Category Archives: Health & Safety

B.C. Wildfire Service’s operations director says in his 21 years with the organization he’s “never felt the heaviness that we are feeling this season.” Cliff Chapman took the opportunity to address the recent wildland firefighter deaths in B.C. and the Northwest Territories and Alberta during the latest wildfire and drought update. “I started as a firefighter as a 17-year-old kid and have worked my way through the organization to now where I’m director of provincial operations of the Wildfire service. I’ve never felt the heaviness that we are feeling this season with the tragic loss of two individuals with B.C. wildfires. There is a lot of grief within the organization and beyond.” But Chapman said crews continue to show up everyday to support the firefighting effort on the ground, while making the difficult decision to leave their families and livelihoods behind.

Riel Allain loved fighting fires, and he had no plans to stop. In 2021, Allain was a smokejumper, a group of elite firefighters who leap from planes to form the first line of defence against wildfires. Allain joined the BC Wildfire Service out of university in 2016, thinking fighting fires sounded better than office drudgery. The 2021 season was one of the worst on record. This was the year of the heat dome, when the town of Lytton burned to the ground. …But Allain entered the season with high spirits. He had been a smoke jumper since 2017, had seen his share of bad seasons and wanted to pursue firefighting as a full-time career. That year, Allain quit his firefighting job. He is among scores of veterans who have left B.C.’s professional wildfire team in recent years even as the province’s fire seasons get longer and more destructive as a result of climate change.

Climate change may be increasing the risk of contracting Lyme disease in Canada, with warmer temperatures causing tick season to start earlier, lasting longer and creating a larger area for ticks to be able to survive. Muhammad Morshed, a professor at UBC’s faculty of medicine and expert on Lyme disease and emerging pathogens, has completed studies on the disease to better understand where it is and how much it is spreading. There are 12 to 18 cases of lime disease per year in B.C. and half of those are travel-related cases, according to Morshed. “In B.C., fewer ticks carry Lyme disease bacteria compared to eastern Canada and the eastern U.S,” Morshed. “Since ticks spread among animals during mating, climate-related changes in animal populations may allow ticks to slowly expand into areas where they weren’t seen before,” Morshed said.

Peter Jackson

Air pollution is a silent killer that claims the lives of seven million people every year on this planet. …the advent of low-cost monitors to detect the smallest particles of pollutants that can lead to health problems peaked the interest of UNBC environmental science professor Dr. Peter Jackson. Six years ago, Jackson’s group …began researching the capabilities and accuracy of $300 air-quality sensors as compared to $30,000 sensors used by government agencies to track the spread of air pollution. The UNBC researchers partnered with Environment and Climate Change Canada to set up a network of the cheaper sensors at hundreds of locations across the country to produce an internet-based national air quality map that provides real-time counts of fine particulates detrimental to health. …people can use the map to determine if they should go for a run outdoors or minimize physical activity and just stay inside to keep from breathing harmful air.

The B.C. government is mandating the use of electronic logging devices in all commercial vehicles in B.C. The requirement takes effect across B.C. on Tuesday (Aug. 1). ELDs automatically track drivers’ time behind the wheel and their introduction aligns with federal regulations that Transport Canada established for the inter-provincial trucking sector in 2021 with all provinces and territories behind the measure. Enforcement of the federal regulations began on Jan. 1 and the requirement for ELDs in B.C. was announced in February, giving B.C. carriers six months to install ELDs throughout their fleets and to complete driver and dispatcher training. Government hopes that ELDs will reduce the likelihood of driving while tired and help ensure drivers stick to the allowable regulation driving time in a day.

A large fire has sparked in an industrial area of Merritt Saturday afternoon.  The fire is located off Houston Street and appears to have originated as a slash pile at a wood processing plant that got out of control due to strong winds in the area shortly before 4 p.m. July 29.  Merritt Fire Rescue is responding to the “major fire” at the old Tolko site, the City of Merritt said in a press release.    “Neighbouring communities are providing assistance with mutual aid, and we are working with BC Wildfire Service and Emergency Management and Climate Readiness BC, “the city said.  The city’s emergency operations centre has been activated to support the response.  A helicopter could be seen dumping buckets of water, and water bombers have repeatedly attacked the blaze.

A 25-year-old firefighter has been killed in northeastern B.C., marking the second such fatality in the province this month and the fourth in Canada during this year’s record fire season.  A release from the RCMP says the 25-year-old man from Ontario was working Friday just before 11 a.m. in a remote area about 150 kilometres north of Fort St. John when his heavy-duty ATV rolled over a steep drop on a gravel road.   Police say the victim, who has not been identified publicly, was transported by helicopter to Fort St. John but died en route.  The RCMP say a workplace fatality investigation is underway involving the police, B.C. Coroners Service, WorkSafeBC and the B.C. Wildfire Service.  Provincial officials have confirmed the man was a contracted firefighter working for the wildfire service through a private B.C. company and died while fighting the almost 6,000-square-kilometre Donnie Creek blaze.

…According to a news release from British Columbia’s Conservation Officer Service, a bear, believed to be a grizzly, attacked and seriously injured a 21-year-old woman who was planting trees in an area southwest of Bearhole Lake Provincial Park/Protected Area near Tumbler Ridge when the incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. July 6.  Officers determined the attack was defensive in nature and because of the remote proximity of the location, they believe the risk to public safety is low and are not undertaking any trapping efforts.  Officials reported the bear first bluff-charged and the victim retreated to a nearby roadway, where the bear attacked. The bear eventually stopped and ran off. A co-worker came to the woman’s aid and called for help.  The victim, who was interviewed by Conservation Officers, remains in hospital in stable condition.

As more emergency alerts are issued this summer in British Columbia’s ongoing response to wildfires, some residents say the lack of a centralized warning system is causing confusion and leaving them on edge. Regional districts and First Nations issue evacuation orders and alerts for residents in their jurisdiction after co-ordinating their response with the provincial government and the B.C. Wildfire Service. But while Emergency Info B.C. ultimately collates all the alerts across the province, when it comes to real-time alerts, residents say they’ve faced confusing choices between the official B.C. Wildfire app, social media and third-party alert services — with the current turmoil at Twitter highlighting the unreliability of popular social media platforms. …B.C. Wildfire Service says there is a “known issue” with the app that occasionally stops emergency alerts from displaying on its map. …Ministry of Emergency Management said that familiarizing oneself with the local district’s emergency protocols should be part of emergency kit planning.

Our Policy, Regulation and Research Department is releasing a discussion paper with proposed policies regarding two new provisions of the Workers Compensation Act: the duty to cooperate and the duty to maintain employment. The proposed policies provide guidance on these new provisions, added to the Act by the Workers Compensation Amendment Act (No. 2), 2022(Bill 41). The discussion paper and information on how to provide feedback can be found here: Proposed policies regarding duty to cooperate and duty to maintain employment. You’re invited to provide feedback on the options until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, September 1, 2023. WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors will consider stakeholder feedback before making a decision on the proposed policies.

With smoke conditions in some parts of BC so severe and obviously hazardous, planting crews in the thick of it are now standing down until conditions improve. But it’s not always clear—when it comes to smoke and heat—just when it’s unsafe to work outside. WorkSafeBC has some general guidelines for heat stress. And research continues into smoke. But for a forestry crew leader looking at temperature, humidity, and smoke and sometimes all three together on a worksite, they need more specific guidance around safe exposure thresholds. While we break worldwide heat records research is showing cardiovascular strain can occur at 34ºC under humid conditions. Some wood smoke particles can directly enter our bloodstream posing a pernicious threat. Wildfire dirt, the kind that firefighters get on their clothes and themselves, is also hazardous as it’s absorbed through our skin. Planters working on dry burned ground may have the same risks. [scroll to the second story in this newsletter]

A British Columbia wildfire fighter died Thursday after being injured responding to a blaze, the B.C. Wildfire Service confirmed late Thursday night. The crew member, a young woman, was battling a wildfire outside of Revelstoke — a community in B.C.’s southeastern interior, about 150 kilometres west of the Alberta border — said the B.C. General Employees’ Union, which represents the approximately 1,600 wildfire fighters employed in B.C. each year. “Each and every one is committed to ensuring that their fellow members return from work safely while protecting our resources and our communities. Unfortunately, incidents like today’s remind us all how dangerous this work can be,” read the statement. …RCMP and WorkSafeBC are investigating the death, a BCWS spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement to CBC News. While the BCGEU did name the individual, CBC News is verifying whether her next of kin have been notified. …It has been nearly three years since a firefighter has died in the line of duty in B.C.

The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has sent out an urgent warning to all British Columbians regarding drone usage near active wildfires. Over the weekend, a fire started in Ellison Provincial Park, between Vernon and Kelowna. The blaze was held quickly thanks to the work of Vernon firefighters and crews from the BCWS. However, crews noted a drone buzzing in the area where they were trying to work. Transport Canada and the BCWS says the use of drones near a wildfire is “explicitly prohibited.” The BCWS says the operation of any aircraft not associated with the firefighting effort can not only hamper or shut down operations, but it puts hardworking firefighters at risk. “If a drone collides with firefighting aircraft, the consequences could be deadly. In the interest of air crew and public safety, British Columbians are asked to keep their drones well away from wildfires,” says the agency.

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — A tree planter has been attacked by a bear in northeastern British Columbia. Few details have been released, but a statement from the Conservation Officer Service says it happened Thursday near Tumbler Ridge. The statement says the victim has been airlifted to hospital in Prince George. The service has not said if the attack involved a grizzly or a black bear. It says four officers have been assigned to investigate what happened. They will determine next steps if they can track and identify the bear to determine why it might have charged. [END]

Adrian Dix

Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, has issued the following statement in recognition of National Injury Prevention Day, July 5, 2023: “Today, we pause to reflect on the significance of promoting safety to prevent injuries in our everyday lives. …“Preventable injury kills more children than any disease, and more youth than all other causes combined. Falls are the leading cause of injury, deaths, hospitalizations, emergency department visits and disabilities. Overall, preventable injuries cost the B.C. economy $4.3 billion in 2018, including $2.7 billion in direct health-care costs. …“Today, I encourage everyone in B.C. to visit the sites below for greater awareness, to promote safety and prevent injuries in their homes, workplaces and communities. Together, we will build a safer future for all of us.”