Port Alberni, British Columbia (September 7, 2011) — It’s a rare event in history when three levels of government, opposing political parties, employers, union groups and insurance-providers throw their collective support behind the same initiative. In that spirit of consensus, Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences (PCU-WHS) officially opened its doors on September 6 in Port Alberni, BC with a full press of government, business, labour, and workers’ compensation representatives on hand to show their support.

The fully accessible PCU-WHS is the world’s first university specializing in the multidisciplinary field of Workplace Health Sciences, and will offer distance and on-site degree programs in occupational safety and health, rehabilitation and disability management to students internationally.

At the opening ceremony, BC Minister of Labour Stephanie Cadieux provided a welcome address from Premier Christy Clark, who said, “The province takes the safety of its workers very seriously, and we commit ourselves to making sure their well-being is a priority… This is a great opportunity for students to study such an important subject that impacts communities and families across BC.”

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 270 million work-related accidents occur annually, while 160 million people suffer from work-related diseases each year....