Category Archives: Health & Safety

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.

Check out the July newsletter for these stories and more from WorkSafeBC:

• New workplace first aid curriculum now available: Training for workplace first aid is changing to align with standards from the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). The new CSA-aligned curriculum is now open to approved training providers, who will be offering the new courses to first aid attendants starting this summer.
• Protecting workers from wildfire smoke and heat stress: Summers are becoming hotter and drier in much of B.C., increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires as well as the risk of heat stress. Learn how to protect workers from these risks — whether they work indoors or outside.
• Regulatory updates: On July 10, OHS Policies and OHS Guidelines were updated to reflect the current exposure limits for chemical and biological agents.

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 July 24, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. View the public hearing live from 10 a.m. to 2 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. You can provide feedback in the following ways:

1. Submit feedback online or by email
Written submissions can be made online until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 26, 2024, via worksafebc.com or by email to ohsregfeedback@worksafebc.com.

2. Register to speak at the hearing by phone
To register, call 604.232.7744 or toll-free in B.C. at 1.866.614.7744. Each organization or individual will be permitted to make one presentation.

The Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) is not laying charges after a wildland firefighter was killed on the job one year ago. Adam Yeadon died after being hurt fighting fires near his home of Fort Liard on July 15, 2023. Family members said at the time the 25-year-old had been hit by a falling tree. They also said Yeadon had been fighting forest fires for the territory for several years and that he loved the work. A spokesperson for the WSCC said in an email the results of their investigation would not be made public, since no charges were being laid, citing its confidentiality policies. The N.W.T.’s chief coroner, meanwhile, continues his own investigation into what happened. Anthony Jones told CBC News his probe into Yeadon’s death was in its final stages and expected to be done in the next month. …The Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation will honour Yeadon at a memorial this year…

Additional coverage in Cabin Radio, by Ollie Williams: Firefighters remember Adam Yeadon a year after his passing

One part gasoline, three parts diesel is a common mixture in a drip torch — that steel, spouted can firefighters use to start controlled burns and deprive wildfires of fuel. B.C. wildfire fighter Dylan Bullock didn’t like the look of his mixture on July 7, 2021 — the day of what the 34-year-old refers to as “the incident.” It was the sort of mishap where fatigue plays a role, something former firefighters fear will increase as people grow weary and leave the B.C. Wildfire Service, as the 10-year veteran Bullock did in 2023. …At a time when B.C. needs wildfire fighters most, the service is struggling to retain experienced workers amid longer and harsher fire seasons. Some who have left say that as seasoned firefighters burn out, newer ones must take their place, increasing the danger to everyone. …Bullock says after initially enjoying his return post-accident, he was soon overcome with the persistent feeling his crew was under-resourced.