Silos play a vital role in storing and handling a wide variety of materials. …However, when it comes to storing combustible materials like wood chips, additional precautions must be taken to ensure safety and mitigate the risk of fire or explosion. One critical aspect of maintaining safety within a wood chip storage facility is the proper grounding and bonding of silos. This establishes an electrical connection between equipment or structures and the earth, while bonding prevents the buildup of static electricity. These measures are crucial for dissipating electrostatic charges and minimizing the potential for ignition. By familiarizing ourselves with them, we can take proactive steps to prevent accidents and mitigate potential damages. The evaluation and interpretation of combustible dust hazards in the wood industry starts with NFPA 652, The Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust and NFPA 664, the Standard for Combustible Dust Safety in Wood Processing Facilities. [Article can be found on page 12]
Wilfred Tomma… from Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw east of Kamloops, suffers from COPD. He partly blames “the stuff” he inhaled working the firelines so many years ago, often when the protective gear was sparse compared to now, but acknowledges it’s difficult to pin down an exact cause. …The health risks of wildfires and their disproportionate impacts on First Nations have left health experts calling on Ottawa to increase funding and centralize environmental health research. Currently, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research is falling short of the funding found in the United States and the European Union. The so-called stuff Tomma inhaled during his time working as a wildland firefighter is called fine particulate matter, which has a diameter of 2.5 microns or smaller, Dr. Kamran Golmohammadi, medical officer for the First Nations Health Authority in BC, explained. …In Québec, heavy smoke caused most of the Cree Nation evacuations.
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC), BC Forest Safety Council (BSFSC), Dalhousie University, and DustEx Research Ltd., along with Obex Risk Ltd. as project technical lead, recently completed a research project to look at the implementation of process safety management (PSM) using the CSA standard Z767 Process Safety Management as the framework. Process safety management (PSM) is becoming central to worker safety and managing risk and is gaining traction in Canada. It’s the focus of the Canadian Standards Association’s Z767 Process Safety Management standard. …For the pellet sector, much of our risk lies in combustible dust. The recommendation from 
The WorkSafeBC Policy, Regulation and Research Department is requesting feedback on proposed amendments to Part 16, Mobile Equipment, sections 16.21 to 16.21.1 — Seat belts, 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. The proposed amendments will affect forestry equipment. View the 
Welcome to the Winter edition of Forest Safety News, covering news about safety topics in forestry. Two story highlights include:
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC), BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC), Dalhousie University, and DustEx Research Ltd., along with Obex Risk Ltd. as project technical lead, recently completed a research project to look at the implementation of process safety management (PSM) using the CSA standard Z767 Process Safety Management as the framework. Around the world, process safety management (PSM) is becoming central to worker safety and managing risk. …For the pellet sector, much of our risk lies in combustible dust. The recommendation from Integrating Process Safety Management into Canadian Wood Pellet Facilities that Generate Combustible Wood Dust, was the industry proceed with PSM implementation through a strategic long-term plan. …To support the ongoing development of the CSA Z767 standard from the perspective of the wood products manufacturing industry, Kayleigh Rayner Brown, MASc, P.Eng. (Obex Risk Ltd.), Bill Laturnus (BC Forest Safety Council), Gordon Murray (WPAC) and Fahimeh Yazdan Panah (WPAC) have joined the technical committee. [Article starts on page 19 of the newsletter]
In April 2023, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments to Part 3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, relating to the provision of occupational first aid. These amendments will take effect November 1, 2024. In summary:
To help strengthen resilience against climate-related hazards, the Province is providing funding to the Fraser-Fort George Regional District and the Peace River Regional District for a pair of community projects. “British Columbians are concerned about the increasing effects of climate change and the emergencies we’re already experiencing – like drought, flooding, extreme heat and wildfires,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “By funding local, on-the-ground projects, our government is helping First Nations and local governments protect their communities and keep people safer from future emergencies.” The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George will receive $1,049,875 for a regional project to identify and assess flood and landslide risk and hazards across all four municipalities, seven electoral areas and two First Nations in the region. Communities will strengthen long-term efforts to reduce the risk of disasters by understanding the existing vulnerabilities and developing a framework for future decision-making.
Vancouver Island Safety Conference 2023 is taking place on Saturday, October 28th from 8:30am – 3:30pm. Take a look at what you can expect at this year’s conference focused on 
Every year, approximately 7,000 workers suffer injuries due to slips, trips, and falls. WorkSafeBC is urging employers and workers to manage the prevalent risk of slips, trips, and falls in the workplace. Each year, approximately 20 percent of workplace injuries are related to slips, trips, and falls. In the past six years, almost 41,000 workers in B.C. suffered slip-trip-and-fall injuries, including fractures, sprains, and dislocations. Slips, trips, and falls are the costliest workplace incidents and some of the biggest causes of general productivity loss. On average, slip-trip-and-fall injuries cost B.C. businesses 440,000 lost workdays and more than $148 million in claim costs each year. Sectors most impacted include healthcare and social services, construction, the service sector, and manufacturing.
DUBAI — With Planet Earth running a fever, U.N. climate talks focused Sunday on the contagious effects on human health. …World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Although the climate crisis is a health crisis, it’s well overdue that 27 COPs have been and gone without a serious discussion of health,” he said. “Undoubtedly, health stands as the most compelling reason for taking climate action.” …In the US, 8.5% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the health sector and the Biden Administration is trying to use funds from the Inflation Reduction Act to try to cut that down. …Forest fires caused in part by climate change can have dramatic effects on homes, health and lives. Heat waves, which can be deadly, also can weigh on mental health, Gibert said, while poor air quality can make life harder for those facing lung and heart ailments and cause respiratory issues.
Newly published research on indoor air quality from Colorado State University shows wildfire smoke may linger in homes long after the initial blaze has been put out or winds have shifted. The findings, published in Science Advances, show that wildfire smoke can attach to home surfaces like carpet, drapes or counters – extending the exposure for those inside and potentially causing health problems even after an initial cleaning activity by air purifiers. However, Professor Delphine Farmer said the research also shows that simple surface cleaning – like vacuuming, dusting or mopping – can reduce exposure and limit risk. The research illustrates the hidden and persistent health threats many in the Western U.S. are facing given the increase in wildfires over the last decade, she said. 
Sacramento, Calif. — With health impacts from wildfire smoke estimated to be one of the largest costs of wildfires, a new study shows that improving the health of California’s forests can not only reduce the risk of wildfire, it can also benefit people’s health. …better collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies with interested healthcare partners is a pathway to building healthier forests and communities. A report by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) and Blue Forest explores how forest management, even when it involves the use of beneficial fire, translates into reducing the overall smoke burden on populations and resulting impacts on human health and health organizations. “Wildfire smoke takes a toll on human health and strains our health care systems. The results of this study reinforce the urgent need to restore the health and resilience of our forests,” said Pete Madden, President and CEO of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
PARMA, Ohio — Angela Presti couldn’t wait to decorate her first real Christmas tree with her daughter. She found the perfect one at a Northeast Ohio tree lot, brought it into the house and started decorating. Except a few hours later she noticed one side of her face was swollen. …Angela’s father rushed her to UH Parma Medical Center. She collapsed when she got there and medical staff gave her epinephrine. “They knew it was an allergic reaction right away and kept asking me what I had eaten, but I knew, it was the Christmas tree,” she said. That didn’t surprise them. It’s estimated about 7% of the population suffers from what’s known as 
There are nearly two dozen certified trails around the world that guide visitors to engage with nature in ways that benefit their health and foster deeper exploration. A walk in the woods is not only good for you physically, it’s also good for you psychologically. Studies show time spent in nature reduces mental fatigue and irritability, cortisol levels, and stress. Melissa Lem, a Vancouver doctor and director of PaRx, a Canadian program encouraging doctors to prescribe time in nature, says, “we have a standardized recommendation that you spend at least two hours in nature each week and at least 20 minutes each time.” …Lem says she was initially skeptical about the difference between a forest therapy session and simply spending time outdoors. “I thought, I spend lots of time hiking, running. How much better can it be? But I was surprised at how relaxed and connected I felt,” she says. /cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/nzme/4LYYXABJJGWHQN572KGU65AS7U.jpg)