For 2007 the Council is introducing two important Developing Projects.
These initiatives were identified as part of Council’s director to accelerate the SAFE Companies initiative, in recognition of the pressures that this would create on the smaller companies and contractors. These were announced in mid January, 2006, after consultation with Council members and planning is still underway to fully define the scope and budget for these projects. They are:
These initiatives are reviewed in brief below.
Project Description: This is a developmental project where the Council will take the lead in developing a framework for the project and will then work with other stakeholders to complete the review.
Frequent references were made at the Forestry TruckSafe Summits to substance abuse as an important contributing factor to the number of crashes. The issue of substance use and abuse has also been raised as a concern in other parts of the industry. There appears to be a consensus that drug and alcohol use needs to be addressed as we take action to improve worker and worksite safety.
There also seems great reluctance to do so. This is an issue important to vehicle safety, but it needs to be looked at on a sector-wide basis. It also needs to be considered broadly to take into account the circumstances that contribute to the use of substances, legal and illegal, in the industry. We also must reflect on how best to provide assistance and support to workers and employers.
The BC Forest Safety Council, working with industry associations, health authorities, WorkSafeBC and government agencies, will initiate a thorough review of substance use in the forest sector. The review will include consideration of current efforts in BC and the experience of other industries and jurisdictions. The intention is to develop a better understanding of the issue and prepare options for the consideration of the Council, industry and government on practical steps that can be taken to reduce the incidence and impact of substance use in the industry.
Performance Indicators: This review will be initiated in early 2006, to be completed later in the year. The extent to which it will become part of the Council’s on-going work plan will depend largely on the extent to which we are successful in engaging other stakeholders in the review.
Project Description: The forest sector needs a Workforce Development Strategy. This was one of the general conclusions of the Forestry TruckSafe Summits and the resulting work groups.
The forest sector workforce is aging. There is a shortage of qualified drivers and loggers, and too much turnover. Trained workers are moving to other sectors, and there is trouble attracting younger workers. These comments and more were made during the Summits, and worker development and worker shortages have been identified by several industry associations.
But there is currently no workforce development plan for the industry. We have only limited information on workforce demographics, experience, turnover, etc. Basic information is needed by the industry. The linkage to safety is clear. With a renewed emphasis on workforce training and development of worker certification and qualification requirements, we need better information on the potential impacts on the sector.
This is not a short-term undertaking. Similar plans for the construction and hospitality sectors took several years to develop. Once developed, the plan must be kept current.
Performance Indicators: The BC Forest Safety Council, working with industry associations, will put together a proposal for preparation of a workforce development plan for the sector. This will involve discussions with the Industry Training Authority, Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Forests and Range.
Some initial work has been done on workforce development, but this is a new area for the sector and will take time to prepare both the approach and the ultimate plan.
This review will be initiated in early 2006, to be completed later in the year. The extent to which it will become part of the Council’s on-going work plan will depend largely on the extent to which we are successful in engaging other stakeholders in the review.
