LONDON, Ontario — The latest insights into combustible dust safety, explosions, and knowledge are covered in detail in The Combustible Dust Incident Report for the Year 2022, as well as a detailed analysis of the materials, industries, and equipment involved. …Wood processing, wood products, agricultural activity, and food production make up a large portion of the overall fire and explosion incidents. Since 2017 wood and wood products have ranged from 19% to 28% of the incidents, while agricultural activity and food production have ranged from 33% to 50%. In 2022, dust collectors demonstrated the highest percentage (24%) of combustible dust incidents with 40 fires and 10 explosions reported. Storage silos and dryers were the next biggest source of incidents, accounting for 21% each. Of the incidents with known equipment, dust collectors had the highest number of injuries and fatalities, followed closely by elevators/conveyors and storage silos. Dryers, which accounted for the highest portion of last year’s injuries, accounted for only four injuries in 2022.
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 
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.
Musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) are sprains, strains, or disorders of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc., and can be caused or aggravated by work. They are the most common type of workplace injury, and can significantly affect workers and employers. MSIs can affect the body’s soft tissues: the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, and joints of the neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, legs, and back. Employers must conduct risk assessments for MSIs in their workplace, and eliminate or minimize the risks. Employers must also educate and train workers about MSI risks in the workplace. Find out how to identify MSI risks and protect your workers from injury.
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The fall edition of the BC Forest Safety Council newsletter is packed with great stories and announcements. Some highlights include:
Researchers discovered that wildfire smoke can trigger long-lasting inflammation in the brain. Their study shows that this inflammation specifically targets the hippocampus, a brain area crucial for learning and memory. Using rodents exposed to wood smoke, the scientists identified changes in neurotransmitters and signaling molecules in the brain that lasted for over a month. The findings highlight an urgent concern for populations regularly exposed to wildfire smoke, including older adults and those with respiratory conditions. A new paper published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation gives new cause for alarm, finding that wildfire smoke can trigger inflammation in the brain that persists for a month or more. Worse, the inflammatory process affects the hippocampus – the brain region associated with learning and memory – altering neurotransmitters and signaling molecules.
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
Exposure to wildfire smoke and air pollution from farming operations could be making Americans more susceptible to developing dementia, a recent study found. It’s among a growing body of research to draw attention to the long-term health impacts of wildfire smoke as climate change drives increasingly destructive, deadly and smoky blazes around the world. The 
A Wisconsin sawmill operator has said it will stop employing children after the “devastating” loss of a teenager who died on the job this summer. That pledge came after the US Department of Labor accused the company of risking kids’ lives for profit. In July, 16-year-old Michael Schuls died of “traumatic asphyxia,” two days after he became trapped on a conveyor for freshly cut stacks of lumber while working at Florence Hardwoods. …Under federal law, no one under the age of 18 is supposed to be employed in a “hazardous” occupation, which the department explicitly defines to include sawmills. …Florence Hardwoods has agreed to stop hiring anyone under the age of 18, and to pay $190,696 in civil fines. …Some states have also expanded the ability of children to work in hazardous occupations… provided they are part of an educational or work training program.
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)
