BC Mine Certifications Registry

User Manual

Admin Role

Prepared by Annalisa Taylor, King’s Printer, Digital Publishing, Ministry of Citizens’ Services.

Created: April 16, 2018

Contents

1        INTRODUCTION

1.1        BC Mine Certifications Registry

1.2        Who should read this document? The Admin Role

1.3        Legislation

1.3.1        Mines Act

1.3.2        Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) of British Columbia

1.4        Minimum Browser Requirements

2        GETTING STARTED

2.1        Registry Access

2.2        Log in to the BC Mine Certifications Registry

2.3        Username and Profile

2.4        Change Your Password

2.5        Registry Partners1

2.5.1        Who Does What?

2.5.2        Contact Information

2.6        Registry Administration Support – Ministry of EMLI

2.6.1        Registry administration services provided by the Admin role

2.6.2        Policies and procedures

2.7        Registry Technical Support – Crown Publications, King’s Printer

2.8        Online Course Registration and Temporary Certificates – Open School

2.9        Official Certificate Reprints – Crown Publications, King’s Printer

2.10        Official Certificate Reprint Fees

2.11        Sign Out

3        SEARCH

3.1        Search Students (Clients)

3.2        Search / Refine Search

3.3        Open a Client Record from the Search Results / Return to Search Results

3.4        Clear Search / New Search

3.5        Search by Gender

3.6        Search by Birthdate

3.7        Search by People ID

3.8        Search by Certification + Mine Site

3.9        Search by Equivalent Certification

3.10        Search by Legacy Certification

3.11        Search by Photo Required

3.12        Search by Certification Status, Suspended and Cancelled

3.13        Search by Provisional Certification

3.14        Search by Interviewer

3.15        Search by Criminal Record Check Status

4        ADD STUDENT (CLIENT)

4.1        Add Student (Client)

4.2        Add Accents in Client Names

4.3        Validation Errors in the Student Details Form

4.3.1        Missing data in required Student Details fields

4.3.2        Incorrect data format

4.4        Edit Student (Client) Details

5        ADDRESS CHANGES

5.1        Canada Post Guidelines

5.2        Address Format Safeguards

5.2.1        Open School System

5.2.2        Address Format Safeguards in the Registry

6        ADD NEW CERTIFICATION

6.1        Add New Mine Supervisor Certification

6.2        Add New Blaster Certification

6.2.1        Add Technical Exam

6.2.2        Add Regulatory Exam

6.2.3        Add Interview

6.2.4        Add Criminal Record Check

6.3        Add New Shiftboss Certification (OSBC)

6.4        Add Equivalent Certification

6.5        Validation Errors on the Exam and Interview Forms

6.5.1        Missing data in exam fields

6.5.2        Missing data in regulatory exam fields for Blaster exams

6.5.3        Missing data in interview fields

6.5.4        Incorrect data format

7        PHOTO FOR SECURE PHOTO ID

7.1        Upload Photo

7.2        Photographs

7.2.1        Photographer Instructions

7.2.2        Photo Administrator Instructions, Adobe Photoshop (Online Version)

7.3        Photo Validation Criteria

7.4        Photo Status

7.5        Update Photo

8        LEGACY CERTIFICATIONS

8.1        Add Legacy Certification

9        EDIT / DELETE CERTIFICATION

9.1        Edit Certification

9.2        Edit Blaster Reg Exam

9.3        Edit Blaster Criminal Record Check

9.4        Delete Certification

10        VIEW CERTIFICATIONS

10.1        View Student (Client) Record

10.2        View Certification History

10.3        View Certification Status

10.4        View Mine Supervisor Certification Details

10.5        Blaster Certifications, 2022

10.6        View Blaster Certification Details

10.7        Check Certification for Equivalent Status

10.8        View Equivalent Blaster Certification Details

11        SUSPENSIONS AND CANCELLATIONS

11.1        Add Suspension

11.2        Edit a Suspension

11.3        View Suspensions

11.4        Add Cancellation

11.5        View Cancellations

11.6        Edit Cancellations

11.7        Delete Suspension and Cancellation

11.8        Tips on Certification History, Suspension and Cancellation History

12        PROVISIONAL CERTIFICATIONS

12.1        Add New Provisional Certification

12.2        View Provisional Certification Details

12.3        Edit Provisional Certification

13        CERTIFICATE PRINTING

13.1        View Certificate Queue

13.2        Certificate Printing by BC Mail Plus

13.3        Add Legacy Certificate to Print Queue

13.4        Remove Legacy Certificate from Queue

14        CERTIFICATE, WALLET CARD & SECURE PHOTO ID CARD SPECIFICATIONS

14.1        Mine Supervisor Certificate and Wallet Card

14.2        Blaster Certificate and Secure Photo ID Card

14.3        Shiftboss Certificates and Wallet Card

14.4        Legacy Certificates and Wallet Cards

15        DELETE A STUDENT (CLIENT) RECORD (Duplicates)

16        MANAGE USERS IN THE REGISTRY

16.1        Add new user account

16.2        Delete User

16.3        Deactivate a User

16.4        Edit User

16.5        Reset Password

17        REPORTS

17.1        Access Reports

17.2        R01 Student Certifications Report by Type of Certification

17.3        R10 Mine Certifications Report by Region

17.4        R20 Regional Certification Status Report

17.5        R30 Certification Status by Mine Site Report

17.6        Certificate Printing Report

1. INTRODUCTION

1. BC Mine Certifications Registry

This manual describes the BC Mine Certification Registry web application, which is used by Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation (the Ministry) to record the people who have taken a BC Mine Certification Program course, the results of their examination, interview (if applicable), and the status of their certification. The Registry also generates certificates and ID cards that are printed and mailed by BC Mail Plus.

This document describes how to use the Registry in the Admin role (create, read, update, report, queue, manage users).

The BC Mine Certifications Registry, developed and hosted by the King’s Printer Digital Publishing (formerly Queen’s Printer), Ministry of Citizens’ Services, was launched on April 13, 2018.

The BC Mine Certification Registry contains information about all the students and workers (clients) who have taken BC Mine Certification Program courses from April 16, 2018 onwards; plus, legacy certification data transferred to the Registry from the Ministry’s database on October 24, 2021.

2. Who should read this document? The Admin Role

This document is intended for BC Mine Certifications Registry users who are assigned the Administrator role in the Registry at www.mines.kp.gov.bc.ca.

In addition to search, create, read and update functions, the Administrator role has the unique ability to add new Registry users, assign roles, re-set passwords, and delete duplicate records.

For more information about roles in the Registry and which role can do what, please see the Security Matrix.

3. Legislation

1. Mines Act

The BC Mine Certification Program is a legislative requirement. As such, it is necessary to gather and store information on people who are certified under the BC Mine Certifications Program.

The BC Mine Certifications Program is authorized by the Mines Act, [RSBC 1996] Chapter 293, section 34 [Health, safety and reclamation code committee], which enacts the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia sections 1.12.1, 1.12.6, 1.12.7 and 8.2.1.

2. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) of British Columbia

The personal information used by the BC Mine Certifications Registry is collected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, section 26. The personal information used by the BC Mine Certifications Registry relates directly to and is necessary for the operation of the BC Mine Certifications program.  

In accordance with Section 27(1) of the FOIPPA, all personal information will be collected directly from the individual via Open School BC. The accuracy of BC Mine Certifications information is verified by the BC Mine Certifications client at the time the information is collected. At any time, an individual can verify the accuracy of his or her personal information held in the BC Mine Certifications Registry by contacting the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. An individual BC Mine Certifications client consents to this use of personal information when he or she completes a BC Mine Certifications course form or writes a BC Mine Certifications exam.

An individual may have his or her own record corrected by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. At the request of the individual, authorized personnel in the Ministry can make corrections to any BC Mine Certifications data, except person ID, exam date, exam mark, interview date and grade.

Employers do not have direct access to Registry information. Any requests from an employer or any other party for information about a Mine Certifications Registry client will be referred to the individual in question. Registry information may be released to an employer (or other party) only where there is written permission from the client.

4. Minimum Browser Requirements

You must use an up-to-date version of one of these browsers: 

• Chrome™  
• Firefox®  
• Microsoft Edge  
• Safari

Recommended
Latest version of Chrome, MS Edge or Firefox.

2. GETTING STARTED

1. Registry Access

Registry access is managed by designated Ministry staff who have the Admin role in the Registry. Please contact the Ministry for help with the following:

1. Create a new account in the Registry:

1. The Administrator supplies a username to the new user.
2. The Registry generates a temporary password and supplies it to the user via email.

2. Reset your forgotten Registry password.
3. Remove, or temporarily deactivate an Admin or Clerical account.

See Section 16 Manage Users in the Registry.

2. Log in to the BC Mine Certifications Registry

To log in to the BC Mine Certifications Registry:

1. Open your internet browser and go to the BC Mine Certifications Registry web address:
   https://mines.kp.gov.bc.ca
2. On the Log in page, enter your username and password in the data fields and click on Log in:

3. The Registry opens on the ‘Search’ page:

4. Registry functions for the admin role are accessed by clicking on the icons:

5. After initial log in using the temporary password, you may change the password using the change password function, accessed by clicking on your username in the top right corner:

See Section 2.4 Change Your Password.

3. Username and Profile

Your username is always visible in the top right corner of the BC Mine Certifications Registry.

To view the details of your ‘User Profile’:

1. Click on your username:

2. On the ‘User Profile’ page, you will find:

1. The ‘role’ assigned to the user.
2. The ‘Change Your Password’ function.

4. Change Your Password

To change your password:

1. Click on your username in the top right corner:

2. In the ‘Change your password’ section of the ‘User Profile’ page, click in the ‘New Password’ field. The password criteria panel opens. Create a password that meets the criteria.

3. Click in the ’Show Password’ checkbox to display your new password as you are typing it in:

4. As you enter the password, the criteria panel displays the status of each criterion:

5. When the password meets all the criteria, displaying green checkmarks next to each, enter the password in the ‘Verify New Password’ field:

6. If you think you’ve made a mistake, click on Clear Form:

7. If you are happy with your entries, click on Change Password:

8. The ‘Credentials Updated’ message will display on the page. The next time you log-in, use the new password.

5. Registry Partners

1. Who Does What?

The Mine Certification Program has several partners who have different roles in the Registry.
See the Security Matrix for further details.

2. Contact Information

6. Registry Administration Support – Ministry of EMLI

1. Registry administration services provided by the Admin role

To get help with the following Registry administration services, please contact the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation:

1. Reset a forgotten password.
2. Update a user account in the Registry.
3. Add a new user account to the Registry.
4. Deactivate a user account in the Registry.
5. Remove a user account from the Registry.
6. Record a provisional certification.
7. Record a certification suspension.
8. Record a certification cancellation.
9. Delete a duplicate record.

2. Policies and procedures

If you have any questions about the BC Mine Certification Program, and its policies and procedures governing the use of the Registry, please contact the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation:

See Section 16 Manage Users in the Registry.

7. Registry Technical Support – Crown Publications, King’s Printer

To get help with Registry technical issues, contact customer support at Crown Publications, King’s Printer.
Please state at the beginning of your call or email that you need help with the BC Mine Certifications Registry or ‘Mines Registry’.

8. Online Course Registration and Temporary Certificates – Open School

To help a client with the following issues, please contact Open School BC.

1. Registration for online Mine Certification courses.
   Example: Client request for a course registration confirmation email
2. Temporary certificates issued by Open School at couwrse completion.

9. Official Certificate Reprints – Crown Publications, King’s Printer

To help a client who needs a reprint of their official mine certificate, wallet card or secure photo ID:

1. Verify with the client that their mailing address is up-to-date and, if necessary, update their address in the Registry according to Canada Post guidelines.
2. Direct the client to contact Crown Publications to order a reprint of their certificate and ID card.
3. Advise the client that when they contact Crown Publications, they will be asked to verify their identity, and pay the fee for printing a replacement certificate and ID card.

For any other issues with official certificates, please contact Crown Publications.

10. Official Certificate Reprint Fees

Clients who have lost or damaged their certificate or ID card can order a reprint from Crown Publications, King’s Printer, and pay by credit card. The reprint fee includes certificate, ID card, shipping and handling.

The certificate and card are always printed together. They are not sold separately.

11. Sign Out

To sign out from the BC Mine Certifications Registry, click on Sign out in the top right corner of the page.

3. SEARCH

Searches available to the Admin role include:

1. Search Students (Clients)

The ‘Students’ search is the default search in the search ‘Category’ menu and allows you to search for clients by personal data such as name, gender, birthdate, email, people ID and city. You can search by one or more criteria,
for example: search by last name + gender + birthdate.

13. Search / Refine Search

If you are not sure of the spelling of a name, enter the first few letters of the name.  The name searches behave like wildcard searches.  A search for ‘Rich’ will return ‘Rich’, ‘Richard’, ‘Richards’, etc.

In the following example, to search by ‘Last Name’ and the initial of the ‘First Name’:

1. Enter the client last name ‘Richard’ in the Last Name field and in the First Name field enter the initial of the first name, for example: ‘P’. Click on Search (or hit the ‘Enter’ key on your keyboard):

2. The name searches name searches perform like wildcard searches returning records with last name ‘Richard’, ‘Richards’ and Richardson’ and first names starting with the letter ‘P’. The search results are ordered alphabetically by last name and then alphabetically by first name and middle name:

3. To refine the search, return to the search form and enter more data, for example: ‘city’, and click on Search:

4. The search results have been refined to include only clients from Vancouver with last name starting with ‘Richard’, and first names starting with ‘P’:

5. The search results for a ‘Students’ search include the following details: Last Name, First Name, Middle Name, Birth Date, Gender, Email, Province and City:

14. Open a Client Record from the Search Results / Return to Search Results

To open a client record from the search results list:

1. Click in blue text anywhere in the row:

Student Search results:

Certification Search results:

2. The Student Details page opens, displaying client details, certification history and certification details:

3. Under the ‘Certification History’ section, the Mine Supervisor exam is currently selected, as indicated by the yellow background, and the ‘Exam Detail’s displays the details for the Mine Supervisor exam:

4. To view the details for the ‘Blaster – Surface 3rd Class’, click on the certification under ‘Certification History’. Now, the blaster exam is highlighted by the yellow background and its Exam Details are displayed immediately below:

5. To return to the search results page, click on the Search Results breadcrumb or use the browser back button:

15. Clear Search / New Search

To clear a search and start a new search:

1. Click on Clear Search Form and enter new criteria in the search form:

16. Search by Gender

To search clients by Gender:

1. Enter any known data in the name fields and select ‘Man, ‘Woman’, ‘Non-binary or ‘Unknown/Prefer Not to Answer’. You can use the mouse to access the dropdown menu, or simply type M, W, X or U in the field and hit Enter to make the selection:

2. The search results include only records for the gender selected.

17. Search by Birthdate

To search by Birthdate:

1. Enter the birthdate:

1. Use the calendar, or

2. Enter the date manually in the following format, including hyphens: yyyy-mm-dd

2. Click on Search:

18. Search by People ID

Every client has a ‘People ID’ which is a unique identifier number generated automatically by the Registry system when a new client record is created.  If the client has more than one certification, each certification is added to a single client record under a single people ID.

Client records can be searched by people ID.  

The people ID is printed on all certificates and cards:

19. Search by Certification + Mine Site

To search for clients by certification attributes:

1. Select the ‘Certifications’ category from the search category menu:

2. Enter data or make menu selections in one or more of the search criteria fields and click on Search.
   For example, search for the Mine Site, ‘Line Creek’ + the Type of Certification, ‘Mine Supervisor’:

3. The search results include clients who have taken the Mine Supervisor exam and who are registered under the Line Creek mine site. Please note that the search results include clients with pass and fail grades.

4. To refine the search to include only clients with a passing grade, add the ‘Pass’ criteria to the search:

5. Now the results contain only clients with a passing grade on their certification:

20. Search by Equivalent Certification

To search for clients who have been issued an Equivalent certification after meeting the Ministry’s requirements:

1. Select the ‘Certifications’ search category:

2. In the ‘Equivalency’ field, select ‘Yes’ and click Search:

3. The search results include all clients who have an Equivalent certification, including passes and fails:  

4. If required, refine the current search by adding criteria; for example, add ‘Pass’ so that the search results contain only those clients with a passing grade on their Equivalent certification:

5. The refined search results include all clients who have an Equivalent certification with a passing grade:

21.  Search by Legacy Certification

Legacy certifications were imported from the Ministry’s database into the Registry on October 24, 2021.

To search by a Legacy certification:

1. On the search page, select the ‘Certifications’ search category menu, and open the dropdown menu in the ‘Type of Certification’ field:

2. In the ‘Type of Certification’ menu:

1. The Legacy certifications for Fireboss, Mine Rescue and Shiftboss categories are displayed below the new certifications, after the heading ‘LEGACY’.
2. The Legacy certifications for the Blaster category are displayed below the heading ‘LEGACY ARCHIVED’.

3.  Select a Legacy certification:

4. Click on Search:

5. The Search Results contain a list of clients who have a record for the selected Legacy certification:

22.  Search by Photo Required

The Secure Photo ID Cards issued for Blaster (OSBC) certifications require a photograph of the certificate holder to be uploaded using the Registry photo app. Once the photo is uploaded, and the Criminal Record Check is completed the secure photo ID and certificate are automatically added to the certificate print queue:

To search for clients whose blaster certifications require a photograph:

1. On the search page, open the search Category menu and select ‘Photo Required’:

2. To restrict the search by Region, Mine Type or Mine Site, select a value from the dropdown menus of one or more search criteria fields. Click on Search:

3. The Search Results show all clients in the selected Region whose record requires a photo before the secure photo ID card and certificate can be printed:

23.  Search by Certification Status, Suspended and Cancelled

To search for certifications with a suspended or cancelled status:

1. On the search page, open the search ‘Category’ menu and select ‘Certification Status’:

2. In the ‘Status’ field, select ‘Suspended’ or ‘Cancelled’:

3. If required, select other criteria to add to the search; for example, select a Mine Site. Click on Search:

4. The Search results display all certifications at Elkview mine site that have ever had a suspension applied, including active and expired suspensions:

5. For more information, click on the entry in the list to open the person’s record:

6. In the record, the certification is highlighted under ‘Certification History’, and in this example displays a ‘Cancelled’ status:

7. Scroll down the record to review the ‘Suspension and Cancellation History’ for this certification.
   In this example a cancellation has superseded a suspension:

24.  Search by Provisional Certification

To search for provisional certifications by ‘Mine Site’:

1. On the search page, open the search ‘Category’ menu and select ‘Provisional’:

2. In the ‘Mine Site’ field, select a mine site from the list, and click on Search.
   For example: select mine site ‘Angel Jade Mines’:

3. The Search Results display all provisional certifications recorded under the ‘Angel Jade Mines’ mine site, ordered by last name in alphabetical order. If a person has multiple provisional certifications, the oldest is at the top:

4. To refine the search, enter additional criteria. For example, in the ‘Expiry Range Start’ and ‘Expiry Range End’ fields enter a start date and end date. Click on Search.

5. The search results display all provisional certifications under the Angel Jade mine site that expire between June 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022:

6. To see details about the provisional certification, click on the person’s name to open their record:

7. In the record, scroll down to the provisional certifications where you will find information about any other provisional certifications issued for this person, certification dates, and who issued the provisional certification:

25.  Search by Interviewer

Some certification types require an interview to complete the certification requirements.

The Registry records the name of the interviewer / examiner who conducted the interview with the applicant.

To search the Registry by the interviewer name:

1. Select the ‘Interviewer’ category from the search category menu:

2. Enter the name of the interviewer in the ‘Interviewer’ field, using one or more letters of the first name, or the full name. For example, the letter ‘a’:

3. The search results are listed alphabetically by the interviewer’s first name:

4. To refine the search, add criteria.

For example: select the ‘Region’.

5. The search results now include interviewers whose first names start with ‘A’ who provided interviews to workers in the Cranbrook region.

26.  Search by Criminal Record Check Status

The Blaster certification types require a Criminal Record Check to complete the certification requirements.

To check the status of a Criminal Record Check:

1. Select the CRC Status category from the search category menu:

2. Select the criteria you wish to search by. For example, to find any Criminal Record Checks that still need to be completed, select ‘Pending’ from the CRC Status field:

3. The search results are listed alphabetically by the client’s first name:

4. To refine the search, add criteria.

For example: select the ‘Region’.

The search results now include all pending criminal record checks in the region selected:

4. ADD STUDENT (CLIENT)

1. Add Student (Client)

To add a new client record manually:

1. Click on the Add Client icon:

2. A ‘Student Details’ form opens:

3. Enter the ‘last name’, ‘first name’, and ‘middle name’ data in the appropriate fields.
   Use the Tab key to move from one field to the next:

4. In the ‘birthdate’ field, enter the date in the following format, including hyphens: yyyy-mm-dd.
   Use the Tab key to go to the next field:

5. In the ‘gender’ field, select an option from the dropdown menu: ‘Man, ‘Woman, ‘Non-Binary’ or ‘Unknown/Prefer not to answer.
   Alternatively, type in ‘M’, ‘W’, ‘N’ or ‘U’ and then use the Tab key to go to the next field.

6. Enter the address according to Canada Post guidelines. The Canada Post guidelines for Canadian addresses can be found on the Canada Post website.

7. In the ‘province’ field, enter two characters for the province or territory, for example: BC, AB, YT.

8. In the ‘postal code’ field, enter a postal code with no space, or enter a 5-digit zip code, for example: V2V3A3, 98281

9. In the ‘area code’ field, enter a three-digit code, hit the Tab key, and in the ‘phone’ field, enter the seven-digit phone number with no hyphen:

10. In the ‘Email’ field, enter the client’s email address including the domain.
    For example, name@domain.com:  jsmith@gmail.com; john.doe@email.ca; janedoe@telus.net

11. In the ‘Comments’ field, enter any comments and save the client record using Submit:

2. Add Accents in Client Names

For clients who have names containing accents, please use UTF-8 code numbers to enter the accented characters in the ‘Student Details’ form, including the first digit ‘0’.

To enter a character with an accent:

1. On your keyboard Number Pad, turn the Num Lock ON.
2. Hold down the Alt key.
3. Position your cursor in the name field and enter the code number using the Number Pad.
   Please include the ‘0’ as the first digit in the code, for example: 0201
4. Release the Alt key.
5. The accented character is inserted:

3. Validation Errors in the Student Details Form

1. Missing data in required Student Details fields

If the Student Details form is submitted when required fields are blank, a red validation error message displays at the top of the form, and red borders display on fields which require data.

To resolve the validation error:

1. Enter the required data and click on Submit:

2. The corrected data is successfully submitted and saved:

2. Incorrect data format

If the data format is incorrect, upon submit, a red validation error message displays at the top of the form, and red borders display on the fields containing data entered in an incorrect format.

To resolve a validation error:

1. Hover the cursor over the field to view the tool tip message displaying details about the expected format:

2. Enter the data in the required format and click on Submit:

3. The corrected data is successfully submitted and saved:

4. Edit Student (Client) Details

To edit Student Details such as name, address, telephone, email address, or comments:

1. Click on Edit Student at the bottom of the ‘Student Details’ form:

2. In the ‘Student Details’ form, all fields can be edited, except for the unique identifier number called the People ID.
   Enter updated information in the fields and when all changes are entered, click on Save Student Changes:

5. ADDRESS CHANGES

1. Canada Post Guidelines

When checking or updating a person’s address, please refer to the Canada Post guidelines. A correctly formatted address will ensure that the person receives their certificate and wallet card/secure photo ID card in the mail without delay. See Canada Post examples below.

2. Address Format Safeguards

1.  Open School System

If a client has taken a course with Open School BC, their personal details and exam data are submitted by Open School’s system to the Registry, in a system-to-system transfer of data.

Open School has implemented the following safeguards to ensure that clients are entering contact information according to Canada Post Guidelines:

1. The Open School system checks for # sign and commas to prevent entry of symbols.
2. A separate field is provided for unit numbers. When the address is submitted to the Registry a hyphen is added between unit number and street address in the Address 1 field.
3. Instructions are included on the Open School registration form advising students of proper format.

1. Address Format Safeguards in the Registry

For client data that is manually entered or edited by Registry users, the following Registry safeguards are in place to minimize errors:

1. The First Name field has a character limit of 15.
2. The Middle Name field has a character limit of 15.
3. The Last Name field has a character limit of 35.
4. The Address 1 field has a character limit of 25 characters.
5. The Address 2 field has a character limit of 25 characters.
6. The Province field accepts two characters. Example: BC, YT.
7. The Postal Code field accepts 6 characters in the following format.
   Example: V8V2P9; and 5-digit zip codes. Example: 98281.
8. A validation error occurs when the user attempts to save incorrectly formed data.
9. When the cursor hovers in a data field, tool tips instruct the user on the required format.

6. ADD NEW CERTIFICATION

1. Add New Mine Supervisor Certification

The Add New Certification panel displays below the saved ‘Student Details’ form:

To manually add a Mine Supervisor certification:

1. Click on Add New Certification:

2. In the exam form the ‘Equivalent Certification’ field displays the default value, ‘No’.
   Skip the Equivalent Certification field and go to the ‘Region’ field.

3. In the ‘Region’ field, select the client’s current region from the dropdown menu.
   If no region is supplied, select ‘Unknown’:

4. In the ‘Type of Mine’ field, select the client’s current mine type from the dropdown menu.
   If no mine type is supplied, select ‘Other’:

5. In the ‘Mine Site’ field, select the client’s current mine site from the list of British Columbia sites in the dropdown menu. If no mine site is supplied, select ‘Other’; or, if the client is attending school, you can select ‘BCIT’ or ‘College of the Rockies’:

6. In the ‘Certification’ field, select ‘Mine Supervisor’ from the menu:

7. The Mine Supervisor certification program is an online course offered exclusively by Open School BC.
   In the ‘Offered By’ menu, select ‘Open School’:

8. The ‘Language’ field is pre-populated with the default value, ‘English’, the required language of the exam. Skip to the next field.

9. In the ‘Exam Date’ field, enter the exam date in the following format, including hyphens:  yyyy-mm-dd:

10. In the ‘Exam Mark’ field, enter the exam mark as a whole number:

11. In the ‘Exam Comments’ field, enter any additional information about the exam (up to 3,500 characters):

12. When you have finished entering the exam data, click on Submit: 

2. Add New Blaster Certification

1. Add Technical Exam

To add a Blaster certification:

1. Click on Add New Certification:

2. In the technical exam form ensure that the ‘Equivalent Certification’ field displays the default value, ‘No’:

3. In the ‘Region’ field, select the client’s current region from the dropdown menu.
   If no region is supplied, select ‘Unknown’:

4. In the ‘Type of Mine’ field, select the client’s current mine type from the dropdown menu.
   If no mine type is supplied, select ‘Other’:

5. In the ‘Mine Site’ field, select the client’s current mine site from the list of British Columbia sites in the dropdown menu. If no mine site is supplied, select ‘Other’; or, if the client is attending school, select ‘BCIT’ or ‘College of the Rockies’:

6. In the ‘Certification’ field, select one of the seven types of Blaster (OSBC) certifications from the top of the menu:

7. Upon selection of a Blaster (OSBC) certification, a regulatory exam form and an interview form opens.

8. Finish entering data in the technical exam fields. In the ‘Offered By’ menu, select ‘Open School’:

9. The ‘Language’ field is pre-populated with the default value ‘English’, the required language of the exam. Skip to the next field.

10. In the ‘Exam Date’ field, enter the exam date in the following numerical format, including hyphens:  yyyy-mm-dd:

11. In the ‘Exam Mark’ field enter the exam mark as a whole number:

12. In the ‘Exam Comments’ field enter any additional information about the exam (up to 3,500 characters):

13. When you have finished entering the technical exam data, continue to the regulatory exam form.

2. Add Regulatory Exam

In the Regulatory Exam form:

1. Enter the ‘Regulatory Exam Date’ in the following format, including hyphens:  yyyy-mm-dd.
2. Enter the ‘Regulatory Exam Mark’ as a whole number.

3. Add Interview

Clients who pass the Blaster regulatory and technical exams are required to complete an interview with an inspector who is certified as an examiner/interviewer.

To manually add the Interview data:

1. In the ‘Interviewer Name’ field, type in the name of examiner/interviewer:

2. The ‘Province’ field is pre-populated with the province of ‘BC’. Skip to the next field.

3. In the ‘Interview Date’ field, enter the date in the following format, including hyphens: yyyy-mm-dd

4. In the ‘Interview Pass/Fail’ field, select ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’:

5. When the first four fields are filled in, the ‘Interview Notes’ field is enabled.
   Enter any additional information about the interview in the Interview Notes field (up to 1,000 characters):

6. When you have finished entering the exam and interview data, click on Submit:

4. Add Criminal Record Check

Upon submission of the Blaster exam and interview results, the status of the Blaster certification is as follows:

1. Photo status = None (or ‘Expired’ if a previous Blaster certificate is present and has a last printed date).
2. Criminal Record Check status = Pending
3. Queued status = Pending
   

There are two additional steps to complete before the Blaster certificate and the secure photo ID card can be issued.

• Upload a headshot photo, and
• Complete the Criminal Record Check.

If uploading the photo headshot first:

1. Click on the Upload Photo button and follow the prompts in the photo application (see Part 7).

2. Upon completion of Photo Upload:

1. Photo status = Current

2. Criminal Record Check status = Pending

3. Queued status = Waiting (for CRC)

3. Next, confirm that the client has completed their mandatory criminal record check, and click on the CRC Completed button.

4. Upon completion of the Criminal Record Check:

1. The Criminal Record Check status changes to ‘Completed’ and the field is highlighted in green:

2. The queued status changes to ‘Yes’ and the certificate and photo ID card are automatically added to the print queue for printing by BC Mail Plus:

3. Add New Shiftboss Certification (OSBC)

To add a Shiftboss (OSBC) certification:

1. In the Add New Exam form, in the Certification menu, select from the first set of Shiftboss certifications. These are the latest Shiftboss certifications, offered via Open School BC (OSBC).

2. Upon submission of successful exam and interview results, the Shiftboss certificate and wallet card are automatically added to the print queue for printing by BC Mail Plus.

4. Add Equivalent Certification

To manually add an Equivalent certification:

1. Click on Add New Certification:

2. In the exam form, in the ‘Equivalent Certification’ field, select ‘Yes’ from the menu.
   Upon selection of ‘Yes’, a short exam form replaces the long exam form:

3. In the ‘Region’ field, select the client’s current region from the dropdown menu.
   If no region is supplied, select ‘Unknown’:

4. In the ‘Type of Mine’ field, select the client’s current mine type from the dropdown menu.
   If no mine type is supplied, select ‘Other’:

5. In the ‘Mine Site’ field, select the client’s current mine site from the list of British Columbia sites in the dropdown menu. If no mine site is supplied, select ‘Other’; or, if the client is attending school, you can select ‘BCIT’ or ‘College of the Rockies’:

6. In the ‘Certification’ field, select an eligible certification from the menu:

7. Upon selection of a:

1. Blaster certification, the ‘Add Regulatory Exam’ form and ‘Add New Interview’ form are displayed:

2. Shiftboss, Fireboss or Legacy Blaster certification, the ‘Add New Interview’ form is displayed:

8. For instructions on completing the Regulatory Exam form, see Section 6.2.2 Add Regulatory Exam.
9. For instructions on completing the Interview form, please see Section 6.2.3 Add Interview.
10. When you have finished entering the applicable reg exam and interview data, click on Submit:

11. Upon submit the Equivalent status is ‘Yes’ and the equivalent field is highlighted in green:

5. Validation Errors on the Exam and Interview Forms

1. Missing data in exam fields

1. When an exam form is submitted with blank fields, a red validation error message displays at the top of the form, and red borders display on exam fields which require data:

2. To resolve the validation errors, enter data in the blank fields, and, if applicable, fill in the interview form.
   Re-submit.

2. Missing data in regulatory exam fields for Blaster exams

It is expected that new Blaster (OSBC) exam results will be submitted to the Registry with both technical and regulatory exam data; however, if regulatory exam data is missing, it will not cause a validation error in the Registry.

If regulatory exam data is missing in new Blaster (OSBC) exam results or in existing Blaster (OSBC) exam results, default values of ‘0’ are entered automatically in the date and mark fields and yellow highlighting applied.

When both the regulatory exam date and mark are available,

1. Select Edit Certification:

2. Enter the date and mark and Save Certification Changes:

3. Upon Save, the regulatory exam date and mark are locked from further editing.

3. Missing data in interview fields

Blaster exams with a failing mark are submitted with a blank interview form.

Blaster exams with a passing mark are submitted with a completed interview form.

1. If a blank interview form is submitted for an exam with a passing mark, a red validation error message displays at the top of the exam form, and red borders display on the interview fields which require data:

2. To resolve the validation errors, enter data in the blank fields and Submit:

4. Incorrect data format

Validation errors occur on exam and interview fields when the data submitted is in an incorrect format.

To resolve a validation error:

1. Hover the cursor over the field to view the tool tip message displaying details about the expected format:

2. Enter the data in the expected format and click on Submit:

7. PHOTO FOR SECURE PHOTO ID

1. Upload Photo

Clients who achieve a passing grade on a new Blaster certification are issued a certificate and a secure photo ID. A photograph of the certified person is required for the secure photo ID.

Designated staff are responsible for taking photographs and administering photograph files, to ensure they meet the standards and criteria required for successful printing. No selfies please.

See Section 7.2 Photographs, for information on photograph standards and file criteria.

To upload a photo for the new Blaster certification:

1. Click on Upload Photo below the client details:

2. In the ‘Upload a Photo’ app, click on Click to select an image:

3. Navigate to the folder in your directory where the photo files are stored:

4. Select the photo file and click on Open:

5. Ensure that the green checkmarks  are displaying next to all the criteria and then click on Submit:

6. Upon successful submission of the photo, it is saved in the Registry’s Photo App, and:

1. The ‘Photo status’ changes from ‘None’ to ‘Current’ (or from ‘Expired’ to ‘Current’ if another Blaster certification is present):

2. If the status of the Criminal Record Check is:

1. ‘Pending’, the queued status changes from ‘Pending’ to ‘Waiting’. The CRC must be completed before the certificate and photo ID are added to the print queue.
2. ‘Completed’, the queued status changes from ‘Pending’ to ‘Yes’, and the certificate and photo ID are automatically added to the print queue.

3. Once the queued status is ‘Yes’ the Registry generates a Blaster certificate and secure photo ID in PDF format, and adds them to the queue for printing by BC Mail Plus. BC Mail Plus downloads the certificate files for printing and shipping and clears the queue.

7. After BC Mail downloads and clears the queue:

1. The Queued status changes to ‘No’.
2. The Last Printed By field displays the username of the person who downloaded the queue.
3. The Last Printed Date field displays the date of the queue download:

2. Photographs

1. Photographer Instructions

Photographers taking photographs of the client must ensure the photograph meets the standards.

Once you’ve taken the photo and ensured that it meets the standards, please send the photo file to the Ministry for processing and uploading to the Registry. Email: mine.certifications@gov.bc.ca

2. Photo Administrator Instructions, Adobe Photoshop (Online Version)

Upon receipt of the photo file from the photographer, check that the photograph standards have been met.

See Section 7.2.1 Photographer Instructions.

In preparation for upload to the Registry:

1. Open the photo file in Photoshop:

2. Select the crop tool from the tool bar on the left-hand side:

3. In the top bar you will see a dropdown menu. Select W x H x Resolution:

4. Next to the dropdown menu, in the ‘width’ field enter ‘175’ px. In the ‘height’ field, enter ‘225’ px:

5. Drag the crop tool over the image to select the area you want to capture:

6. In the top bar, click the checkmark to confirm:

7. In the Menu bar, select File > Save As to create a new copy. 
8. Name the file according to Ministry file name conventions. Example: ‘LastnameFirstname_YYYYMMDD.jpg’
9. When prompted by the JPEG options dialogue:

1. Ensure ‘Quality’ is set to Maximum.
2. Under ‘Format Options’ select Baseline Optimized.
3. Click OK

10. Close the file.
11. Open the Registry, open the client’s record and upload the photo.

See Section 7.1 Upload Photo

3. Photo Validation Criteria

The Registry’s Photo App validates the photo file to ensure that the properties of the file meet the criteria needed to print the photo clearly for the Secure Photo ID.

Upon upload of the photo, if any of the file properties are marked with an X, the photo does not meet the criteria and is considered invalid. The photo cannot be submitted until the file properties are modified to meet the criteria.

When the photo file properties meet the criteria and are all marked with a , the photo can be submitted.

To adjust the photo file properties:

1. Use Photoshop, or similar software, to modify the file properties.
2. When the file properties of the photo meet the criteria, try the ‘Upload Photo’ action again.
3. When all criteria are met, the photo can be submitted.

4. Photo Status

There are three possible values for ‘Photo Status’:

The following table describes possible photo status cases when one or more blaster certificate is present in a client record.

5. Update Photo

Client photos can be updated at any time.

To update a photo in the client record:

1. Click on Update Photo:

2. Follow the steps under Section 7.1 Upload Photo.

8. LEGACY CERTIFICATIONS

1. Add Legacy Certification

To manually add a Legacy certification for the Shiftboss, Fireboss/Coal Competency, Mine Rescue and Blaster categories:

1. Click on Add New Certification:

2. In the exam form, select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ from the ‘Equivalent Certification’ field, as applicable.

3. In the ‘Region’ field, select the client’s region from the dropdown menu.
   If no region is supplied, select ‘Unknown’:

4. In the ‘Type of Mine’ field, select the client’s mine type from the dropdown menu.
   If no mine type is supplied, select ‘Other’:

5. In the ‘Mine Site’ field, select the client’s mine site from the list of British Columbia sites in the dropdown menu.
   If no mine site is supplied, select ‘Other’:

6. In the Certification field, scroll down to the ‘Legacy’ list and select a Legacy certification from the Coal Competency, Fireboss, Mine Rescue, Shiftboss or Blaster categories:

7. In the ‘Offered By’ field, select ‘Other’:

8. The ‘Language’ field is pre-populated with the default value ‘English’. Skip to the next field.

9. In the ‘Exam Date’ field enter the date in the following format, including hyphens:  yyyy-mm-dd:

10. In the ‘Exam Mark’ field, enter the mark:

11. Enter any additional information about the exam in the ‘Exam Comments’ field (up to 3,500 characters):

12. To add the interview details for Legacy Fireboss/Coal Competency, Shiftboss and Blaster certifications,
    See Section 6.2.4 Add Interview.

9. EDIT / DELETE CERTIFICATION

1. Edit Certification

To edit a certification:

1. Under ‘Certification History’, select the certification:

2. At the bottom of the ‘Exam Details’ form, click on Edit Certification:

3. Enter the changes in the editable fields (fields that display with a white background):

4. When you have finished making the changes, click on Save Certification Changes at the bottom of the certification.

2. Edit Blaster Reg Exam

If regulatory exam data is missing in Blaster (OSBC) exam results, default values of ‘0’ are entered automatically in the date and mark fields, and yellow highlighting applied.

To add the actual regulatory exam date and mark in the Registry:

1. Select Edit Certification:

2. Enter the mark AND date and Save Certification Changes:

3. Upon Save, the regulatory exam date and mark are locked from further editing.

3. Edit Blaster Criminal Record Check

For Blaster certifications (OSBC), the Criminal Record Check ‘Pending’ status can be updated to ‘Completed’, using the CRC Completed button:

When the CRC status is ‘Completed’, the CRC field is locked from further editing.

4. Delete Certification

To delete a certification:

1. In the client record, under ‘Certification History’, click on the certification you want to delete:

2.  At the bottom of the certification details, click on Delete Certification:

3. At the prompt, click OK:

4. The exam is deleted, and the certification removed from the ‘Certification History’:

10. VIEW CERTIFICATIONS

1. View Student (Client) Record

A client record includes some or all of the following elements:

• Student Details
• Photo Status
• Certification History
• Certification Details (exam details + regulatory exam, interview details)
• Suspension and Cancellation History
• Provisional Certification Details

2. View Certification History

The ‘Certification History’ displays a list of all the client’s BC Mine Certifications saved in the Registry, which could include Mine Supervisor (2018), Blaster (2022), Shiftboss (2024) and any Legacy Certifications (Shiftboss, Fireboss, Mine Rescue, Blaster).

Certifications are listed in date order, with the newest certification at the top of the list.

Certification History data includes:

1. The ‘Status’ of each certification:

1. Active (pass + un-expired)
2. Expired
3. Failed
4. Suspended
5. Cancelled

2. In the ‘Susp’ column, the number of suspensions issued on a certification, including current and expired suspensions:

3. In the ‘Mine Site’ column, the mine site associated with each certification:

3. View Certification Status

The Certification Status values are defined as follows:

1. Active – means that the certification has a passing grade and is unexpired.
2. Expired – means that the certification had a passing grade but has reached its expiry date and is no longer valid.
3. Failed – means that client did not pass the exam, or passed the exam but failed the interview.  
4. Suspended – means that the certification has been suspended for a period of time set by the issuer.

1. A certification can have one or more suspensions.
2. A suspension can be active or expired.
3.  An active suspension is displayed in the ‘Status’ column as ‘Suspended’ and is also counted in the ‘Suspension’ column.
4. An expired suspension is counted in the ‘Suspension’ column.
5. A suspension can have a start date and end date or can be open ended and have no end date assigned.

5. Cancelled – means that the certification has been cancelled by the issuer.

4. View Mine Supervisor Certification Details

To view the details for a Mine Supervisor certification:

1. Under ‘Certification History’, click on the certification. The selected Mine Supervisor certification is highlighted in yellow, and the details are displayed in the form below.

2. The Certification Details for a Mine Supervisor certification include ‘Exam Details’:

1. The client’s region.
2. The type of mine in which the client is employed.
3. The mine site at which the client is employed.
4. The certification type.
5. The organization that offered the training (Open School).
6. The language of the exam (always ‘English’).
7. The exam mark (a whole number between 0 and 100).
8. Any comments about the exam (up to 3,500 characters).

3. A pass/fail grade based on a mark of 80 or higher to pass the Mine Supervisor exam.
4. An expiry date (exam date + five years) for exams with a passing grade.
5. A queued status of ‘Yes’ or ‘No’:

1. ‘Yes’ means that the certificate and ID card are in the certificate print queue awaiting printing.
2. ‘No’ means that the certificate and ID card are not in the certificate print queue.

6. A last printed by field indicating the BC Mail user who last printed the certificate and card. If the certificate and card have never been printed the field is blank.

7. A last printed date for the certificate and wallet card. If the certificate and card have never been printed the field displays ‘n/a’ (not applicable).

5. Blaster Certifications, 2022

There are seven types of Blaster certification issued by the BC Mine Certifications Program.

6. View Blaster Certification Details

The Certification Details for a Blaster (OSBC) certification include Exam Details for the Technical Exam, Regulatory Exam Details’, ‘Interview Details’ and the Criminal Record Check field.

The Exam Results submitted to the Registry include:

1. Technical exam data:

1. The client’s region.
2. The type of mine in which the person is employed.
3. The mine site at which the person is employed.
4. The certification type.
5. The organization that offered the Blaster training (Open School).
6. The language of the exam (always ‘English’).
7. The technical exam date (YYYY-MM-DD)
8. The technical exam mark (a whole number between 0 and 100).
9. Any comments about the exam (up to 3,500 characters).

2. A pass/fail grade based on the combined result of the Blaster exams + interview:

1. Pass = exam pass + interview pass
2. Fail = exam pass + interview fail
3. Fail = technical exam fail (regulatory exam results must be a pass to be submitted to the Registry).

3. An expiry date for certifications which have a passing grade on both the exam and the interview. The expiry date is based on interview date + five years.

For example, if the interview date is November 15, 2020, the certification expiry date is November 15, 2025:

4. A queued status of ‘Yes’, ‘No’, ‘Pending’ or ‘Waiting’ which depends on the status of the photo and criminal record check:

1. ‘Yes’ means that the certificate & secure photo ID are currently in the queue.
2. ‘No’ means that the certificate & secure photo ID are not in the queue.
3. ‘Pending’ means that a photo of the client needs to be uploaded before the certificate & secure photo ID can be added to the queue.
4. ‘Waiting’ means that the Criminal Record Check needs to be completed before the certificate & secure photo ID can be added to the queue.

5. A last printed by field indicating the BC Mail user who last printed the certificate. If the certificate has never been printed the field is blank.

6. The last printed date for the certificate and secure photo ID card. If the certificate and card have never been printed the field displays ‘n/a’ (not applicable).

7. The Regulatory Exam Details include:

1. Regulatory exam mark (a whole number between 0 and 100).
2. Regulatory exam date (YYYY-MM-DD).

8. The Interview Details include:

1. The name of the interviewer.
2. The province where the interview took place (always ‘BC’).
3. The date of the interview.
4. The interview grade of pass or fail.
5. Any notes about the interview (up to 1,000 characters).
6. The status of the mandatory Criminal Record Check (pending or completed).

7. Check Certification for Equivalent Status

The Certification History displays a list of all the client’s BC Mine Certifications, including Equivalent Blaster, Fireboss, and Shiftboss certifications. To check the equivalency status for an eligible certification:

1. Under ‘Certification History’, select the certification:

2. Under ‘Exam Details’, if the certification is an Equivalent, the ‘Equivalent’ field is present and marked ‘Yes’. The ‘Equivalent’ field is highlighted with a green border:

8. View Equivalent Blaster Certification Details

The Certification Details for an Equivalent certification include a short form of Exam Details and the same Regulatory Exam Details, and Interview Details, and Criminal Record Check information as the B.C. Blaster certification.

11. SUSPENSIONS AND CANCELLATIONS

1. Add Suspension

To add a suspension:

1. Open the client record.
2. Under ‘Certification History’, select the certification being suspended:

3. Below the ‘Certification Details’, click on Suspend Certification:

4. The ‘Issue a Suspension’ dialogue opens:

5. In the ‘Issued By’ field, enter the name of the person issuing the suspension (not the person entering the data):

6. Click in the ‘Start Date’ field and enter the starting date of the suspension.
   Use the calendar to select a date or enter the date manually in the following format, including hyphens: yyyy-mm-dd
   For example: 2021-10-13.

7. If you know the end date of the suspension, enter it in the ‘End Date’ field, otherwise leave the field blank.  

8. To advance the calendar to a future month, click on the ‘next’ icon at the top right corner of the calendar:

9. Add any notes about the Suspension, and Submit:

10. The Suspension and Cancellation History is updated:

11. Hover over the notes box to view notes in a hover box.

12. If the notes field is empty, the notes field displays empty:

2. Edit a Suspension

To edit a suspension, for example to add an end date or add notes:

1. Under the ‘Suspension and Cancellation History’ for the selected certification, click on Edit:

2. In the ‘Edit a Suspension record’ dialogue, enter the date in the ‘End Date’ field, add any notes, and Save Changes:

3. The suspension history is updated: