Feeling frustrated and helpless in the face of the chaos surrounding tariffs and politics in general these days? Well, there’s a valid reason for that, and you’re not alone. …Recent studies have found that exposure to political stress is linked with poorer physical and emotional health, and that most therapists report that their patients discuss politics in their sessions. …while political anxiety isn’t new, it’s arguably been more intense lately given Trump’s “shock and awe” strategy since taking office. …”Our cognitive and emotional systems are not prepared for the constant inflow of information, which means at any given moment we can know every terrible and complex thing happening in the world,” explained Amanda Friesen, an associate professor of political science at Western University.
I can’t believe it has been over a decade since the Wood Pellet Association of Canada’s (WPAC’s) Safety Committee was established. Our initial focus was combustible dust in response to tragic sawmill explosions in British Columbia. Over the years, activities have expanded to all health and safety matters. The committee’s mission is “to improve the wood pellet industry’s collective safety performance, earn a reputation with regulatory authorities and the public as an industry that is highly effective at managing safety, and learn and share best practices regarding safety.” As we enter 2025, I want to reflect on a few past successes and share our 
At its November 2024 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s 
Join us for the Interior Safety Conference (ISC) on Thursday, May 1, 2025! This annual event is a must-attend for BC forestry professionals, offering a unique opportunity to delve into safety-related issues and learn ways to enhance safety across the industry. This Year’s Theme: Building Safety Through Shared Experiences. Gain powerful insights and practical knowledge through a series of compelling presentations by industry experts and speakers. The conference is FREE for anyone working in any phase of the forest industry, from silviculture to harvesting to wood products manufacturing.
Don’t miss the March edition of the BC Forest Safety Council newsletter. It’s jam-packed with information about Safety Heros like Shawn Flynn and Brian Penny. Health updates about pain management, off-road vehicles, managing the last of the snow and daylight savings! How do you stay safe when you find yourself under water? Does your team have an emergency response plan? Plus, what’s new, upcoming events, and even a cheerful rabbit for you to colour in your down moments! Check out this month’s BC Forest Safety News
The Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Appeal Body has denied an appeal from a West Fraser Mills worker who was suspended for one day without pay and received a disciplinary letter that he claimed was retaliation for acting in compliance with workplace safety rules. The appeal panel upheld the original ruling, noting that it properly applied the standard of review in determining the employer had met its burden of proof. The case involved S.G., an employee of West Fraser Mills Ltd., operating as Ranger Board. S.G. filed a complaint under section 19 of Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (the Act), alleging the discipline was imposed in retaliation for acting in compliance with occupational health and safety requirements.
Consultation on proposed B.C. Exposure Limits (ELs) based on the new or revised 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 ACGIH TLVs for selected chemical substances. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) regularly publishes a list of substances for which they have set new or revised Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). A TLV is the airborne concentration of a chemical substance where it is believed that nearly all workers may be exposed over a working lifetime and experience no adverse health effects. TLVs may be expressed as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA), 15-minute short-term exposure limit (STEL), or ceiling limit. Before adopting new or revised TLVs published by the ACGIH, WorkSafeBC reviews relevant data on health effects and the availability of validated sampling methods. …We are requesting stakeholder feedback on the proposed B.C. ELs for 22 substances. Feedback will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 14, 2025.
A division of a forestry and construction company with an office in Prince George lost a review of an arbitrator’s decision that awarded fallers $4,000 each for breach of privacy. At issue was the installation of dash cameras in the company’s four-wheel drive pickups in Campbell River… They began installing the dash cameras in February 2023, prompting the United Steelworkers, Local 1-1937 (USW) to file a grievance. They stated the purpose for the rear-facing dash camera included “road conditions not seen by the forward-facing camera” and monitoring “distractions in cab – eating, texting, smoking, horseplay.” USW did not take issue with collection of GPS information or video from the forward-facing cameras while the crew bus was in motion. Its grievance was about the audio and video collected by the rear-facing camera and video by the forward-facing camera while the vehicle was idle.
In 2008, BCFSC introduced the Leadership in Safety Awards, celebrating individual safety achievements in forestry. Award recipients are recognized in three categories including safety in harvesting, manufacturing and lifetime achievement. Nominations for leaders in forestry safety can be an individual, crew, team, division, contractor, company, supplier, consultant, trainer, etc. for outstanding safety leadership or achievements. There are three award categories for Leadership Safety. The Cary White Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to someone who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improving safety awareness. The Forest Safety Most Valuable Player recognizes an individual or group that has made a notable contribution to forest industry safety within their operation or company. And finally, the Manufacturing Safety Most Valuable Player recognizes an individual or group that has made a notable contribution to wood products manufacturing safety within their operation or company. Deadline for 2025 nominations is September 23, 2025.
While details are minimal to this point, the BC Forest Safety Council is reporting a logging truck driver was killed outside of Logan Lake sometime Monday. According to the Safety Council’s bulletin issued Wednesday, the person was killed December 16th while attempting to “tow a log truck that had spun out on an icy road.” The details on a specific location, as well as the circumstances surrounding the person’s death, have not been detailed. …A separate bulletin issued by the BC Forest Safety Council this week also highlights the dangers that forestry workers face while on the front-lines of felling operations. It points to two separate, non-fatal incidents involving heavy machinery being used in different operations in the Southern Interior this fall, including one near Scotch Creek in the Shuswap. Both involve harvesting in steep-sloped areas.
The more researchers learn about wildfire smoke, the more worrisome the picture gets. Smoke contains microscopic particles known as PM 2.5 because the PM (particulate matter) measures 2.5 microns or less — small enough to easily wiggle its way into our lungs and then into our bloodstreams. Researchers have already connected the particulate matter in wildfire smoke to a higher risk of strokes, heart disease, respiratory disease, lung cancer and other serious conditions. And the harmful effects don’t stop there. 2024 was a banner year for research on wildfire smoke and its impact on health, from brain functioning to fertility. While there’s still a lot more to learn, wildfire smoke is thought to be especially insidious compared to other sources of air pollution; its smaller particle size, intermittent spikes and higher concentration of inflammatory compounds make it more dangerous. This year’s new findings are disturbing. …New estimates predict 125 million Americans will face unhealthy air from wildfires by 2054.
A Washington timber company has been fined nearly $115,000 for child labor violations after a 17-year-old worker was injured while working in a logging operation. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries issued the citation against MVR Timber Cutting Inc. following an investigation into the incident. The investigation began in May 2024 when L&I received a report of a workplace injury involving the teen, who fractured his foot while jumping between tree stumps. Upon learning that the minor was working as a member of the company’s logging crew, L&I expanded its investigation. …In January, L&I fined MVR Timber Cutting Inc. $56,000 for allowing the minor to work in logging operations 56 times. State regulations prohibit minors under 18 from working in jobs requiring more extensive personal protective equipment than boots, gloves, and safety glasses. Additionally, state law bans teens from working in hard hat zones, prompting L&I to issue an additional $56,000 fine for the 56 violations of that regulation.
Firefighters in southern California are battling the Palisades and Eaton Fires. …Residents of many fire-prone areas have grown familiar with the orange, apocalyptic haze of wildfire smoke as these blazes have become more common because of climate change. Such smoke can contain an unpredictable cocktail of chemicals associated with heart and lung diseases and even cancer, which is the leading cause of death among firefighters. Here’s what makes wildfire smoke so dangerous. When trees, shrubbery and other organic matter burn, they release carbon dioxide, water, heat—and, depending on the available fuel, various volatile compounds, gaseous pollutants and particulate matter. Those tiny particles, which become suspended in the air, can include soot (black carbon), metals, dust, and more. If they’re smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, they can evade our body’s natural defenses when inhaled, penetrating deep into the lungs and triggering a wide variety of health problems.
…Endless hours in front of devices are quietly rewriting the blueprint of childhood, reshaping the way that young people think, interact, develop, and experience the world. Young people today spend between 5 and 9 hours staring at screens, but less than 10 minutes a day enjoying time playing in nature. The result? Rising rates of anxiety, body image dissatisfaction, reduced attention spans, waning creativity, and sleepless nights. Brain scans show kids glued to screens experience premature thinning in the prefrontal cortex—the brain’s control centre for impulse control, attention, emotional regulation, and decision-making. …But there is a solution… The antidote is far simpler than reducing screen time. It’s the original technology: nature. …One movement helping to lead this reconnection is the forest school. Forest schools are built on a simple but radical idea: the best classroom doesn’t have walls. Here, nature is a teacher.