On July 21, 2010, a group of recreational boaters spotted a fire in a wooded area near Golden, BC. Because there was a camp fire ban in effect at the time, the boaters reported the fire to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO), who in turn dispatched personnel to investigate. When the government officials arrived at the Khaira campsite where the fire had been spotted, they were greeted by a crew of silviculture workers. Nearly all the workers were black males, and as new Canadians, spoke little or no English. One of the workers was visibly injured and bleeding from the head. All the workers expressed relief and gratitude to the officials for arriving at the camp, and some said that they “hadn’t eaten in two days.”
It is my pleasure to let you know that the Council has published its Progress Report 2010-2011, which provides an overview of the forest industry’s safety efforts last year and a look at what is planned for the immediate future.
Operating logging equipment on steep slopes increases the likelihood of reduced machine stability which can result in an upset or roll-over. These events can result in serious worker injuries or fatalities, significant environmental damage and/or expensive lost production and machine repairs.
Productive, injury-free steep slope mechanical harvesting operations require an integrated approach that draws on the skills of all forestry team members - owners, operational planners and lay out crews, contractors, assessors, supervisors and operators. This package was produced by a technical advisory group consisting of engineers, safety professionals, manufacturers, industry associations, forest professionals, logging managers, contractors, supervisors and operators from across BC.
by Rob Moonen
Nanaimo, BC – (February 11, 2011) - A case involving what the provincial government called "unacceptable" treatment of 58 silvicultural workers will be examined by BC Forest Safety Ombudsman Roger Harris as part of a review of silviculture camp systems.
Improving transportation safety in forest operations
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| Forestry Engineer suffers fractured skull | Iverson Forest Management Inc. |
| Man-made Hazards | Strategic Natural Resource Consultants Inc. |
| Use caution in areas burned by wildfires | BC Wildfire Service |
