It really burns my ass that we in the forest industry have been telling our employers and the government about the increased sawdust created by beetle kill wood and the increased dangers and hazards that it poses in fire risk yet nothing was done by either organization til people died.

I know and understand that there is a risk associated with the industry and accept those risks but when it becomes excessive and nothing is done because nothing has happened the companies involved can’t see the justification of extra clean up nor will the government or worksafe BC take action til something happens. Well something happened and people lost lives and it burns my ass that it took deaths to make the moves they could of been pro-active instead of reactive.

But then again we might of never had this scenario if the Socreds then NDP had taken action all those yrs ago in Tweedsmur provincial park but between government inaction and the environmentalists moaning about unneccesary forest destruction the pine beetle would of never had a chance to destroy the pine…..

AMEN & AMEN Dearth

AMEN & AMEN Dearth

My condolences to the families of the workers at Lakeland Sawmill. What a tragedy. I hope everyone recovers through this with their dignity and health.

Found this great article giving policy to Harpers new ideology of ‘enlightened sovereignty’ as it pertains to Canadian natural resources.

A must read for those that vote conservative. Clearest new article yet that shows the federal conservatives are monopoly capitalists, and not supporters of a sovereign free enterprise economy.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/86531-smell-of-rotting-fish-coming-from-ottawa

So what’s new, Eagleone? Harper has been systematically dismantling oversight of his actions (see cuts to StatsCan and now the outfit overseeing CSIS) while trumpeting its “accountability and openness”.
And then everything we collectively own is being given to corporations. He closes prisons while pushing legislation that will increase populations of incarcerated. Where will they go? Look for Corrections Corporation of America to come and offer a “solution” so it can harness slave labour in private prisons here as it does in the States.
This crew and its sociopath leader is intent on dismantling Canada as we know it.

grab a root and dig

And now for something completely different..
Living here in Hart Highlands things have always come later,street cleaning and green grass being two. For several weeks now the resident bears of Prince George have been out and about in the lower College Heights area, well last night I had some visitors to my backyard.Three very lean and leggy yearlings believed to be from the resident female who has been living in the greenbelt behind my home for many years now. According to the Northern Bear Awareness Society she has been named Nechako and had given birth to four cubs in January of 2011. This past October all five family members visited the neighborhood for about one week but not once during this time were they seen raiding garbage containers. We will always have bears in PG but our interaction with them depends on our habits so I would like to ask that we be mindful of our routines. Keep our areas clean and safe and maybe we can save the life of one of Prince George’s first residents. Thank You

April 25, 2012

“Recently, the (New Hampshire) Senate has taken up an issue that may actually benefit the general public – this time specifically, it’s regarding the mass medication that is omnipresent in everyone’s water supply, sodium fluoride. The largest state legislature in the US recently passed a bill that requires all water bills to warn parents with infants of the dangers revolving around fluoride and water fluoridation- but only associated with infancy and excluding just about everyone else, to no great surprise.”

This is interesting news for residents of Terrace, Fort St. John and Prince George! They are the only ones left in B.C. who still get this nasty fertilizer effluent poison delivered with their tap water!

Everyone else – relax!

Worksafe is funded by the employer. Don’t expect them to come out on the side of the worker. It has never happened in the past. How often do we hear about worker claims being denied and the need for intervention by 3rd parties.
Worksafe…..reactive and not proactive.

9271

Workers are just collateral damage when they are injured or killed. Worksafe is just a tool used to avoid lawsuits.

Why aren’t there sawdust detectors in sawmills that monitor the level continuously and sound an alarm if the level gets too high? I’m no expert on sawdust, but from the particle sizes, it looks like the same technology as in photoelectric smoke detectors would work, meaning that levels could be monitored continuously and that cost would not be a problem.

Because that would cost money. Safety is #1 after Production and Profit.

And besides, even if there were sawdust detectors in mills, as soon as they went off the mill would just unplug them thinking they are defective, and because they would be too annoying going off all the time. When its so dusty that people are wearing masks and still working, why would a mill shut down production to clean the air/ground? After an hour the cheap mask plugs up from breathing and the moisture and dust and then they just take them off to breath.

And besides, even if there were sawdust detectors in mills, as soon as they went off the mill would just unplug them thinking they are defective, and because they would be too annoying going off all the time. When its so dusty that people are wearing masks and still working, why would a mill shut down production to clean the air/ground? After an hour the cheap mask plugs up from breathing and the moisture and dust and then they just take them off to breath.

Today it seems that sawmills have to run 24/7 in order to make a profit. I don’t know what went on at Lakeland but years ago when I started working in the mills the graveyard shift was the clean up shift. I’m not saying we got every nook and cranny but the place was decent come morning.

I am really interested to find out if it was indeed the dust levels in both these destroyed mills that caused the explosions. If it turns out that it was dust build up then I would also like to know what the policy was towards clean up and dust mitigation.

Couple of questions for all the drivers out there:

1)When making a left or right turn and there are only 4 wheels on the vehicle why do so many people feel it necessary to swing out the opposite way before turning? I can see the need with a large truck but not with a car.

2)If you’re coming out of a side street and you stomp on the accelerator to cut in front of someone why do so many of you refuse to travel as fast (or faster even) as the person you just cut off?

I have to agree faxman – just last night I was heading down 15th and a car was in the left turn lane. A little dodge neon is all… at the last second as I pass he swings out into my lane like he is dragging a 48′ reefer around the curb…

http://www.theprovince.com/business/pine+beetle+kill+sawdust+cause+Prince+George+sawmill+explosion/6528707/story.html

Mills across the province have been ordered to clean up latent sawdust in an unprecedented order.

“The situation is so serious that we’ve taken this step,” said WorkSafe B.C. vice-president Roberta Ellis. “It is the first time an order has been issued to an entire industry.”

Apparently they have been given till May 9 to fix sawdust problems.

Interesting that they do not shut the mills down till the dust problem is dealt with. Whose fault would it be if there is another explosion between now and May 9th?

Again, from the link: “Fortunately, this problem has been recognized for a long time and there is technology to deal with it. The equipment is manufactured in Denmark and has been used around the world for many years,” he said.”

So why are we so behind the times? Why is this equipment manufactured in Denmark? Are we not capable of producing safety equipment that can be marketed to the world?

Why is it that Denmark was concerned about sawdust and developed a marketable extraction system while we could not. I mean, how many sawmills does Denmark have compared to Canada?

1) Inability to determine the turning radius of the car they drive

2) Inability to visually determine how fast an approaching vehicle is travelling.

In other words, they should have failed their practical driving test.

Good post littlebuds. I agree that we need to be proactive when it comes to our bear population. I can’t stand it when the same people who leave out their garbage that the bears get into, then call the conversation officer (or worse, the RCMP) to come dispose of a bear that is hanging around their yard. This is their world too people, deal with it in a way that keeps us all safe.

To all the employees, their friends and families of Lakelands, I am truly sorry for your losses. Thinking of you all and wishing you peace, bornandbred.

Canada does produce some dust control equipment. One example is Allied Blower who manufactures baghouses and cyclones.

I have seen equipment similar to what is described in the article when I had the opportunity to tour the MDF plant in Quesnel. The little hammermill that produced the pucks was in a separate little building, with absolutely everything covered in about 2″ dust of the finest dust I have ever seen coming of the sanders etc.

Talk about a time bomb, guess that is the reason to move it away from the plant

BCRacer: There is an organization in PG that does exactly that! Dinosaur Computers at http://www.dinosaurcomputers.org/

They are a great organization, funded in part by the Integris Credit Union.

Good info Jales, thank you. I have often wondered about what we could do with a perfectly good computer besides send it to the landfill or to BBK bottle depot on Vance Road for furtherance to a recycler. Someone should tell the dinosaurcomputerpersons not to hide their light under a basket. There must be tens of thousands of obsolete computers and associated hardware lying around homes and offices in P.G. alone.
metalman.

http://www.princegeorge.ca/cityhall/mayorcouncil/councilagendasminutes/agendas/2012/2012_04_30/documents/Corr_Weedon_Plaza_MERGED.pdf

An interesting letter to the City on the agenda for Monday.

Wonder if this fellow works for the Ramada?

The lawn in front of City Hall used to be a nice location ….. The Civic Centre Plaza could use some animation with resaurants and coffee paces around …. the deck of the library would be a good location for a bit of commercial space … the proposed hotel/condo [provides some opportunity … a renovation of the Coast’s meeting rooms area with expanded deck over the parking below could provide a surrounding upper level open/enclosed concourse overlooking the plaza below.

Two hotels, businesses amenable to a civic square added, skating arleady there, fountain aleready there .. a gallery, a library …. meeting rooms with a good quality winter city protected foyer space ….

the start is there, just needs some additional activity generators and a promotion by the city and tourism that THIS IS THE CIVIC PLAZA ……

A green space with a fountain and statue is great for central Italy, Spain. Portugal, etc. We live in Central BC with completely different conditions which needs a plaza that can be active year round.

My deepest condolences to the families of Lakeland Mills.My biggest concern is that everyone is focused on the sawdust levels right now.So all the mills take measures to clean this problem up now,but I would hope that it becomes regular policy if it is found to be the main cause of these unfortunate incidents and is maintained on a long term basis.I have a question for the people investigating the Burns Lake disaster.If you have an idea of what contributed to that explosion and fire,but don’t wish to release the results until you are absolutely certain,how can you live with yourselves if another tragedy were to happen in the mean time?It strikes me as being very suspicious that right after the Lakeland disaster that they announce they have completed there investigation into the Burns Lake explosion.Did they have some results before the Lakeland incident?I am not trying to disrespect anyone involved with either tragedy as I know someone who works for Lakeland,but I think these questions need to be asked.

A diesel pickup is NOT a race car. Get over your redneck selves.

Where are the pothole crews?How can you miss the massive amount of craters at the intersection of 15th ave. and Foothills Blvd.?Are you people at city hall blind or just too damn slow to get your asses moving and get some holes and cracks filled in this city?How about the crater strip on Eton Ave. or all the vehicle sucking holes on McGill or Simon Fraser?It is really pissing me off this year as I haven’t seen it this bad in the forty years I have been here!

An aquaintence of mine hit a pot hole to-day. He couldnt avoid it because of traffic. As a consequence he lost his muffler. He seen it bouncing down the road in his rear view mirror until it was run over by the car following him. I told him to send the repair bill to City Hall.

This I am sure is just one of many stories about pot holes every day.

Potholes crews used up their budget already.

Well when the snow falls and we use up the budget do they stop plowing the snow?

Resident I don’t know who Worksafe work for; years ago the company I was working for was worried about air quality and phone Worksafe to test it. Because the owner approved the testing Worksafe would not test the air quality. What they wanted to do was come in without the owners knowomg and if the air quality was poor then they could fine the owners.

Sorry about the spelling of knowing – fingers on the wrong keys.

Hate having to pay to go to and have people try to sell me stuff… The vendors at these home shows should cover these costs, they would get more people.. Cost of doing business..

+In 1971 I think aCanfor mill in Chetwynd exploded & 2 people died in fire & I do believe that fire was caused by dust. It took 2 minutes & that 2 line 2 story mill was flat on the ground. It rocked the whole town.

Palupo – if the muffler fell off because of a pothole then it was rotten and ready to go anyway. Tell them to learn about basic maintenance.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/two-years-before-deadly-explosions-warnings-went-out-about-sawdust-danger/article2415794/singlepage

The Globe and Mail has their investigative journalism team out in full force from the looks of it.

Headline: Two years before deadly explosions, warnings went out about sawdust danger

Two years before a pair of B.C. sawmill explosions that this year killed four workers, WorkSafeBC warned “a layer of dust as thin as a dime” in a sawmill could cause an explosion hazard.

The warning – included in an April. 27, 2010 series of guidelines on chemical and biological substances – also warns of the destructive nature of the phenomena.

“If combustible dust collects in a building or structure or on machinery or equipment, it must be safely removed before accumulation of the dust could cause a fire or explosion.”

The documents note there can be a series of explosions as the pressure from the first blast dislodges additional dust fuel for a second blast from various surfaces.

“This dislodged dust then mixes with air, creating a much larger dust cloud which can then be ignited and react explosively, creating a secondary catastrophic explosion,” says the document.

The second blast can be more devastating than the first, say the guidelines, which are focused on combustible dusts at sawmills and related facilities, The document offers advice on dust-collection devices, as well as a reminder of B.C. Fire Code regulations on their use.

It urges operators to asses their facilities, provide written dust-control programs for staff and train staff.

“The dust-control program should be communicated to all workers and include training on the program elements, including hazard awareness, specific safe work procedures, hazcom documentation and emergency preparedness.”

Coroner’s inquest time????

Thank you for the link 10:19 am from Peter Weedon. all I can say he certainly has a vision for our down town. But I am afraid this city looks like the second photograph, more dirty parking lots.

Jakeadoo, people are blind or visually impaired are concerned about potholes too. My cane gets stuck in them, and with my level of vision, I can’t watch for traffic and potholes at the same time while crossing streets. I never jaywalk but even with the walk signal, people try to turn left or right in front of me, behind me and sometimes right on me. If I don’t watch for idiot drivers I risk getting runover. If I don’t watch for potholes, I risk falling in them. It’s a no win. This city is a pedestrian hazard even more than a danger for cars.

Anyone know the state of the shut down Le Pas mill beside Lakeland? Could it be brought on line faster than rebuilding Lakeland?

Gus, thanks for posting the link to the Weedon submission *Canada Games Plaza* to the City! For years I have been mentioning the need for a plaza in the very same area to everyone who would listen and to all those from whom I drew only a blank stare or eyes that were glazing over from boredom or total lack of interest.

Cities which do not have a heart – a plaza, zocalo, marktplatz – DO NOT have a heart!

I don’t think that there is much interest in the administration, management and planning of this city to take a quantum leap and go ahead with anything as wonderful as that!

The only motivation they seem to have is the value of each square meter of land in the downtown! Each and every square meter must be utilized for commercial purposes! It’s the mighty dollar which rules!

Sad, no vision.

Weaksauce……….you are absolutely correct. My diesel is not a sports car………it’s actually a lot faster than a sports car.

seamutt, the winton mill next door to lakeland is a planer mill. and the subject of the bear lake winton sawmill supplying lakelands planer is being bandied about, but i dont see it happening.

“Coroner’s inquest time????”

Given the WorkSafeBC reports and what has occurred recently, there should be a few of very serious questions being posed:

1) What did WorkSafeBC do to follow up from their reports in 2010?
2) Have there been funding cuts to WorkSafeBC in recent times that would impact their ability to inspect mills?
3) To what extent did the mills in question adhere to the WorkSafeBC warnings and if they did not and it is determined that the saw dust was a contributing factor to the explosions, what are the implications for the mill owners and the government?

This is serious stuff folks. One could argue that an immediate closure for all mills, until a definite cause is determined and corrective solutions are implemented, is completely justifiable. In fact, you could probably go so far as to say that not taking immediate and firm actions right now would be an abdication of the governments responsibility in these regards. People have lost their lives and there are certainly indicators out there to suggest that a potential cause for the disasters related to issues that were known and raised in past inspections as potential risks.

This is precisely why we have governments and organizations like WorkSafeBC. Perhaps they should take a step back and revisit what their mandate actually is. This is a time to do what’s right for all of those people working in the saw mills in BC. Show some leadership for God’s sake.

Sarahsmith70, I would never insult blind people or the visually impaired intentially in any way,shape or form as my father went blind at age 56.I am sorry if you were insulted by my previous comment.I was just wondering how the people at city hall can let these obvious hazards go so long without being repaired as the streets have been without snow for quite some time now.

Oh, no worries, Jakeadoo. I didn’t take it as any kind of insult, just a good opportunity to point out that potholes are an issue for everyone, not just drivers, and in some ways are more of a hazard for peds. I too get frustrated with certain city hall attitudes, especially those that think it’s ok to have inoperative walk signals or audible walk signals for two months after being notifeid of them, when we all know that traffic signals are fixed really quickly. There’s a lot of predujice out there about the needs of people iwth disabilities, even though we will all have disabiliites if we live long enough.