Category Archives: Special Feature

Recent incidents in BC’s forest industry, in which trees being felled have contacted energized transmission lines, have led to the creation of some new documents by BC Hydro. These new documents support discussions with forest companies/ harvesting contractors to ensure obligations to identify the hazardous areas associated with harvesting near powerlines are addressed. One of these documents, The Logging Near Powerlines Emergency Contact Form, focuses on strict compliance with current WorkSafeBC (WSBC) Regulations. …Electricity seeks the path of least resistance to the ground. That path could include a tree, mobile equipment, tools, or the human body. …Health and safety in forestry workplaces is the responsibility of all parties that have an influence on how work is carried out. …Where possible as part of the initial planning process ensure that cut block boundaries are well away from the powerline corridor. 

BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) is the Health and Safety Association for forestry’s harvesting, hauling and silviculture sectors as well as sawmills and wood pellet manufacturers. We’ve been proudly serving BC’s forestry industry since 2004. Everything we do is driven by our vision that every forest worker goes home safe – every day. Safety training for workers and companies is a cornerstone of our organization. BCFSC works with subject matter experts to develop forestry workplace training that is relevant, current and useful – because a trained workforce is a safer workforce. Through in-person, online or hybrid courses, we offer something for everyone who earns a living in BC’s forestry sector.

Mobile equipment is essential to day-to-day operations, but it also presents a serious hazard. Large trucks, forklifts, loaders, and delivery vehicles often operate in close proximity to pedestrians, while busy yards can have limited sightlines and multiple contractors on site. Safe passage is possible, however, with proper controls. Through engineering controls, dedicated safety committees, and collaboration with WorkSafeBC officers, two major B.C. forest-products employers are building safer pathways for workers, contractors, and visitors. At West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd., the employer’s safety approach shows up across its operations — including Cariboo Pulp, Williams Lake Plywood, and WestPine MDF — while Millar Western Forest Products Ltd. focuses its safety leadership at Quesnel River Pulp. These operations use a mobile equipment pedestrian interface (MEPI) system — a safety approach that layers a variety of control measures to prevent injury from struck-by incidents. [This article first appeared in the spring issue of WorkSafe Magazine, shared here with their permission. Subscribe for free here.]

Employers are responsible for first aid in the workplace to ensure injured workers receive prompt and appropriate treatment and, if needed, are transported to medical aid without delay. They are also responsible for ensuring their workplace has the required first aid equipment, facilities, means of transportation and attendants in place to treat injured workers. In November 2024, WorkSafeBC introduced updated first aid requirements to help protect workers and improve response when injuries happen. These regulations ensure the right level of care is available when it’s needed most, especially in high‑risk and remote environments. The updated regulations address worksite accessibility, first aid kits and attendants, drills and hazard ratings. Some forestry companies are still working through what these changes mean and what they need to do. Here’s what you need to know about the requirements and how to stay compliant. …The BC Forest Safety Council has developed resources and tools to help guide you through the process and make sure nothing is missed. You can also Visit WorkSafeBC’s website for full regulatory requirements.

Incidents can happen in the forest industry, often without warning. When these events are shared, they become valuable lessons that help others recognize similar hazards, strengthen prevention efforts and reduce the chance of repeat occurrences. BC Forest Safety Council’s (BCFSC) alerts provide practical insights to support workers, supervisors and safety committees in having meaningful safety conversations. These resources are ideal for tailgate meetings, crew talks, and Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee meetings. Alerts help keep workers informed about emerging issues, common risks and opportunities for safer work practices. …BCFSC has a library with hundreds of alerts that we have compiled over the years. Search our database using the filtering tools and find information to share with others. You can also subscribe to have safety alerts sent to you via email.

Nearly 28 years after Darcy Kulai was injured at work, the memory and the grief remain strikingly real, affecting him both physically and mentally. Now, he wants to inspire other young workers to stay safe on the job. In 1997, Kulai was 20 years old and working at a sawmill. He had just completed his second year at the University of Victoria. He planned to work through the summer, then transfer to Camosun College, where he was looking forward to an exciting year playing basketball on the college team. Unfortunately, that’s not how the next year played out. On an evening shift, Kulai was stationed at the “stick belt,” a conveyor located in an out-of-the- way area of the mill. …When some sticks became caught in the conveyor belt’s chain, Kulai reached in to dislodge them. …When it comes to a healthier future, Kulai sees hope. His son is now 20 — the same age Kulai was when he was injured at work. “If my son got hurt, I’d be shattered,” he says. “Being a father has made me want to do more for young people — to see if there’s a way to inspire.”

As BC forestry workers head into the field this season, hazards like tick exposure and wildlife encounters should be top of mind. In April, BCFSC released a safety alert on ticks, which are becoming more common in many parts of British Columbia. Ticks can pose serious health risks, including the transmission of Lyme disease and other infections. Working in dense vegetation, tall grass and wooded areas increases the chances of contact, making it essential for workers to take simple precautions and know what to look for. We are sharing this safety alert in this issue of the Forest Safety News to provide practical information to help you recognize risks, protect yourself on the job and respond quickly if you do get bitten. If you’d like to download a copy to share with your crew, click below. You can also subscribe to BCFSC’s monthly safety alert by clicking here.

Completing worker assessments is an important part of maintaining a safe and successful operation. Typically, a supervisor is responsible for this process within a company or operation. BCFSC’s one-on-one assessments are a valuable tool to ensure there are no gaps in the knowledge, skills and attributes each worker needs to do their job safely and productively. These assessments are intended for both new workers and experienced workers. Young workers can benefit from the guidance and experience they gain through interaction with their supervisor. Experienced workers can benefit by demonstrating their skills and knowledge against an industry-developed standard.

As summer forestry work ramps up across British Columbia, workers face a range of hazards both on the road and in the field. Two risks this time of year are wildlife encounters at worksites and wildlife collisions while driving. So, whether you’re heading out to the worksite or working in remote areas, being prepared can help prevent serious incidents. Stay Alert Behind the Wheel: Wildlife collisions remain a significant risk for drivers in BC, with thousands of animal-related crashes reported every year. These incidents can lead to serious injuries, fatalities and costly damage to vehicles. …Working in Bear Country: Bears are coming out of hibernation in the spring and becoming more active across many parts of the province. Forestry workers often operate in high‑risk areas, making it important to understand how to avoid and respond to bear encounters. The best approach is prevention. Most bears will avoid people if they are aware of your presence.

BC’s forestry sector has always been known for its resilience, strong work ethic and deep connection to communities. In recent years, though, that resilience has been tested. Mill curtailments, closures, workforce reductions and ongoing economic uncertainty have taken a toll on workers and communities across the province. As we continue to adjust, one thing is becoming increasingly clear, supporting and prioritizing mental health is essential to keeping forestry workers safe. Workers across harvesting, silviculture, log hauling, sawmills and wood pellet operations are no strangers to demanding work conditions. Long hours and physical work are part of the job. But when mental strain like job uncertainty and financial pressure are added to the mix, it creates another layer of stress that can quickly start to weigh on people.

Stigma and concerns about job security can make it hard to speak openly about mental health and many workers continue to push through without reaching out for support. It will take a collective effort across industry to close the gap between needing support and asking for it without feeling judged or like they have to tough it out on their own.

Wood products manufacturing operations have their share of hazards to workers. Identifying hazards, assessing the risk level and building controls are essential in both harvesting and manufacturing settings. BCFSC offers a wide range of resources and training courses to assist those who work in forestry. Visit the following web pages to learn more:

• Identifying Hazards and Assessing Risk Training – Wood Products Manufacturing
• Hazard Identification, Inspection and Investigation – Wood Products Manufacturing Supervisor
• Field Level Hazard Assessment Forms for Manufacturing

In sawmill operations, combustible dust can accumulate on equipment, rafters, floors, and production surfaces. If the dust becomes airborne, it can create a serious fire or explosion hazard. Good housekeeping is essential, but some cleaning methods can unintentionally increase risk. One of the most common examples is using compressed air to blow down and clear dust. There are many challenges and risks with using compressed air for blowdown. It doesn’t actually remove dust; instead, it instantly generates a dense dust cloud creating a significant explosion risk. The dust gets redistributed, shifting from one place to another, spreading across machinery, product lines, and other sensitive areas. It can be forced into hidden spaces or up into rafters, making future cleanup more difficult. When hazards like static discharge or sparks combine with airborne dust, conditions for an explosion can develop quickly. …Combustible dust hazards are manageable when dust is prevented from becoming airborne and ignition sources are tightly controlled.

As wildfires in Canada grow larger, faster and more unpredictable, the challenge facing emergency responders is no longer just putting water on flames, it is understanding what the fire is doing, where it is heading, and how quickly conditions are changing —drones are a critical tool in meeting that challenge.

Strategic began using drone technology years ago as part of its forestry, environmental monitoring and natural-resource management work. As wildfire seasons intensify, those same unmanned aircraft systems were quickly adapted for emergency response. Today, drones are embedded in Strategic’s wildfire operations, providing real-time intelligence to support firefighters and incident commanders. …Safety is a central benefit. Drone reconnaissance allows Strategic teams to assess hazards, scout access routes, and monitor fire behaviour without putting personnel directly in harm’s way. …In addition to drone-based fire suppression and monitoring systems, Strategic trains and supports resource professionals who are passionate about fire suppression.

Wildfire activity is not simply a disruption to forestry work in British Columbia–it has the potential to be a significant occupational hazard. Wildfire smoke and ash can cause respiratory problems, trees impacted by fire can fall unexpectedly and crews could become entrapped by fast moving flame fronts. In recent years, BC has experienced some of the most severe wildfire seasons in Canada. One season alone saw approximately 2.8 million hectares burned, which was more than double previous records and caused widespread evacuations, area closures, and heavy smoke. BC’s forestry sector was significantly impacted, particularly in remote locations that were dangerously exposed to rapidly changing fire conditions.

Wildfires can escalate quickly into uncontrollable situations, putting workers at risk, halting operations, damaging equipment and threatening nearby communities. Wildfire preparedness is essential and it is a shared responsibility. Forestry operators, workers and industry partners all play a role in reducing risk and responding effectively. …

Wildfires will continue to challenge BC’s forestry sector. By learning from past wildfire seasons, staying informed and working together, the industry can better protect workers, operations and the communities that depend on them.

Students at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) have completed the first year of Canada’s first university-level diploma in wildfire studies, marking a key milestone in a program designed to meet the growing and evolving demands of the wildfire sector.

Developed in partnership with the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), the diploma is part of a broader effort to build a first-of-its-kind wildfire hub at TRU. The initiative, known as TRU Wildfire, brings together research, education, training and innovation to respond to the growing challenges of a changing climate. TRU is leading the way with climate-adapted wildfire studies, bringing expertise from across disciplines to prepare students for a wide range of roles connected to wildfire. …Students can take a single course, complete one of four specialized certificates  —  the Sociocultural Dynamics of Wildfire Certificate, Wildfire Communications and Media Certificate, Wildfire Leadership Certificate and Wildfire Science Certificate  — or work toward the full diploma, which combines all four certificates with additional coursework.

While some students aim to advance into leadership or specialist roles with agencies such as BCWS, others are focused on related fields, including emergency management, ecology, community resilience and mental health.

After more than three decades working in forestry and wildfire risk in British Columbia, I have come to see our wildfire challenge less as a failure of knowledge and more as a question of how we choose to invest wildfire mitigation funding. …much of the risk we face is well understood and well documented. We know where our most vulnerable forests are in relation to values at risk. We know which communities are exposed and we have a growing body of evidence showing what kinds of interventions can change fire behaviour on the ground. What is less clear is whether our investment patterns reflect that understanding in a meaningful way. …Over the past two decades, spending on fire suppression has consistently outpaced investment in prevention and mitigation.

Mitigation funding has increased in recent years, particularly for fuel management and community protection. Even so, it generally remains in the range of $100 million to $200 million annually. The result is a system that is highly effective at responding to fire but still evolving in how it invests in reducing risk before ignition. In effect, the majority of public spending continues to flow after fires start, rather than toward reducing conditions that drive their severity. …The question is whether those investments can be sustained and scaled over time in a way that matches the level of risk. …meaningful change will not happen in a single funding cycle. It will take consistent investment over decades.

Wildfire is no longer a distant or hypothetical concern for communities in British Columbia. Over the past several years, North Cowichan has taken meaningful steps to better understand and reduce its wildfire risk—investing in planning, expertise, and long‑term resilience. …Ours is a classic wildland–urban interface (WUI) community. …North Cowichan has recognized that wildfire must be addressed as an ongoing operational and planning consideration rather than a seasonal concern. A key step in advancing this work was the creation of a dedicated wildfire specialist role. This position reflects an understanding that effective wildfire preparedness and response require focused expertise, long‑range planning, and coordination across multiple municipal functions.

Rather than developing a standalone wildfire document, North Cowichan is enhancing its existing municipal and emergency planning framework to expand into a more comprehensive wildfire response plan. This approach recognizes that wildfire response is interconnected with emergency management, infrastructure planning, land use, and inter‑agency coordination. Our approach demonstrates how preparation, coordination, and local leadership can significantly improve response capability and resilience. As wildfire continues to shape the future of communities across the province, North Cowichan’s work offers a practical, real‑world example of how municipalities can adapt and prepare for the inevitability of fire.

Wildfire has become an increasingly visible part of life across Western Canada. Our climate is changing, and wildfire seasons are becoming longer and drier. The best way to tackle wildfire preparedness, prevention, and mitigation is to work together. FireSmart BC is a provincial program dedicated to helping British Columbians understand and reduce their wildfire risk. We serve as the go-to resource for individuals, neighbourhoods, and communities looking to protect themselves and their properties. …Built on decades of research, FireSmart BC focuses on how wildfire behaves around structures and how changes on and around a property can influence outcomes during a wildfire. …Wildfire mitigation is a shared responsibility. When renters, landlords, homeowners, businesses, and all levels of government work together, we can collectively reduce the risk and impact of wildfires across British Columbia. …FireSmart BC offers a wide range of resources to support both individuals and organizations.

At a screening of BC is Burning earlier this year, someone in the audience asked a question that has stayed with me: “If we already know what needs to be done, why aren’t we doing it?” It wasn’t asked as a challenge. It was asked out of frustration. That question defines the gap between knowledge and action when it comes to wildfire. It has come up again and again across more than 25 screenings of B.C. is Burning, in communities throughout the Interior and Vancouver Island, and at the B.C. Legislature. …Since 2017, more than 8 million hectares have burned across British Columbia. In some communities, weeks of smoke have become a regular part of summer. The pace and intensity of wildfire are now outstripping current approaches. Suppression alone cannot keep up under extreme conditions.

This is not just a climate story. It is also a forest conditions story. … Understanding the problem is the easy part. The conversation is shifting from whether we should manage forests to how, and how quickly it can be done at scale. …There is no single solution to wildfire. But we do know that actively managing forests at scale will reduce risk and impacts. There is a path forward, and people across the province can see it.