Category Archives: Health & Safety

In manufacturing more fires are happening because of power tool batteries, especially the lithium-ion type. Understanding the risk is important for all workers so they can stay safe while working. Workers must understand the risks, particularly related to thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries, which can lead to fires, explosions, and harmful gas release. Factors like overcharging or exposure to extreme heat can trigger this dangerous chain reaction. Following strict safety protocols is crucial for handling battery-powered equipment. IMPORTANT TAKE AWAY: Workers must remain vigilant and follow necessary precautions when handling battery-powered equipment to mitigate heightened fire risks from power tool batteries.

On November 1, 2024, amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation relating to occupational first aid will come into effect. Employers across the province will need to review their current first aid plans and make necessary adjustments to meet the new requirements. 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, to give employers time to obtain any required first aid training and equipment necessitated by these changes. This backgrounder provides an overview of the changes. Visit our First aid requirements webpage for more information and resources.

WorkSafeBC is holding a virtual public hearing on proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The virtual public hearing will be streamed live on May 14, 2024, in two sessions. The first will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the second from 3 to 5 p.m. Further information on how to view or participate in the virtual public hearing will be provided closer to the hearing date. These details will be posted on worksafebc.com and communicated by enews. You can access the proposed amendments, along with explanatory notes, using this link: Part 6, Substance Specific Requirements — Combustible Dusts Public hearings provide stakeholders an opportunity to comment on proposed regulatory amendments. We welcome your feedback on these amendments either by written submission or by participation in the virtual public hearing. Written submissions will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 17, 2024.

…In recent years devastating fires have burned in all corners of the province as thousands of firefighters inhale wildfire smoke with little protection. But new research aims to shed light on how those conditions are impacting firefighters’ respiratory health. The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS), in collaboration with the University of British Columbia, is embarking on what they’re considering “groundbreaking” research, looking at the respiratory health of wildland firefighters. “We don’t know a lot about how their vessels are reacting or not reacting to wildfire smoke,” said Madden Brewster, postdoctoral research fellow at UBC’s Okanagan campus. Researchers will track firefighters’ cardiorespiratory systems over the next two years collecting data before, during and after the fire season — something Brewster says “hasn’t really been done before.”

Rob Moonen

“The only constant is change” is an accurate way to describe BC’s forest sector. And while change can be uncomfortable for many of us, our industry has a long and successful history of responding to change and doing it well. In 2004, the Forest Safety Task Force developed a report and action plan to eliminate deaths and serious injuries in BC’s forest industry. …The task force ultimately concluded that focus cannot simply be placed on reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries in the sector. To succeed, fundamental attitudes and behaviours about safety needed to change. Twenty years later, while there is still more work to do, the forest industry’s journey has been one of dynamic and positive change. Forest sector stakeholders have demonstrated that when we work together, we can achieve our collective goal of ensuring every forestry worker goes home safe, every day. With each passing year, industry has achieved new milestones in improved safety culture and performance.

Should someone who is injured on the job stop working until they have fully recovered? For many injured workers, the answer is no. Depending on their injury, they can benefit from remaining at work and taking on modified or alternative duties as needed. The key is for the worker and their employer to collaborate and stay connected every step of the way. These actions will help shorten the worker’s recovery time and strengthen the workplace’s health and safety culture. In addition, as of January 1, 2024, employers and workers have a legal duty to cooperate with one another in safe and timely return to work. …When it comes to a successful return-to-work journey, WorkSafeBC case manager Tai McLavy says the employer is the deciding factor in terms of accommodation, while the employee is the deciding factor when it comes to rehabilitation and motivation. An injured worker can benefit from remaining at work and taking on alternative duties as needed, depending on their injury.

SLAVE LAKE, Alberta — The company that operates Slave Lake Pulp has confirmed to Global News that a contractor was killed at the site on Wednesday. “A contractor was fatally injured at our pulp operation in Slave Lake. The incident occurred when the individual was working to repair a piece of mobile equipment. The mill was not operating at the time,” said Joyce Wagenaar, communications director for West Fraser, which operates Slave Lake Pulp. The spokesperson said West Fraser is cooperating with Alberta Occupation Health and Safety (OHS) during its investigation. “Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, colleagues, and our Slave Lake Pulp team during this difficult time,” Wagenaar said. Alberta Health Services said EMS responded to a site in Lesser Slave River just before 2 p.m. on March 13. A man was pronounced dead, AHS said. [END]

For centuries, people have found solace in walks through the forest and the practice of “forest bathing.” Now, researchers at UBC are delving into the science behind this tradition to understand its benefits better and make them accessible to all. Leading the experiment is Dr. Guangyu Wang, a professor at UBC’s department of forest resources management and director of the Multidisciplinary Institute of Natural Therapy (MINT). In this Q&A, Dr. Wang shares insights into their findings thus far. …Research indicates that forest bathing or forest therapy can alleviate stress, uplift mood and boost cognitive and immune functions. It may also reduce blood pressure and heart rate and improve sleep quality. At MINT, we explore this phenomenon. Our previous experiments revealed that exposure to negative ions and natural forest sounds significantly reduces stress and improves sleep quality, while even a two-hour forest therapy session can lower blood pressure and stress levels.

Wildfire season started early this year in Alberta and along with that comes the dread of smoke-filled skies. The Calgary Region Airshed Zone (CRAZ) is hosting its first workshop on the health impacts of wildfire smoke on Monday in Canmore. The workshop will include staff from Parks Canada explaining the prescribed burns in Banff National Park and an expert from the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control talking about the health impacts of the smoke. Bloor said there will be practical information on using microsensors for air quality and how to build your indoor air filter. The town of Canmore is expected to highlight their emergency response plan for extreme heat and wildfire smoke that went into effect in 2023. Banff has come up with ideas to deal with the impacts of wildfire smoke like increasing access to cool and clean air spaces and adding more air monitors.

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, to give employers time to obtain any required first aid training and equipment necessitated by these changes. As part of our engagement plan for the upcoming Occupational First Aid regulatory changes, we’ve posted the draft OHS Guidelines for part 3: Occupational First Aid for public comment. Stakeholders can submit their feedback via email to regpraconsult@worksafebc.com. Feedback will be accepted until April 2nd. The following information regarding First Aid amendments is posted on our website:

• Draft OHS Guidelines for Part 3 – Occupational First Aid 
• Backgrounder: Occupational first aid regulatory changes 
• First aid Requirements 

More firefighters will learn how to develop and improve their mental-health resiliency through enhanced access to a psychological wellness training program. The BC Occupational Awareness Training online program, administered by the BC Municipal Safety Association and First Responder Health, will be offered to BC Wildfire Service staff and include more training about how to manage daily stress and anxiety. “Firefighters are there for us in the most trying times of our lives and it can take a toll on their own mental health,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Because they are so used to helping others through high-stress situations, it can be challenging for some first responders to take the time to focus on their own mental health.” …Launched in spring 2023, the online program is available to all municipal firefighters throughout the province and all BC Wildfire Services staff.

Steep slope emergency response planning continues to be a key area of focus for the BC forest industry. To assist contractors with the development and execution of Emergency Response Planning and drill execution, BCFSC is developing a three-part video series focusing on some of the fundamental elements of emergency response planning and execution for steep slope harvesting operations. The second video of the series has just been released and demonstrates challenges crews will encounter to reach a worker that requires medical assistance while inside the cab of a piece of equipment. The importance of regularly practicing emergency procedures to verify their effectiveness, recognize potential deficiencies and ensure employees are adequately prepared are all highlighted as key learnings. The video also identifies tools and equipment crews should consider taking to the scene to ensure they are prepared for any scenario they may encounter.

First Video in the series: (released March 13, 2023) – ERP: Equipment Rollover and Operator Extraction Procedures

The BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) is proudly celebrating 20 years of service to the BC forest industry. Over these 20 years, the forest sector has undergone a significant cultural and safety transformation and as a result has seen a significant decline in work-related injuries and deaths and with each passing year, we have continued to achieve new milestones in improved safety culture and performance. Since 2004, BCFSC has worked alongside dedicated industry advisory groups and subject-matter experts to determine the cause of injuries and work-related deaths using injury statistics, incident investigations and industry feedback. …With our sights set on the next twenty years, we must be willing to continuously adapt and stay ahead of emerging risks to ensure that safety measures keep pace. …We have come a long way, but there’s always more work to be done to see every forestry worker goes home safe – every day.

BRITISH COLUMBIA — One worker died 12 days after he was electrocuted at the Canfor Intercontinental paper and pulp mill in Prince George, BC. …45-year-old Gary Lefebvre was operating an electric hoist attached to an overhead monorail… when they collapsed. “An exposed 347-volt conductor was subsequently found on the electric hoist power cable in close proximity to where the worker had been,” according to WorkSafeBC. Lefebvre was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene, which revived him before he was transported to University Hospital of Northern British Columbia. Lefevre spent four days in hospital before being sent home. “He was in hospital for four days and was cleared by three cardiologists, including an electrical specialist from Vancouver, and six days after he got home he died”. “He was a healthy man, there’s no way it wasn’t related to the electrocution.” Canfor said it will provide support to Lefebvre’s family. …Meanwhile, WorkSafeBC is investigating the incident.

Gary Lefebvre

A Prince George pipefitter who was injured in an industrial accident while working at Intercontinental Pulp Mill on Jan. 31 has died. The man, identified by a family friend as 45-year-old Gary Lefebvre, was operating an electric hoist attached to an overhead monorail in the mill when he was electrocuted. According to WorkSafeBC, “the worker was holding the control pendant and leaning on a metal guardrail to view the area of the lift when they collapsed. An exposed 347-volt conductor was subsequently found on the electric hoist power cable in close proximity to where the worker had been.” …The person who contacted the Citizen said Lefebvre’s family was wondering why the news media was not given any notice of the accident. She said the electric shock stopped Lefevre’s heart but he was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene, which revived him before he was transported to UHNBC. He spent four days in hospital before being sent home. He was at home with his wife and their six-year-old son when he died suddenly on Feb. 11.

New climate projections for the City of Vancouver have found the number of days the city spends under a heat wave every summer could spike 16 fold compared to the 1990s if the world continues burning fossil fuels under a “business-as-usual” scenario. The analysis from the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium for the City of Vancouver offers an early look at how climate change will impact a big B.C. city under three emission scenarios. The findings, which have yet to be presented to Vancouver city council, found that by the 2050s, the number of extreme heat days above 30 degrees Celsius could climb to between six and 29 times higher. Hot nights above 16 C, meanwhile, are projected to climb to between 43 and 92 nights per year, up from an average of six hot nights a year in the 1990s.