Category Archives: Health & Safety

Two weeks ago, the single highway connecting several west coast communities on Vancouver Island was shut down because of a wildfire. The towns were cut off – Tofino, Ucluelet, Port Alberni as well as some First Nations communities. …And this is only one instance. In an already unprecedented fire season, what else might we face this year across Canada – and, as the climate emergency continues, in years to come? …The loss of the road is an issue not just for tourism, but for locals who need supplies, have medical appointments or must travel for other reasons. …The talk now must turn, and has turned, to building a viable alternative. Not another highway, necessarily. But perhaps widening and paving a second route to make it safer and more accessible. [A Globe and Mail subscription is required for full story access]

The government has and will continue to develop alternate routes to and from communities at risk of being cut off by natural disasters, B.C.’s transportation minister said Tuesday. But Rob Fleming also tempered expectations. “So in cases where there is a viable alternate route, where improvements can be made, we’ll look at that,” Fleming said. “We certainly got a number of projects around B.C. where that has been done. But it is not always possible in every community to punch through a secondary route that would be paveable and made to a highway condition.” He made those comments after announcing that government expects Highway 4 east of Port Alberni “to be fully closed for at least another week” to give crews the time to remove dangerous trees and other hazards for necessary repairs. In a similar position are those living near the Alaska Highway, as the Donnie Creek wildfire continues to burn…

Travellers hoping to find the Horne Lake Connector open as a route around the Cameron Bluff fire Friday were instead met with signs telling them the road was closed. Mosaic Forest Management…says the gravel logging road is closed to the public and that the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure specifically chose the Cowichan detour route instead. “Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure reviewed multiple options with Mosaic, including the Horne Lake route, and they selected the Cowichan route for public access as the safest alternative to Highway 4,” Mosaic said. …Another route that CHEK viewers emailed about is between the Comox Valley and Port Alberni, using Comox Lake Road. It connects with Ash Main and Beaver Creek Road, but it too is closed by Mosaic because of active logging. But that didn’t stop travellers showing up there, many saying they followed the map on their phone indicating the route was open.

Three people were killed on Highway 3 near Cranbrook last week when a loaded logging truck crossed the highway’s centre line and struck an oncoming SUV head-on. In a press release issued Wednesday morning, six days after the June 1 crash, Cpl. Mike Moore of the BC Highway Patrol confirms the three occupants of the Chevrolet Suburban that was struck by the logging truck were killed. The crash occurred just before 8 a.m. on June 1, about 20 kilometres east of Cranbrook. “Initial investigation has determined that a loaded logging truck was traveling westbound on Highway 3/93 when it experienced a mechanical failure which caused it to cross the centre line into eastbound traffic, striking a Chevrolet Suburban,” Cpl. Moore said. “A third vehicle took evasive maneuvers, and went off the roadway.

Additional coverage in CTV News, by Quinn Keenan: Logging truck mechanical failure kills mother and twin daughters near Cranbrook

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.

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.”

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.

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. 

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.

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.