Category Archives: Health & Safety

Updates to the First Aid requirements in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations are coming into effect on November 1, 2024. We’ve summarized what you need to know about these important changes in the Read More of this article. Learn more by registering for our free webinar hosted by WorkSafeBC’s Darcy Moshenko and Troy Lockhart. They will explain the rationale behind the updated First Aid regulations and review key amendments to help employers ensure compliance.
Key components of this webinar will cover:

Determining first aid requirements using workplace class factors:

• Assessing first aid needs based on workplace classification factors;
• Preparing a written first aid assessment;
• Developing and maintaining up-to-date written first aid procedures;
• Meeting training and equipment requirements;
• Providing resources available to you.

Jeffrey Smith

The arbitrator concluded that the Western Forest Product’s decision to order a post-incident drug and alcohol test was justified and reasonable under the circumstances, citing the potential safety risks involved and the absence of external factors explaining the accident. The grievance was dismissed. …“Post-incident drug and alcohol testing is part of the investigation process. An employer doesn’t have to complete its investigation before deciding to engage in post-incident testing, but at the same time it has to balance any decision made with the privacy and dignity interests of the employee – it has to have enough information to justify that intrusion.” …The worker was employed as a heavy-duty mechanic since 2011 with Western Forest Products, a Vancouver-based lumber company. [to access the full story a HR Reporter subscription is required]

The September Newsletter has these headlines and more:

• New first aid requirements coming into effect – On November 1, 2024, amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation take effect relating to occupational first aid. Employers need to take steps to ensure they meet the new requirements, which will result in changes for many workplaces. Higher-risk industries and remote workplaces will be most affected by the changes.
• Upcoming regulation changes to improve tower crane safety – Provincial Crane Inspection Team supervisor Jason Baia discusses the new regulation, a risk-reduction strategy, and mobile equipment inspection initiative.
• Fall issue of WorkSafe Magazine – Read the latest issue of WorkSafe Magazine, featuring articles about simple solutions for musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) in long-term care, upcoming regulation changes to improve tower crane safety, and hearing protection for construction.
• Speaking of Safety blog – Top 5 employer questions following a workplace injury

As the BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) celebrates its 20th anniversary, board member Reid Hedlund reflects on his two decades of dedication to the organization and the BC forest industry. …In 1999, WorkSafeBC recognized the need for a dedicated safety association for the forest industry, leading to the creation of the Forest Industry Safety Association (FISA). This initiative quickly garnered support from forestry companies across northern and southern interior BC, including members of the Interior Logging Association and the Truck Loggers Association. Reid joined FISA as a Director, helping to shape its early efforts. …These initiatives were initially viewed as time-consuming and detracting from production hours. But once the industry saw the positive results of adopting these safety programs, including a reduction in injury time, it became clear that a strong safety culture was beneficial in the long run.

A high-powered microscope in a U.S. university has provided a disturbing close-up look at the pollution from the worst wildfire season in B.C. history. During the height of the forest fire season, when hundreds of blazes were sending thick clouds of smoke rolling across the province, a researcher at the University of Western Washington in Bellingham decided to take a closer look at the particles people were breathing in. In August, when the pollution from the burning B.C. forests drifted into Washington state, Dr. Mike Kraft, a research associate at Western Washington University (WWU), collected some samples and ran them through the university’s new Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). …Magnified many thousands of times, the electron microscope images reveal dark, dirty and jagged contaminants, too small to be seen to by the naked eye, covered in tar and soot and easily inhaled.

Forest fires fill the air with a choking mix of smoke, ash and dust, making every breath feel like a battle. Still, wildland firefighters enter the fray to protect our communities from flames. It shouldn’t cost them their health. UBC Okanagan’s Dr. Madden Brewster studies what’s in their air and what happens to wildland firefighters’ health the longer they breathe it. “It’s crucial that we understand the long-term health risks firefighters face so we can develop effective interventions to protect them,” she says. “Our work ensures they have the information and tools they need to stay safe and healthy on the fire lines.” …Dr. Brewster and the BC Wildfire Service will monitor and collect data from 54 crew members. …Dr. Brewster’s research can help identify high-risk tasks and conditions, informing improvements in firefighting techniques and strategies for crew rest and rotation to minimize health risks.

American wildfire contractors are well into their first season protecting homes from BC forest fires. They answer the call when a wildfire is within five kilometres from a home, entering what’s likely an evacuation zone, and protecting it from the incoming blaze. But they’ll only do it for select properties. Montana-based company Wildfire Defense Systems was founded more than a decade ago and works for insurance companies in 22 states. It expanded into BC and Alberta this year, signing an agreement with the latter’s wildfire service. “We spend a lot of time building relationships, a lot of time reaching out,” the company’s Scott Eskwitt said. “It’s up to a local authority to determine whether they’re going to grant us permission.” The company’s been allowed to work in BC fire zones, but it’s without any formal agreement and they’ve been met with some skepticism.

Devyn Gale

An owner’s manual outlining the required use of approved safety helmets, seatbelts and cab netting for the operation of a utility vehicle was found near the scene of a rollover accident that resulted in the death a BC Wildfire Service firefighter, says a workplace investigation report. The WorkSafeBC report says the driver and passenger in the utility vehicle, known as a UTV, were not wearing helmets, the cab netting retention system was damaged and at least one of the people was not wearing a seatbelt in last summer’s crash east of Pink Mountain near Fort St. John, B.C. …It’s the second WorkSafeBC report into the deaths of B.C. wildfire firefighters in recent days. A report Wednesday into the death of firefighter Devyn Gale, 19, last July cited ineffective hazard management by the BC Wildfire Service, inadequate supervision, training and orientation of young workers, unsafe work procedures and normalization of risk.

Nearly all of Manitoba is now under an air quality advisory as smoke from wildfires continues to move across the province, including the city of Winnipeg. That smoke is either causing or expected to cause very poor air quality and reduced visibility across all areas of Manitoba, except for a small area in its southeastern corner, Environment and Climate Change Canada said in an alert early Friday morning. Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and vary considerably from hour to hour, the alert said. During those kinds of heavy smoke conditions, everyone is at risk regardless of their age or health, the weather agency said. The fine particles in wildfire smoke pose the main risk to people’s health.

Devyn Gale

A WorkSafeBC report has found several safety failures leading up to the death of a 19-year-old wildfire fighter last summer. On July 13, 2023, a burning cedar fell on Devyn Gale, fatally injuring her, while she was fighting a wildfire near Revelstoke, B.C., about 150 kilometres east of Kamloops. Two firefighters were also injured while trying to free Gale, according to the provincial workplace safety agency’s report, which was finalized close to a year after her death. Based on its investigation, WorkSafeBC called the hazard management and supervision prior to the incident “ineffective” and “inadequate.” It said young, inexperienced firefighters were deployed to the area without sufficient training. In addition, the agency found the B.C. Wildfire Service has a culture that normalizes risks around dangerous trees even though it is aware of safety concerns related to them. …WorkSafeBC said that it is currently considering the report’s findings to determine appropriate enforcement action.

Following the devastating 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, local officials faced the formidable task of ensuring drinking water safety for residents. …The wildfire contaminated the Athabasca River with ash from the burnt forest floor, turning the water brown in color and raising dissolved organic carbon levels, which reacted with chlorine to produce harmful byproducts within it. As wildfires become more frequent and severe due to climate change, concerns about their effect on water quality are increasing. …Wildfires near homes can jeopardize drinking water quality by damaging PVC water lines, which release volatile organic compounds into the supply. After the fires, it can be difficult to identify damaged pipes, complicating efforts to address contamination. …Travis Kendel, associate director of development and engineering services at the Regional District of Central Okanagan, advises communities to invest in their public utility professionals, collaborate openly with regulators and assess the funding needs for their critical public infrastructure.

Summer is the peak period for construction work in most parts of Western Canada. It’s also the time when those who spend much of their workday outside are under threat from wildfire smoke. …The smoke from the wildfires is carried by the wind and often reaches construction sites where it can impact the health of workers. Erin Linde, director, health and safety services at the British Columbia Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA), says construction employers need to prepare in advance of the threat because wildfires are now commonplace. …Wildfire smoke is dangerous for everybody who works outdoors but construction workers are especially at risk because they are often doing physical work and breathing in particles. …Wildfire smoke is dangerous because it’s a complex mixture of particulate matter, gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds. Some of the particulate matter is very minute and can reach deep into the lungs.

A 24-year-old Calgary man is dead after being injured by a falling tree while fighting a wildfire northeast of Jasper, Alta. According to the Jasper Wildfire Complex Unified Command, which is comprised of members of both Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper, it happened around 2 p.m. MT Saturday. The firefighter’s crew provided first aid before Jasper National Park visitor safety specialists and the Alberta Wildfire unit used a wheeled stretcher to bring the 24-year-old firefighter to the nearest helipad, the unified command group said in a statement. From there, he was flown to the Parks Canada operations compound in Jasper, where STARS air ambulance was waiting. “Tragically, despite efforts of the first responders and STARS air ambulance team specialists, the injured firefighter did not survive and was pronounced deceased shortly after transfer to STARS,” officials said.

While out enjoying the B.C. Day long weekend, people are strongly urged to be prepared and remain vigilant as many parts of the province are experiencing increased temperatures and wildfire risk. Residents and travellers should use caution and take steps to reduce the risk of wildfire by staying up to date on current conditions, following fire bans and restrictions, and having an emergency plan that is shared with friends and family. Despite recent cooler weather and precipitation in many regions of B.C., Environment and Climate Change Canada is forecasting hotter temperatures for many parts of the province this weekend, particularly in the southern Interior. Combined with the record-breaking temperatures in July 2024 and ongoing drought, people in B.C. are encouraged to be prepared for the continued higher risk of wildfire in the province. All open burning, including campfires, continues to be prohibited in southern B.C. 

At its May 2024 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The amendments relate to Emergency Planning and Notice of Project — Tower Crane. These amendments were posted online for feedback during the public hearing process. Stakeholder feedback for Emergency Planning and Notice of Project — Tower Crane is available for review.Strikethrough versions of the amendments with explanatory notes can be accessed below. Deletions in the regulatory amendments are identified in strikethrough and additions are in bold text and highlighted in yellow.

• Part 5, Emergency Planning
  Approved amendments with explanatory notes
  These amendments will come into effect on February 3, 2025.
• Part 14, Notice of Project — Tower Crane
  Approved amendments with explanatory notes
  These amendments will come into effect on October 1, 2024.

Despite ongoing closures and lengthy wait times on Highway 97 between the South Okanagan and Kelowna, the Ministry of Transportation remains firm that it is not looking at adding another paved route for the Okanagan. Local MLAs have long been asking for the ministry to add safety improvements to the highway and upgrade the 201 Forest Service Road connecting the east side of Penticton to Kelowna as a usable emergency route. While improvements were made to the 201 Forest Service Road … some are still cautious about using it, since it is not paved and is an active logging road. Last week, Highway 97 was closed in both directions at the site of a wildfire south of Peachland. Travellers were advised to detour using Highway 97C to Highway 5A, or Highway 33 to Highway 3, which adds a few hours onto their travel. …Penticton-Peachland MLA Dan Ashton said a secondary route going to the Okanagan Valley is long overdue.

A look at Sunday’s Edmonton weather by Environment Canada. …You feel like Pig-Pen, smell like Smokey Bear, wonder if maybe you are becoming a dragon, puffs of smoke infiltrating your snout, finally putting those filtering nose hairs to a bit of good use. You just can’t seem to get clean in this suffocating cloak of wildfire smoke during an extended heat wave. You feel oily. Sputtering. Machine like. The widespread smoke from northern Alberta and B.C.’s burning interior that’s triggered an air quality advisory alongside a heat warning will cling to the Edmonton region through Monday. Sunday’s air quality health index remains locked at 10+ or ‘very high risk,’ where activity outside should be avoided. The mercury will climb to 32 C, reaching for 33 C Monday before the smoke clears. And then more relief with a big heat drop to 23 C expected Thursday with rains to stretch into the weekend. Hallelujah. That’s how nature works.