The first Concussion Awareness Week is taking place across Canada from September 26 to October 2, 2021. Everyone with a role in healthy active living – sport and recreation participants, parents, coaches, organizers, educators and more – can help increase awareness about this important issue.

There are some simple ways you can make a difference, for yourself and others:

• Find out what you can do to prevent concussions in your sport or activity and know what to do if a concussion does happen. Don’t let the risk of getting a concussion keep you out of sport and physical activity.
• Learn the signs and symptoms of concussion to help you recognize when someone might have a concussion. Not all people will show the same signs and symptoms, and they can show up hours after the injury.
• Check for signs and symptoms any time there is a significant impact to the head, face, neck or body. It only takes one sign or symptom to suspect a concussion!
• Encourage everyone to speak up about how they are feeling. Tell a coach, parent, teacher or another trusted adult if you think you might have a concussion.
• Follow the gradual stages for return to school, work and sport after a concussion. Returning to activities too quickly can slow recovery and bring on long-lasting effects.
• Learn to stay well and get back to safe skills set to prevent injuries in returning to sport post-pandemic. Source various ways to take care of your mental health.

Ready to learn more? Here are some great resources to boost your knowledge:

Complete a free learning module through the Concussion Awareness Training Tool
Complete the Coaching Association of Canada’s free NCCP Making Head Way Concussion eLearning Series
Download the free Concussion Ed app for information on the go
Access SIRC’s concussion resources for the sport community

The annual dues year for ACFC West, Local 2020 Unifor begins October 1st of each year and runs through to and including
September 30th of the following year. If you are currently a Member in Good Standing and have received our notice, you are
eligible to renew your membership for the upcoming year commencing October 1st, 2021.

Annual dues for the 2022 dues year, which is required to maintain your Member in Good Standing status, is $100.00.

Please note: in order to renew membership, a Member who requires a driver’s license to perform his or
her duties must provide a current drivers abstract or a signed authorization letter allowing the union to
obtain the member’s abstract.

In addition, payment of annual dues DOES NOT entitle you to renew your benefits through ACFC West, Local 2020
Unifor’s health benefits plan. However, maintaining benefits on the health plan are subject to payment of Annual Dues, and
will be immediately terminated if dues are delinquent by 30 days.

Payment Instructions:
1) In order to remain a Member in Good Standing of ACFC West, Local 2020 Unifor, you are required to pay one
payment of $100.00 for the full year. Your payment must be received at the ACFC West, Local 2020 Unifor
business office on or before October 1st, 2021.
*** This payment DOES NOT automatically entitle you to renew health benefits. ***

2) You can pay your 2022 Annual Dues by phone with Visa or Mastercard, or in-person with Cash, Debit or Cheque.
Please call our office at (604) 299-2232

3) Please mail any Cheques or Money Orders to the following address:
c/o ANNUAL DUES
ACFC West, Local 2020 Unifor
#108 – 3993 Henning Drive
Burnaby, BCV5C 6P7
Cheques and/or Money Orders should be made payable to: ACFC West, Local 2020 Unifor

The next ACFC West General Meeting will be held on September 26, 2021 via Zoom. You must contact the ACFC West office at (604) 299-2232 or email info@acfcwest.com to register for the General Meeting.

Members attending the General Meeting on Sunday, September 26, 2021, have a chance to win a cash prize of $500!

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Nicole in the ACFC West office at (604) 299-ACFC (2232) or email info@acfcwest.com.

The next ACFC West Annual General Meeting will be held on May 30, 2021 via Zoom. You must contact the ACFC West office to register for the Annual General Meeting and to receive the Zoom link and instructions by email.

Members attending the Annual General Meeting on Sunday, May 30, 2021, have a chance to win one of TWO cash prizes of $500!

We have mailed the Annual General Meeting notice to all Members which includes the department rep nomination form. Completed nomination forms can be mailed, hand delivered or emailed to info@acfcwest.com and will be accepted until Friday, May 28, 2021 by 5:00pm.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Nicole in the ACFC West office at (604) 299-ACFC (2232) or email info@acfcwest.com.

PDF Annual General Meeting Notice

PDF Department Rep Nomination Form

As we approach the April 28 Day of Mourning, it is appropriate to reflect on the fact that many workers continue to be killed, infected, or seriously injured on the job. Many more have suffered and died from industrial accidents either caused by workplace exposures or inadequate safety measures. In British Columbia, 173 workplace fatalities were reported to BC WCB in 2020.

This is still the tragic reality in many economic sectors. As COVID-19 rages on, we must also now add health care, long-term care, security, transportation/delivery, retail and banking to that growing list of affected workers. As we mourn those fallen heroes, we stand in solidarity with them, their loved ones, colleagues, and friends.

April 28 is our National Day of Mourning to remember workers who have suffered work-related disability, disease and death. The Canadian Labour Congress first declared the Day in 1984. More than 100 countries now observe the Day. The day of observance was passed into legislation by the Workers Mourning Day Act, and encourages all Canadians to remember workers killed and injured in the workplace, or as a result of occupational disease.

Take time to remember

• Attend the virtual Day of Mourning ceremony which begins at 10:30 am on Wednesday, April 28. Encourage others to attend a local virtual event. We may be separated by this pandemic, but we can still be together in grief, condolence and solidarity.
  ·  Consider changing your Facebook profile picture on April 28 to mark the Day of Mourning. The images you need to do this, along with simple instructions can be accessed here.
  ·  Share the poster to honour the memory of all workers who have been killed and injured in the workplace.
  ·  Draft a message for your organization’s publication or website.
  ·  Coordinate a virtual Day of Mourning event in your workplace.
  ·  Observe a moment of silence at 11 a.m.
  ·  Work with local media to promote and cover the Day’s significance and events.
  ·  Convince employers and public institutions to, among other things, lower flags to half-mast.
  ·  Share stories of workers injured and killed on the job – ensure they are not forgotten.
  ·  Update your health and safety knowledge through virtual training and webinars.

Resources

• Video about the history of the Day of Mourning. The Day of Mourning – The Untold Story YouTube 11m:40s
  ·  Learn about the Day of Mourning in Schools Project.
  ·  Learn how the BCFED Health & Safety Centre can support your workplace prevention efforts throughout the year: Virtual course offerings
  ·  Download and print the BCFED OH&S Centre DOM Poster.

Every day of the year

• Educate others about health and safety rights, responsibilities and prevention measures.
  ·  Insist on effective workplace prevention programs developed with full worker participation.
  ·  Create monuments to promote public awareness of workplace health and safety.
  ·  Insist on training that supports the identification, assessment and control of workplace hazards.
  ·  Encourage local media to report on health, safety and environmental issues.
  ·  Press elected officials to support stronger regulations and better enforcement of existing laws.

Make time for prevention

• Demand high quality training that promotes a hazard-based approach.
  ·  Become a workplace health and safety representative.
  ·  Identify and report workplace hazards.

Please visit Circus – HR for Content Creators for access to onboarding and digital start packs. You can now upload your licenses and certificates to your profile to have access to all your documents, electronically. Please visit www.circushr.com for more information.

Or login to your Circus account by clicking here. 

The Greater Vancouver Fire Chiefs Association requires all craft and catering trucks to undergo a preliminary inspection by April 31, 2021.  Due to COVID concerns, they will not be holding a mass inspection date so any owner/operators can contact their local jurisdiction to arrange for a free inspection.

Please note that the City of Richmond is not participating in this program but encourage Members who work frequently in that jurisdiction (ie. studio or home base) to seek a decal from the Richmond fire department.

If there is a group of truck owners who want to organize a weekend inspection day, the City of North Vancouver would  be open to discussing an organized, committed schedule. Should that be of interest to Members, please reach out to Katharine Pavoni with CreativeBC by email at kpavoni@creativebc.com and she will connect you with the City of North Vancouver fire department.

Amended: March 18, 2021

PURPOSE OF CIRCULAR

To advise that effective April 2, 2019, the Director, Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch (CVSE) has issued an exemption under Motor Vehicle Act Regulations (MVAR) 37.11.02 to implement an hours of service pilot project for commercial motor vehicles providing transportation of persons or property to or from a motion picture production site.

While these vehicles will be exempt from specific portions of Part 3 of MVAR Division 37, there are substituted requirements (MPI Hours of Service Rules) to ensure that drivers are not operating while fatigued and public safety remains a priority.

The pilot project will be in effect until at least September 30, 2022 and there will be ongoing review.

The substituted requirements may be amended by the Director during the pilot project. Any amendments will be published as an update to this circular.

BACKGROUND

When the Hours of Service (HOS) regulations were introduced in 2007, a commitment was made to representatives from the Motion Picture Industry (MPI) to explore regulatory changes related to the HOS regulations. Further discussions have occurred in the intervening years (2010 and 2012), but no agreement was reached.

In June 2016, CVSE formed a working group composed of representatives from CVSE, the MPI and CreativeBC (formerly the B.C. Film Commission) to discuss issues related to compliance with the province’s NSC regulations. This working group has been working together to find answers that protect the safety of workers and other road users while not impeding the vitality of the industry.

Recognizing the unique working nature of the MPI, the working group has concluded that the best path forward is a set of HOS rules designed to address the need for effective and consistent monitoring across the MPI to avoid potential driver fatigue and also provide the flexibility needed by the unique working conditions of the MPI and low kilometers travelled to or from a motion picture production site. This pilot project is the result of that work. The working group will be reviewing the effectiveness of the MPI Hours of Service Rules and continuing their work in relation to other areas covered by MVAR Division 37.

APPLICATION

The MPI Hours of Service Rules are only applicable within the province of B.C. for commercial motor vehicles providing transportation of persons or property to or from a motion picture production site.

In order to operate under this exemption, the production company or studio responsible for the production must comply with all duties and responsibilities of the carrier, regardless of what NSC certificate is displayed on a vehicle’s registration documents. The carrier has overall responsibility for monitoring and ensuring compliance with the MPI Hours of Service Rules for all drivers operating as part of the production.

Drivers who operate under this exemption and also operate commercial motor vehicles for purposes unrelated to a motion picture production site must ensure that they will be in compliance with all applicable requirements under MVAR Division 37, Part 3 including daily, cycle and workshift limits when they return to operating a commercial motor vehicle that is not covered under this exemption.

Commercial motor vehicles transporting of persons or property to or from a motion picture production site are exempt from MVAR 37.13.01 through 37.13.04, and 37.16.02 through 37.16.06 as these requirements are replaced by the MPI Hours of Service Rules as defined below. All other requirements under MVAR Division 37, Part 3 are still in force.

MPI Hours of Service Rules

1. Definition of Day
A Carrier must define “day” as a calendar day (i.e. midnight to midnight) for daily logs.

2. Minimum off-duty hours per day
A driver must have at least 8 hours off-duty time in addition to following the Break Requirements defined in the MPI Hours of Service Rules.

3. Break Requirements A driver must not drive if more than 5 hours have passed since the end of the driver’s last off duty period of at least 30 minutes. The driver must take at least 30 minutes of off-duty time before driving again.

4. Maximum on-duty hours per day
A driver must not drive after accumulating 15 hours (may be non-consecutive) of on-duty time since the driver’s last period of at least 8 consecutive hours of off-duty time. The driver must take at least 8 consecutive hours of off-duty time before driving again.

5. Maximum driving time after coming on duty
A driver must not drive after accumulating 11 hours of driving time since the driver’s last period of at least 8 consecutive hours of off-duty time. The driver must take at least 8 consecutive hours of off-duty time before driving again.

6. Maximum On-Duty time in a cycle
A driver must not drive after accumulating 85 hours of on-duty time during any period of 7 days.

7. Maximum Driving time in a cycle
A driver must not drive after accumulating 60 hours of driving time during any period of 7 days.

8. Mandatory off-duty time to limit consecutive workdays
A driver must take either 24 consecutive hours of off-duty time in 8 days or 36 consecutive hours of off-duty time in 14 days.

9. Reset Requirement
A driver may end their current cycle and begin a new cycle if the driver takes at least 72 consecutive hours of off-duty time.

10. Daily Logs
Whether or not paragraphs (a) to (c) in MVAR 37.18.01(2) are met by the carrier and the driver, a driver operating under this exemption is required to record hours using a graph grid (paper or electronic) that is compliant with Schedule 2.

A Carrier may choose to modify the graph grid to remove “Off-duty time when spent in a sleeper berth”.

A driver must indicate “Operating under MPI Rules” in the “Remarks” section of the daily log.

11. Clarification of Off-Duty Definition
As defined in NSC Bulletin 01-18

12. Deferrals
Despite MVAR 37.13.04, a driver operating under this exemption must not defer off-duty time.

13. Use of Sleeper Berth
Despite MVAR 37.16 and 37.16.01, a driver operating under this exemption must not split the mandatory 8 consecutive off-duty hours.

14. Recording Periods of Driving Interspersed by Short Periods of Other On-Duty Time (aka Bundling)
Regardless of the instructions contained in Schedule 2 of MVAR Division 37, the practice of bundling is only allowed under the following circumstances for drivers operating under MPI Rules:

• Periods of driving interspersed by short periods (less than 30 minutes) of on-duty (not driving) time may be logged solely as driving time to simplify the completion of the daily graph grid.

• Periods of on-duty time that are anticipated to be at least 30 minutes should be logged as on-duty time to avoid inflating a driver’s driving hours.

For further information regarding on this exemption and the substituted requirements, please contact Karen Coverett, NSC Manager at 250-953-4045 or via email at NSCManager@gov.bc.ca.

Samantha Eburne
Director, Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement Branch
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

PDF of Ministry of Transportation Compliance Circular

Link to Ministry of Transportation Compliance Circular

The next ACFC West General Meeting will be held on March 28, 2021 via Zoom. You must contact the ACFC West office to register for the General Meeting and to receive the Zoom link and instructions by email.

We have mailed the General Meeting notice to all Members which includes the nomination form for the Executive Board. There are 5 positions up for nominations and they include:

President, Vice-President, and two (2) individual Members at Large. These positions have a two year term. The Secretary/Treasurer position is currently vacant and open for nominations on the remaining one year of its two year term.

Completed nomination forms can be mailed, hand delivered or emailed to info@acfcwest.com and will be accepted until Friday, March 26, 2021 by 5:00pm.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Nicole in the ACFC West office at (604) 299-ACFC (2232) or email info@acfcwest.com.

PDF General Meeting Notice

PDF Executive Nomination Form