The looming threat of U.S. president Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods is more than just an economic challenge—it’s a direct threat to workplace safety. Across forestry, mining, manufacturing, and oil and gas, industry leaders warn that uncertainty surrounding these tariffs is creating dangerous distractions for workers in high-hazard environments. The result? Increased mental stress, loss of focus, and a heightened risk of workplace incidents. …Mike Parent, president and CEO of Workplace Safety North, says this distraction isn’t just theoretical—it’s already affecting worker morale. In forestry alone, existing tariffs on softwood lumber are squeezing the industry, and an additional 25% tariff could push operating costs to unsustainable levels. “This could just completely decimate the logging sector,” Parent adds. …The stress of economic uncertainty doesn’t just cause momentary lapses in concentration—it contributes to long-term mental health challenges. Anxiety, fatigue, and reduced resilience can lead to burnout, increasing the likelihood of accidents.
Don’t miss the March edition of the BC Forest Safety Council newsletter. It’s jam-packed with information about Safety Heros like Shawn Flynn and Brian Penny. Health updates about pain management, off-road vehicles, managing the last of the snow and daylight savings! How do you stay safe when you find yourself under water? Does your team have an emergency response plan? Plus, what’s new, upcoming events, and even a cheerful rabbit for you to colour in your down moments! Check out this month’s BC Forest Safety News
The Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Appeal Body has denied an appeal from a West Fraser Mills worker who was suspended for one day without pay and received a disciplinary letter that he claimed was retaliation for acting in compliance with workplace safety rules. The appeal panel upheld the original ruling, noting that it properly applied the standard of review in determining the employer had met its burden of proof. The case involved S.G., an employee of West Fraser Mills Ltd., operating as Ranger Board. S.G. filed a complaint under section 19 of Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (the Act), alleging the discipline was imposed in retaliation for acting in compliance with occupational health and safety requirements.
A B.C. company has been fined just under $9,000 for the death of a worker. A WorkSafeBC penalty summary posted online says Crescent Bay Construction Ltd. was fined $8,995.26 on Jan. 23 for the incident at a worksite in Beaton, located south of Revelstoke on the shores of Upper Arrow Lake. “This firm was performing maintenance work on a bridge deck on a forest service road,” said the penalty summary. “WorkSafeBC attended the site after a worker was struck by a tree that fell from a cliff face above the work area. The worker sustained fatal injuries.” WorkSafeBC says their investigation determined “the firm did not adequately identify the hazard of dangerous trees or assess the risks they presented to workers.” The company also failed to “conduct a dangerous tree assessment by a qualified person before work began and failed to ensure the health and safety of all workers at the worksite, both high-risk violations.”
Consultation on proposed B.C. Exposure Limits (ELs) based on the new or revised 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 ACGIH TLVs for selected chemical substances. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) regularly publishes a list of substances for which they have set new or revised Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). A TLV is the airborne concentration of a chemical substance where it is believed that nearly all workers may be exposed over a working lifetime and experience no adverse health effects. TLVs may be expressed as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA), 15-minute short-term exposure limit (STEL), or ceiling limit. Before adopting new or revised TLVs published by the ACGIH, WorkSafeBC reviews relevant data on health effects and the availability of validated sampling methods. …We are requesting stakeholder feedback on the proposed B.C. ELs for 22 substances. Feedback will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 14, 2025.
