Category Archives: Health & Safety

British Columbia witnessed two tragic workplace fatalities in December 2024, highlighting the ongoing risks faced by workers in high-hazard industries. Both incidents occurred in vastly different settings—one in forestry and the other in agriculture—yet underscore the need for stringent safety protocols across all sectors. …In the Interior region, a routine operation in the forestry sector turned deadly when a log truck driver was fatally injured while attempting to assist a stuck vehicle. According to WorkSafeBC, “a log truck was unable to traverse a section of a resource road and became stuck. A second log truck manoeuvred around the stuck truck and was backing up to prepare to tow it. The driver of the stuck truck was caught between the two trucks and sustained fatal injuries.”…This incident highlights the critical need for enhanced communication and controlled processes during towing operations to avoid such devastating outcomes.

The BC Forest Safety Council celebrated Leadership in Forestry Safety with the 2024 Leadership in Safety Awards at the Vancouver Island Safety Conference on Saturday, October 26th. The 2024 Leadership in Safety Awards were presented by BCFSC’s CEO, Rob Moonen. These awards honour the exceptional contributions to safety in the forestry industry and recognize individuals, crews, and companies that have made significant strides in workplace safety, reinforcing the goal of ensuring every worker returns home safely. This year, three outstanding individuals were celebrated: Bill Bolton, former Falling Manager and senior advisor for the BCFSC received the 2024 Cary White Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award for his unwavering advocacy for faller safety. …Toby Jeffreys, Area Supervisor at Interfor’s Adams Lake Division, was awarded the Forest Safety MVP Award. And Chris Fowler, Safety Coordinator at Canoe Forest Products (CFP), a division of the Gorman Group, received the MVP Award for Wood Products Manufacturing.

Mercer Peace River Pulp is thrilled to announce it has reached a remarkable safety milestone. The company achieved a 12-month Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) on Nov. 30, states a Mercer news release. It is a key metric that measures the frequency of workplace recordable injuries that require medical attention beyond first-aid. A lower TRIR indicates a safer workplace. Managing director Roger Ashfield says all staff has contributed the milestone. …The Mission ZERO safety program was introduced two years ago. At that time, MPR’s TRIR was 7.18. Through the program, Mercer set a goal of zero harm to its workers and to ensure everyone was injury-free on the job. …Several factors have contributed to the company’s success in achieving the milestone. Mercer leadership team has consistently championed safety as a core value. …Mercer transferred its focus from lagging indicators to leading indicators.

While details are minimal to this point, the BC Forest Safety Council is reporting a logging truck driver was killed outside of Logan Lake sometime Monday. According to the Safety Council’s bulletin issued Wednesday, the person was killed December 16th while attempting to “tow a log truck that had spun out on an icy road.” The details on a specific location, as well as the circumstances surrounding the person’s death, have not been detailed. …A separate bulletin issued by the BC Forest Safety Council this week also highlights the dangers that forestry workers face while on the front-lines of felling operations. It points to two separate, non-fatal incidents involving heavy machinery being used in different operations in the Southern Interior this fall, including one near Scotch Creek in the Shuswap. Both involve harvesting in steep-sloped areas.

Wildfire smoke in the air has become a signature of summer in the North. While rarely welcome, smoky days are growing less rare every year as climate change continues to create the ideal conditions for wildfires – and wildfire smoke. It’s common knowledge that wildfire smoke can cause a range of short-term health issues, like headaches and a runny nose. However, like other forms of pollution, wildfire smoke can have long-term effects – like dementia, as a recent study has found. The Yukon health authorities don’t feel the need to wait for research specific to the territory before recommending action. Researchers showed wildfire smoke was associated with an increase in risk of dementia diagnosis – especially for marginalized people. While the study population was located in California, health officials in the Yukon and Northwest Territories say there are things to be done to mitigate the health effects of smoke here, too.  

On December 16th, a log truck driver was fatally injured during an attempt to tow a log truck that had spun out on an icy road. This incident occurred in an area near Logan Lake, BC. WorkSafeBC and the Coroners Service are investigating this incident. We extend our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and our sympathies to all those affected by this incident. This is the second harvesting fatality of 2024… We extend our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and our sympathies to all those affected by this incident.

Additional coverage in Castanet by Kristen Holliday: Logging truck driver killed in incident near Logan Lake, forestry safety council says

At its November 2024 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. These amendments will become effective on March 31, 2025. Strikethrough versions of the amendments with explanatory notes can be accessed below. Deletions in the regulatory amendments are identified with a strikethrough and additions are in bold text and highlighted in yellow.

• Part 16, Mobile Equipment, Three-Point Seat Belts;
  Approved amendments with explanatory notes

The above amendments were posted online for feedback during the public hearing process. Stakeholder feedback received is available for review.

At its May 2024 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments pertaining to Emergency Planning in Part 5 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. These amendments will come into effect on February 3, 2025. Part 5 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation sets out the requirements for emergency planning relating to hazardous substances. On February 3, 2025, amendments to these requirements will come into effect, to provide additional clarity and to further reduce risk to workers and other people posed by emergencies involving hazardous substances. This resource provides an overview of the changes to help affected employers prepare for the new requirements. OHS Guidelines are also being developed to provide additional support for employers; these guidelines will be available on February 3.

For the full text of the Regulation amendments, see the Board of Directors decision document. 

Backgrounder: Emergency procedures for hazardous substances

As the holiday season shifts into high gear, lights adorn people’s homes and ornamented Christmas trees can be seen through windows. “This season always comes with higher risk of house fires, due to the common use of space heaters, potential overloading of circuits, and flammability of decorations,” said the City of Prince Rupert on Facebook. Between 2010 and 2020, the Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) recorded 113 Christmas-related fires in B.C., which led to 15 injuries, four deaths and more than $14.5 million in damage. OFC emphasized the importance of keeping Christmas trees well-watered to prevent them from becoming a fire hazard. The National Fire Protection Association shared a video of a dried Christmas tree that burned entirely in less than a minute, while a watered one ignited slowly.

2024 campaign shares $51,000 with Island schools and community nutrition programs. It’s an astonishing statistic indicative of trying times felt across Vancouver Island and Coastal BC. Nanaimo’s Loaves and Fishes food bank, a recipient of Mosaic’s Season of Giving campaign, is reporting the number of people accessing their services has increased by a staggering 94% compared to 2020. “In order to keep up with the need, we need to source over 400,000 pounds of food per month, and the majority of the food we provide to individuals is fresh foods,” said Abby Sauchuk, Director of Development at the Loaves and Fishes food bank. …Now in its fifth year, Season of Giving has shared over $200,000 since its start. One of Mosaic’s signature community initiatives, Season of Giving continues to have one important goal— to help those doing the important work of providing nutritious food to those who need it.

From December 2, 2024, to February 28, 2025, WorkSafeBC is accepting expressions of interest from providers seeking to offer training that requires approval by WorkSafeBC. We are now accepting expressions of interest for the following training:

• Asbestos abatement
• Electrical safety: Working up to the adjusted limits of approach to energized conductors
• Electrofishing
• Forestry operations firefighting
• Traffic control
• Workplace first aid

Visit our Course review page for information on applying to offer training in these areas.

In this issue of the Health and Safety News you’ll find these and other headlines:

• Simple yet effective solutions for musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) prevention
• November 1 amendments to the occupational first aid OHS Regulation 
• Personal protective equipment that fits helps keep workers safe
• Reduce the risk of workers being struck by mobile equipment
• Shift into Winter – Road Safety at Work offers resources to help you keep your workers safe