Category Archives: Health & Safety

Health & Safety

How does wildfire smoke affect long-term health? Researchers are trying to find out

By Isabelle Gallant
CBC Radio
June 1, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

Wildfire smoke has also been affecting air quality for millions of people in this country, causing short-term health effects such as burning eyes, sore throat, cough and headache. …”I always talk about people with chronic respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD as the canaries in the coal mine of wildfire smoke,” Sarah Henderson, an epidemiologist who researches wildfire smoke. …One of the known dangers of wildfire smoke is particulate matter. Any particles smaller than 2.5 microns can infiltrate the lungs and cross the blood-brain barrier. When PM2.5 gets into your lungs, your body’s immune system kicks into gear, similar to the way it would treat a virus or bacteria, said Henderson. But those tiny smoke particles can’t be killed the way viruses or bacteria can be, so your immune system just keeps working. That can bring on systemic inflammation in the body, which can lead over time to chronic diseases such as heart disease.

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Preventing Mold on Pallets: A Shared Responsibility for Pallet Suppliers and Users

By Rick LeBlanc
Pallet Enterprise
June 1, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, United States

To keep pallets dry, pallet decision-makers must pay attention to handling and storage practices not only at the pallet manufacturer but also during transport and usage. As temperatures and humidity levels increase, fuzzy mold problems are more likely to grow and that can happen fast! Mold growth on wood can begin within 24-48 hours of getting wet. Once activated by moisture, mold can germinate and proliferate, especially in warm and humid conditions. …According to Dr. White, preventing the spread of mold is a shared responsibility between pallet suppliers and pallet buyers. He stressed, “It takes a collaborative effort to deter mold growth as pallets travel the length of the supply chain.” …In this article, we briefly review the basics of mold, how it differs from sapstain or bluestain, discuss handling best practices, and discuss the role of chemical mold inhibitors.

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Are safety leaders underestimating impact of climate change?

By Shane Mercer
Canadian Occupational Safety
May 26, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

Technical Safety BC has unveiled its highly anticipated 2022 State of Safety Report. It sheds light on the safety challenges facing the province, which are heavily influenced by the risks and hazards created by climate change. …”I think we all are underestimating the impact of climate change on our work settings,” says Phil Gothe about health and safety professionals. “It’s human nature. We tend to normalize it and become desensitized to it.” Gothe is the president and lead executive officer at Technical Safety BC. …Gothe believes there is an urgent need to understand and mitigate the consequences of climate change on various aspects of workplace safety. During his 14 years with Technical Safety BC, he says wildfires and flooding have gone from being novel occurrences, to expected annual events. He says safety leaders need to reassess and adapt approaches to safety considering changing environmental conditions.

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Canada’s out-of-control wildfires are visible from space

By Nikitha Martins
The Daily Hive
May 17, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

Wildfires scorching hundreds of thousands of hectares between BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan have sent massive plumes of smoke into the air, and they can even be seen from space. NASA shared a photo taken by a satellite Tuesday that showed smoke from fires sweeping over southern Canada. “Smoke from the fires has caused poor air quality and reduced visibility in several cities,” a statement from NASA reads. “Air quality conditions on May 16 in some Alberta cities were ranked as ‘very high risk’—the highest ranking in Canada’s Air Quality Health Index.” Lahore, Pakistan, had the worst air quality last year. Its score today is 153, 135 points healthier than Calgary. Calgary is expected to be in the high-risk zone for the rest of Wednesday, while Thursday is anticipated to see a moderate risk.

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Wood Pellet Association of Canada launches free online interactive operator safety training platform

By Fahimeh Yazdan Panah, Director of Research & Technical Development
Wood Pellet Association of Canada
May 15, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

Operator safety training for wood pellet manufacturers has officially risen to the next level. Safety training is now available anytime, anywhere – and it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 – thanks to a new online platform that delivers a free, comprehensive, digital e-learning, safety training program for plant operators and supervisors across companies. The Wood Pellet Association of Canada will host a short webinar, only 15 minutes, on May 30, 2023 at 10 A.M. PST  to demonstrate the platform’s ease and functionality. Developed by a team of safety specialists, WPAC and the BC Forest Safety Council, the online training system includes videos, industry resources and built-in knowledge assessments. Funding was provided by WorkSafe BC. Before launching the platform, the system was tested by pellet plant operators from British Columbia and Nova Scotia.

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Safety warning regarding illegal and dangerous drone use near firefighting operations in Western Canada

By Transport Canada
Cision Newswire
May 11, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

OTTAWA, ON – Transport Canada is closely monitoring the wildfires throughout British Columbia, Alberta and the Prairies, and their impact on the national transportation system. The department remains in continuous contact with local authorities, and the Government of Canada will be there for impacted communities. In order to ensure everyone stays safe, the department wants to remind the public that: You cannot operate an aircraft or a drone within 9.3 km of wildfires. It is illegal, you could be impeding firefighting operations, and you could be subject to a fine and/or jail time; If unauthorized drones are present, firefighting aircraft must be grounded and crews must suspend operations. This puts lives and communities at great risk; If you see unsafe or illegal drone use, report it to local law enforcement. Provide as much information as possible so that incidents can be reviewed more effectively (for example, clear photos or videos, date, time, drone type, other identifying marks, etc.). All travellers should exercise caution around fires.

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Air quality advisories in western Canada due to fires, as East Coast braces for May snowstorm

By Natasha O’Neill
CTV News
May 8, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

Temperatures and weather conditions are varying greatly across Canada this week. …Environment Canada issued weather advisories and some alerts for seven provinces, each for different reasons. On Canada’s east coast, communities will be buried in 15 to 25 centimetres of snow overnight into Tuesday morning. …In the west, for more than a week, fires have been spreading across Alberta due to higher-than-normal temperatures and a lack of rain. As of Monday morning, 105 wildfires are burning across the province. As of Monday, 26.6 per cent of fires are considered out of control. …In B.C., 131 fires have been recorded since January. Due to the fires, Environment Canada has issued special air quality statements to most of northern Alberta, parts of northern B.C., and a small part of northwestern Saskatchewan. “Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health even at low concentrations,” the air statement reads. …In Ontario and Quebec the flood risk remains high… after more than 60 mm of rain.

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BC Forest Safety Council News

BC Forest Safety Council
June 1, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Welcome to the Summer edition of Forest Safety News, covering news about safety topics in forestry. 

Preparing for the Wildfire Season: As summer approaches, the impact of wildfires across BC weighs heavily on our minds. In the past two years, British Columbia has experienced devastating and lengthy wildfire seasons with hot, dry conditions contributing to significant wildfire events, leaving BC residents on edge and anxiously waiting for what this year will bring. …Although it may be too early to fully predict the extent of the upcoming wildfire season, the BC Wildfire Service notes the extent of any fire season will be dependent mostly upon weather conditions but also in large part to human behaviour. But rest assured, they will be well staffed this year with close to 2,000 wildfire staff and approximately 700 contractors at the ready to fight fires this summer.

How the BC Forest Safety Council is incorporating Artificial Intelligence into our work: People have been using AI (sometimes unknowingly) for many years, from improving our web searches in Google to providing recommendations on Netflix based on what we’ve watched. Recent advancements in this technology have created new opportunities, but it has also come with plenty of controversy!

 

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Leadership in Safety Awards Nominations Now Open

BC Forest Safety Council
May 31, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Each year, BCFSC celebrates individual safety achievements in forestry. Nominations are now being accepted for safety in harvesting, manufacturing, and lifetime achievement. If you know a leader in forestry safety, then nominate an individual, crew, team, division, contractor, company, supplier, consultant, trainer, etc. (basically anyone that deserves to be recognized for outstanding safety leadership or achievements) you can nominate them by sending an email to the BC Forest Safety Council.

There are three award categories for Leadership Safety.

  1. Cary White Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award – This special award is presented to someone who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improving safety awareness, expanding safety knowledge, developing safety skills at ground level and building a lasting culture of safety among BC’s forestry workers.
  2. Forest Safety Most Valuable Player (MVP) – This award recognizes an individual or group that has made a notable contribution to forest industry safety within their operation or company.
  3. Manufacturing Safety Most Valuable Player (MVP)This award recognizes an individual or group that has made a notable contribution to wood products manufacturing safety within their operation or company.

Leadership in Safety Award recipients will be honoured in person during the Vancouver Island Safety Conference on October 28th, 2023, in Nanaimo.

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Alberta wildfires: Bothered by smoke? An N95 mask is best, experts suggest

By Nicole Ireland
Canadian Press in Global News
May 18, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

As air quality due to wildfire smoke remains poor in parts of Western Canada, health experts are advising people to stay inside as much as possible. But they say if you need to be outside, wear a mask. Calgary respirologist Dr. Alex Chee says N95 masks do the best job of filtering out smoke particles. But if people only have surgical masks, he says that’s better than nothing. Chee says wildfire smoke can cause both lung and heart problems. …There are things people can use to reduce the smoke’s effect, says Dr. Anne Hicks, a pediatric respirologist and assistant professor at the University of Alberta. “Because of the pandemic, a lot of people have added HEPA filtration or MERV filtration to their businesses, which means we have more safe places to be indoors.”

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Extremely poor air quality expected as wildfire smoke sweeps across Manitoba

By Danton Unger
CTV News Winnipeg
May 17, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Wildfire smoke sweeping across the prairies is expected to cause ‘extremely poor’ air quality in parts of central and southern Manitoba including Winnipeg Wednesday. In a special air quality statement, Environment Canada and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said a cold front in Manitoba is bringing smoke from wildfires in northern Saskatchewan. The smoke is expected to hit the Red River Valley around noon today, causing ‘extremely poor air quality and reduced visibility.’ “Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,” the statement reads. “That being said, as the front carrying the plume of smoke initially approaches, expect conditions to swiftly deteriorate.” Neil Johnston, president and CEO of the Manitoba Lung Association, said for those living with lung health issues this smoky weather is a major concern. He said even for healthy people, prolonged exposure can have an impact.

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Engaging workers in health & safety | Reducing violence in the workplace

WorkSafeBC
May 18, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

In this edition of Health and Safety Enews, learn more about engaging workers in health and safety. Ensuring your workers are represented and engaged contributes to a healthier and safer workplace. Have a conversation about safety with your team, build on their input, and make sure they feel heard.

  • Keeping young workers healthy and safe on the job Talking to young workers about health and safety in the workplace — and providing proper training and orientation — helps to keep everyone safe in the workplace. Young workers should know how to talk to their supervisor if something feels unsafe.
  • Planning work around high-voltage equipment? “Plan for 10.” Work near high-voltage electrical equipment or conductors must be carefully planned and carried out to prevent worker contact with electricity. Stay 10 feet (3 metres) from high-voltage lines.
  • Reducing violence in the workplace Violence incidents in the workplace have increased 25 percent in the last 5 years. 

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‘He’s a hero’: Veteran Alberta firefighter in coma after wildfire injury

By Meaghan Archer
Global News
May 16, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

A veteran Alberta wildland firefighter is in the hospital after suffering a serious injury while battling the wildfire in his home community. On May 5, the wildfire hit East Prairie Metis Settlement quickly, as fires broke out across the province. Within minutes, residents were fleeing for safety — relatives came to Frankie Payou and Melodie Robinson’s home to warn them it was time to evacuate. …With 14 years of firefighting under his belt, Payou fire-proofed the family’s home, then started to do the same for others. He was gone not even 15 minutes when his own home caught fire, said Jessica Supernault, a relative of Robinson’s. His mother’s house also caught fire and burned. …On May 14, Robinson, who was staying at a hotel with her children, received a call that Payou was being transported to the hospital after a tree fell on his head, leaving him unconscious.

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Calgary air quality deteriorates as wildfires rage in Western Canada

By Rod Nickel
Reuters
May 16, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Western Canadian city of Calgary received a special weather alert on Tuesday, warning residents of poor air quality and reduced visibility as tinder-dry weather and shifting winds elevated the risk of spreading wildfires in the oil-producing province of Alberta. Some 90 wildfires are active in Alberta, with 23 out of control, according to the provincial government, forcing about 20,000 people out of their homes. At one point the fires forced oil and gas producers to shut in at least 319,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, or 3.7% of national production. …A cold front bringing gusty northwest wind, but little rain, was likely on Tuesday, according to Environment Canada’s weather department. The change in wind direction can pose a problem for firefighters as the path of the fires changes suddenly, said Christie Tucker, spokesperson for the Alberta Wildfire agency.

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Forest fire smoke arrives, prompting Special Air Quality Statement

Pembina Valley Online
May 16, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Southern Manitoba residents could start to see and smell it over the weekend and Monday, and as of Tuesday morning forest fire smoke has definitely arrived in the region. Environment Canada has issued a Special Air Quality Statement for much of the region west of the Red River to the Saskatchewan border, and northward to the Riding Mountain National Park area. “An upper northwesterly flow in the atmosphere has acted like a conveyor belt, transporting that forest fire smoke from northern Alberta and B.C. to our area,” explained CMOS Accredited Weathercaster Chris Sumner. “Based on the current forecast models, it’s likely we will see hazy and smoky conditions for much of the week, ahead of May long weekend.”

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County of Grande Prairie warns of danger when residents fight wildfires themselves

The Canadian Press in Global News
May 13, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

ALBERTA — As frustration mounts over the response to wildfires that have forced thousands of Albertans to flee their homes and rural properties, one county is warning its residents against “unsanctioned acts” it says put lives in danger. The County of Grande Prairie issued a statement saying a member of the public who was operating their own personal bulldozer on Friday “put themselves and crews in danger by knocking trees into the fire and nearly running over fire crews and their equipment.” The statement says it’s imperative people understand that decisions on how to fight fires are highly coordinated and members of the public cannot act on their own, even if they mean well. …Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was in Grande Prairie… said the government had just approved construction of  “a pretty extensive fire guard for the city.”

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People encouraged to prepare for floods, wildfire risks due to anticipated heat

By Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Government of British Columbia
May 11, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

With unseasonably hot weather forecast for most parts of British Columbia this weekend and into next week, people are encouraged to stay informed about potential risks. Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a special weather statement for unseasonably hot weather, which is expected to begin Friday, May 12, 2023, and last until Tuesday, May 16 on the coast, and Wednesday, May 17 in the Interior. …People are encouraged to frequently monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The forecast heat is expected to accelerate the snowmelt at higher elevations, which will increase pressure on the province’s rivers and streams. …People are advised to keep away from river edges and shorelines. …At this time of year, the main cause of wildfires is human activity. The BC Wildfire Service encourages everyone to exercise caution when conducting any open burning or participating in activities that could cause a wildfire.

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Consultation on proposed amendments to Part 5 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation

WorkSafeBC
May 11, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Our Policy, Regulation and Research Department is requesting feedback on proposed amendments to Part 5, Chemical Agents and Biological Agents, sections 5.97 to 5.105, of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The consultation phase gives stakeholders an opportunity to share feedback before the proposed amendments are taken to public hearing. View the proposed regulatory amendments and information on how to provide feedback. Please provide your feedback by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, June 19, 2023.

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Just how far has Alberta wildfire smoke traveled?

By Adam Frisk
CTV News
May 9, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Smoke from raging wildfires in Alberta now stretches across the country, creating hazy skies in several provinces. About 20,000 people have been forced from their homes while about 90 wildfires burn in Alberta, 25 of them listed as out of control blazes as of Tuesday morning. A real-time tracking map created by AirNow, which monitors wildfires and air quality in North America, shows the extent of the reach of smoke from the blazes. The map shows how the smoke first travelled north into Yukon and Northwest Territories before heading east into Nunavut. … Air quality statements are in effect for large portions of Alberta, into Sask. and B.C. due to the wildfire smoke. “Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,” ECCC warned on Tuesday.

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Concerns swirl over Golden’s air quality

By Barb Brouwer
The Golden Star
May 9, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

GOLDEN, BC — Whether from wildfires or slash burning, where there is smoke, there is particulate. Particle pollution is a mixture of microscopic solids and liquid droplets suspended in air and produced by a variety of emissions such as wildfire smoke, open burning of slash, residential wood smoke, road dust and local industry activity, among others. Particulate matter impacts health and levels in Golden are often higher than in many other communities in the province. …By virtue of the area’s topography, inversions are common, particularly in winter when many residents burn wood to heat their homes, says Town of Golden Mayor Ron Oszust. …“The catalyst was the industry slash pile” he said. “We realized it would be a whole lot better to have a bit of smoke than to have a full-out forest fire at our doorstep burning us out.”

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British Columbians urged to remain cautious as water levels stabilize, wildfire risk increases

By Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Government of British Columbia
May 8, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Lighter than expected rainfall last weekend has relieved pressure on watersheds in B.C.’s Interior, however, people are urged to remain vigilant as conditions can change quickly and warm temperatures are expected this weekend. Based on forecasting from Environment and Climate Change Canada and the River Forecast Centre, precipitation levels for this week are expected to be mild, which will give rivers and streams in the Interior time to stabilize. Warming temperatures … are expected to progress the snowmelt at higher elevations, which may reintroduce pressure on watersheds in the Interior and increase the risk of wildfire. …There are currently 62 active wildfires in BC, with two new fires over the past 24-hours. Of these 62 active incidents, 91% are under control or being held. Only five active incidents remain out of control. The BC Wildfire Service is also providing wildfire response support to Alberta and has deployed one Incident Management Team, structure protection crews and equipment.

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B.C. officials provide update on flooding and wildfire situations province-wide

By Becca Clarkson
CTV News
May 8, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

British Columbia’s government is bracing for more spring flood events and early-season wildfires this month, as several communities across the province recover from natural disasters that hit last week. Bowinn Ma, the minister of emergency management and climate readiness, and Bruce Ralston, the forests minister, provided an update Monday afternoon on flooding and wildfires of concern in B.C. The event was held after three Broadcast Intrusive Alerts were issued over the weekend for communities Peace River region due to wildfires, while other regions in the Southern Interior dealt with flooding in the wake of rapid snow melt. “Fortunately, over the weekend, the rain was less severe than forecasted. Because of this, communities that faces challenges last week such as Cache Creek, Okanagan Indian Band and Grand Forks can expect a period of stabilization for the rivers throughout this week,” Ma said, addressing the flooding events specifically.

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BC SAFE Forestry Advocate Issues Flood and Travel Alert for Planting and Forestry Crews

By Jordan Tesluk, Forestry Safety Advocate
Western Forestry Contractors’ Association
May 5, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

High temperatures have caused flooding, landslides, and avalanches in various parts of British Columbia this spring. These events occur more frequently with extreme weather and can pose significant risks to workers finding their way to bush camps. The recent highway closures in Cache Creek resulted in multiple groups of workers attempting to follow overland routes identified in Google Maps and several brushes with disaster. In one case, a group of workers nearly slid off a steep wilderness road northwest of Kamloops after having to turn around due to flooding and washouts. Contractors should communicate with their workers and provide clear instructions for safe travel to the worksite, monitor changes in conditions and road closures, and provide updates to workers through mailing lists or other means. 

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May 2023 virtual public hearing on proposed regulatory amendments

WorkSafeBC
May 3, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

WorkSafeBC will be holding a virtual public hearing on proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The virtual public hearing will be streamed live on May 9, 2023, in two sessions. The first will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the second from 3 to 5 p.m. We welcome your feedback on the proposed amendments. All feedback received will be presented to WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors for their consideration. More information about the proposed amendments and how to participate in the virtual public hearing can be found on worksafebc.com.

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Safety training for your summer students

BC Forest Safety Council
May 1, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

If you are hiring summer students this year, take a look at the free online training, resources and assessment checklists the BC Forest Safety Council has to offer to help with your orientation.

Free Online Training
Forest Safety Worker Training and Assessments
Basic Forest Worker
Resource Road Driver Knowledge Unit
Introduction to Dangerous Trees on Forestry Worksites

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Air quality in parts of Northwestern Ontario impacted by Alberta fires

The Thunder Bay News Watch
May 15, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada East

THUNDER BAY — Environment Canada has issued special air quality statements for parts of Northwestern Ontario as a result of smoke drifting east from forest fires in Alberta. So far in the Thunder Bay area, the smoke has not dropped to ground level, but smoke in the upper atmosphere has caused a gray and hazy sky. “Of course the big concern is if the smoke is reaching the ground,” meteorologist Gerald Cheng said. “There are already air quality statements for places like Sandy Lake and Deer Lake.” Smoke can impact human health in various degrees, from mild to more severe. Cheng said Environment Canada will continue to monitor the situation, and will issue additional advisories if necessary. …Firesmoke.ca is tracking the movement of smoke from the Alberta fires.

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Smoke from Canadian fires is pouring into the US and could linger for days

By Melissa Alonso
CNN
May 21, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States

Smoke from wildfires in Canada is moving into parts of the central US and could linger in the days ahead, health and weather officials warned Thursday. Air quality alerts have been posted as of early Friday across several states, including Nebraska, Washington, Montana and Wisconsin, with a special weather statement about air quality in Wyoming. The heaviest smoke concentrations should shift further east into the Midwest later in the day, affecting major metro areas including Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Louis. …In Nebraska, “Canadian wildfire smoke is going to move through the area today through tomorrow morning, resulting in potentially dangerous air quality and poor visibility across eastern Nebraska and Iowa. Limit outdoor activities if possible when the air quality is poor!” the National Weather Service in Omaha tweeted Thursday.

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Innovations in Fire & Explosion Protection

By Keith Loria
Biomass Magazine
May 18, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States

Improvements and innovations in fire and explosion protection have come at a steady pace in recent years. Pellet Mill Magazine spoke with five experts about the latest innovative products: Jeramy Slaunwhite for Rembe; David Grandaw for IEP Technologies; Allen Wagoner of FLAMEX; Jason Krbec for CV Technology; and Eric Peterson of Fagus GreCon.

  • Slaunwhite: The development and refinement of flame-arresting technology has provided feasible explosion protection.
  • Krbec: The most significant innovation is the more cost-effective and advanced design isolation systems, specifically explosion. isolation systems for the inlet lines to dust collectors and also the clean air exhaust return lines from dust collectors. 
  • Grandaw: The electromechanical suppressor used for active explosion suppression and isolation systems. 
  • Peterson: As everything gets a little more technically advanced, having things become more intelligent and smarter on their own.
  • Wagoner: We introduced the FLAMEX Spark Detection and Extinguishing System in 1977.

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Arizona Department of Forestry testing new locating device to improve safety

KNAU Arizona Public Radio
May 16, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US West

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management is testing new satellite-based crew locating and communication devices to improve safety. Officials say that six of the department’s 13 wildland fire hand crews will carry and test new field support and safety devices known as DropBlocks. They’re essentially GPS tracking and locating systems that will provide another layer of communication and accountability for crews at work in remote areas with limited or no cell phone service. The department says they have been exploring ways to increase crew safety and enhance communication between firefighters and overhead for years. They plan to distribute the DropBlocks to all of the agency’s wildland fire hand crews and engine crews if testing is successful. [END]

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Unusually early heat wave in Pacific Northwest tests records

National Public Radio
May 14, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US West

PORTLAND — An early heat wave took hold Saturday in parts of the Pacific Northwest, with temperatures nearing or breaking records in some areas and heat advisories in place through Monday. The historically temperate region has grappled with scorching summer temperatures and unprecedented wildfires fueled by climate change in recent years. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory extending from Saturday through Monday for much of the western parts of both Oregon and Washington state. It said the temperatures could raise the risk of heat-related illness. …Residents and officials in the Northwest have been trying to adjust to the likely reality of longer, hotter heat waves following the deadly ” heat dome ” weather phenomenon in 2021 that prompted record temperatures and deaths across the region. …”This is the first significant event … and it is early for us,” said Chris Voss, the county’s director of emergency management. 

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Air quality alerts issued in 16 New Jersey counties as big forest fire continues to burn

By Len Melisurgo
NJ.com True Jersey
June 1, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US East

New Jersey officials have issued air quality alerts in 16 counties as smoke from a large forest fire in Ocean County continues to drift across parts of the region and hot temperatures are causing high concentrations of ground-level ozone. The air quality alerts mean air pollution concentrations could become unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children, older senior citizens, or any people suffering from asthma, heart disease or other lung diseases, the state Department of Environmental Protection and National Weather Service said. …During recent days, plumes of smoke from huge wildfires burning in eastern Canada drifted south and west into the New Jersey region, causing clear blue skies to turn hazy and making some areas smell like a campfire. Late Wednesday, a fire broke out in Bass River State Forest in Ocean County and quickly grew to more than 3,000 acres by Thursday morning, state officials said. 

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Canadian forest fires spur air-quality alert for northern Minnesota

The Duluth News Tribune
May 15, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US East

ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air-quality alert for the northern half of Minnesota from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 16. Wildfires in western Canada are sending smoke east and noticeable haze will be seen across the region Tuesday. A cold front is expected to sweep across the state Tuesday and bring the smoke with it, with sinking air behind the front bringing the smoke to ground level. The alert includes all of the state roughly north of a line from Ortonville, along the South Dakota border, to Pine City, in Pine County. People in the affected area may see and smell smoke even though the fires are far away.

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West Virginia pesticide facility wouldn’t pass zoning muster

By John Rabe
The Associated Press in the Washington Post
May 4, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US East

CHARLESTON — A West Virginia logging company hoping to locate a toxic-spewing facility in the picturesque Allegheny Mountains won’t be allowed to build in that particular spot due to a zoning issue, a local official said Thursday night. Allegheny Wood Products wants to construct a fumigation facility in the Hardy County community of Baker to treat logs before they are shipped overseas. The state Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Air Quality has said it tentatively plans to issue an air permit that would let the facility emit up to nearly 10 tons of the pesticide methyl bromide into the atmosphere each year. But during a public hearing, Hardy County Planner Melissa Scott said the proposed location off U.S. Route 48 is zoned for agricultural use, not industrial use. Scott read a letter approved by the county commission on Tuesday that said “the requirements for Hardy County zoning compliance have not been met.”

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Magnolia tree compound may be effective against the next coronavirus

By Andrei Ionescu
Earth.com
May 23, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: International

A team of scientists led by Leiden University in the Netherlands has recently discovered that a compound called honokiol, which is found in the bark of various species of magnolia tree, inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in several types of cells, causing the production of infectious viral particles to drop to around 1,000th of their previous levels. “If honokiol can be developed into a drug, possibly in combination with other compounds, stockpiling it would help us to increase our preparedness for the emergence of the next coronavirus,” said Martijn J. van Hemert, an associate professor of Medical Microbiology at Leiden. “Broad-spectrum drugs could then be used to treat early patients and prevent spread, or they could be used prophylactically among healthcare workers, and in high-risk groups, such as among nursing home residents.”  

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Forestry company fined $180,000 after worker injured by bark stripping machine

By Rob Stock
New Zealand Stuff
May 23, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: International

A Chinese forestry company has been fined $180,000 after a worker’s arm got caught in a log debarking machine. The incident broke the man’s wrist and pulled the victim’s skin back, leaving him needing surgery to have plates put in to fix his broken arm and a dislocated wrist, workplace safety regulator Worksafe Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa said. CFGC Forest Managers (NZ), which is owned by China Forestry Group New Zealand Company, was sentenced in court on May 19. As well as being fined, it was ordered to pay the injured worker reparations of $10,000. Worksafe investigated after the 2021 injury at Northport near Whangārei, and concluded the bark-stripping machine did not have the appropriate safeguards for New Zealand use. The worker was troubleshooting the machine when its rollers closed and trapped his wrist, Worksafe said. A WorkSafe investigation found “significant safety modifications” were made to the debarker before it was put into use.

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Russian Soldiers Camped in Chernobyl’s Radioactive Forest.

By Sebastien Roblin
Popular Mechanics
May 3, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: International

UKRAINE — Since the notorious meltdown and explosion of its No. 4 reactor in 1986, Chernobyl has become the global touchstone for what can go awry with nuclear power. …But somehow, the still-very-real health risks inherent to lingering around certain parts of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone just didn’t sink in with Russian soldiers who invaded Ukraine in 2022. Radiation sunk in, though—particularly after Russian troops dug into the zone’s heavily irradiated Red Forest. And today, some soldiers are still falling sick, according to diplomatic sources cited by The Independent. The Red Forest is the 10-square-kilometre (4 sq mi) area surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant within the Exclusion Zone. The forest is so named because radiation killed the trees and turned their bark red. …Russian troops entrenched themselves in the forest’s soil—building trenches and an underground bunker network. If that were not enough, Russia’s garrison was hungry and went hunting and fishing around the Exclusion Zone.

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West Fraser (UK Norbord) marks safety milestone success with charity donations

Architects Data File UK
May 4, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: International

Inverness, Scotland – Wood panel manufacturer, West Fraser (trading as Norbord), has celebrated three years without a Lost Time Accident at its Inverness mill by supporting six local community groups and charities with cash donations. Staff at the site commemorated reaching the milestone in safety performance in mid-January by giving back to the community and offering £1,000 to a variety of groups who work to support and benefit the local area. …Stuart Hendry, General Manager at the West Fraser site in Inverness said: “The three years without a Lost Time Accident holds up our dedicated commitment to safety and staff wellbeing at West Fraser. “Not only do we look out for each other on site but staff also wanted to extend this culture to the surrounding local area by supporting these fantastic charities within the community. 

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‘Dumb and dangerous’: US sees surge in efforts to weaken child labor regulations

By Michael Sainato
The Guardian
May 1, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: International

This March a bill was reintroduced in the US House and Senate that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work in certain mechanized operations in the logging industry under parental supervision. Timber industry groups have strongly backed the legislation. For Wendy Bostwick, the news was a nightmare. Bostwick’s son Cole, who had just turned 18, died in a logging accident in 2014 on a job site in Washington where his father, Tim Bostwick, was also working. “Obviously that was a tragic situation, but somebody who does want to get into logging can and should be supervised by their parents,” said Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, chief sponsor of the Future Logging Careers Act. …The logging bill is just one of several efforts across the US to roll back child labor protections at a time when many employers are still struggling to fill jobs.

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Enhancing safe and secure workplaces in Forest Stewardship Council -certified operations

Forest Stewardship Council
April 28, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: International

Responsible forestry does more than protect the health and resilience of forests—it also protects the well-being of the people who live and work in them. These people include workers whose livelihoods depend on forest products. When forests are FSC certified, their managers commit to ensuring the social and economic well-being of workers and local communities. The theme for this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work commemorated on 28th April 2023 highlights a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work. This occasion combined with International Workers’ Day on May 1st provides an opportunity to reflect on how to continuously improve and secure safe working conditions. FSC made an important step forward towards securing workers’ rights when it incorporated the International Labour Organization Core Labour Requirements into the FSC certification system.

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Quebec lumber companies face 8 counts of criminal negligence nearly 2 years after deadly blast

By Rachel Watts
CBC News
May 24, 2023
Category: Health & Safety

Two Quebec lumber companies are facing eight criminal negligence charges after an explosion at a wood-manufacturing plant in Beauceville, Que., in 2021. The Crown charged Séchoirs de Beauce and Bois Ouvré de Beauceville on May 19 with three charges of negligence causing death and five charges of negligence causing bodily harm. In September 2021, five people were injured following a fiery explosion at the Séchoirs de Beauce et Bois Ouvré factory. …Jean Lachance, 51, of Saint-Georges, Mario Morin, 57, of Beauceville and Martin Roy, 50, of Saint-Georges died in the explosion. …Martine Savard, the prosecutor looking over this case, said although the case is criminal, company representatives will not face jail time, if found guilty. “It’s really the company that is subject to a fine,” said Savard. …The companies are expected in court on June 9.

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