The BC Government Employees Union says recent orders made by WorkSafeBC for jails in the province don’t go far enough.

In the spring, WorkSafe did inspections at all 10 B.C. jails and issued 72 orders to improve safety.

Dean Purdy, vice president of sheriff and correctional services with the BCGEU, says more safety measures still need to be mandated.

“One of the orders made them provide OC spray, or pepper spray, for all correctional officers inside all of our jails. The rest of the orders were good, don’t get me wrong, but a lot of them were fringe orders or skirting on the outside of safety concerns. Important stuff, but nothing that will provide more safety for correctional officers,” Purdy says.

“Until they look at the officer to inmate ratios, the number of inmates for every correctional officer inside our maximum security jail living units, we’re going to be up against it. Because nothing will change. We need a different method when housing inmates.”

Purdy says other orders made were to do with matters like confined spaces and hazardous materials.