If you are unable to do so, you may view our VCH – Drop in – Immunization Clinic schedule with your employee ID and a work email.

Please follow this link or use the QR code below to view the VCH Immunization Clinic Schedule.

If you are offsite sign into VCH using your userID\email and password i.e Domain\Username (ex. VCH\JSmith)

**PLEASE NOTE – you will require an employee ID prior to visiting VCH Immunization Clinics**

Residents (outside the lower mainland) who are not able to attend any clinics listed above may be eligible for reimbursement. Please see TB skin testing in the Immunizations tab for details.

3. Other Occupational Health & Safety information

For all other OH&S information please refer to the headings below.

N95 Mask Fit Testing

Please ensure you are fit tested for a make and model that is located at the site you will be working. All major facilities provide mask fit testing; please inquire when you arrive.

Blood and Body Fluid Exposures

If you have an exposure to blood or a body fluid (BBFE) please notify the manager/supervisor of the unit where you are working so that the correct process can be implemented at that site-including being seen in the closest Emergency Department (ED) within two hours of the BBFE. You will need to contact the WHCC after being seen in ED to report the BBFE incident and to talk to the WHCC OHNs so that follow up serology can be provided and so that you will not be billed for the ED visit.

Exposure to a Communicable Disease or Incident

You will need to contact the WHCC (1-866-922-9464) if you have been exposed to any communicable disease or have had an incident at work.

WorkSafe BC Regulations

All employees are responsible for ensuring that they have an orientation to Safety and Prevention protocols at their work site including: fire, first aid, violence prevention, infection control, and respect in the workplace.

Occupational Health & Safety Orientation

The Occupational Health & Safety orientation, provided by the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) will take place on Friday June 16 & Friday June 30, 2023. All residents should attend one 4 hour virtual session.

A memo will be circulated to all new incoming residents, with further details on how to register for this session.