Eleven Direct Harvesting Deaths So Far Sparks Safety Alert
Prince George, B.C. – The BC Forest Safety Council has issued an alert in the wake of yet another forestry sector death.
The death of the driver of a loaded logging truck November 7th near Chetwynd, is the eleventh direct harvesting fatality this year.
In that case, the tractor went off the side of a single lane bridge, and came to rest on the driver’s side of the cab. The driver found on the ground under the cab.
The investigation is still in progress and additional information will be released as it becomes available.
This death would have been the 12th but a previous incident that was considered a direct harvesting fatality has been reclassified so the addition of the Chetwynd incident brings the total to 11 for 2013.
There was also a fatality on the 13th of this month at a forest products manufacturing and log sorting operation in Mission. A young worker was killed when struck by a bundle of logs that was being pushed into the Fraser River.
The BC Forest Safety Council says while the incidents are still under investigation, it is important for the industry to take a close look at their operations and make whatever changes are necessary to prevent similar tragedies.
Some of the reminders being passed along by the Safety Council are:
- When operating vehicles or equipment it is critically important to wear seatbelts. Staying in the cab with your seatbelt on will offer the best protection if you roll-over or lose control.
- New and young workers (under age 25) are at high risk for injuries at work. Thorough orientations, effective 2-way communication and close supervision are required to keep these workers safe.
- Winter is here and there are new hazards to watch out for:
- Poor visibility and increased darkness
- Cold temperatures
- Slippery conditions
- Ensure there are good communications if it is necessary for a person on foot to enter an equipment operating area. The best practice is to keep equipment operations and people on the ground separated.
Comments
When I logged down on the coast in the ’70’s and 80’s there were several years when the death toll stood at 35+, with hand fallers accounting for the most sizeable proportion. If the total number of logging fatalities is down to a dozen or less, that could be viewed as a major improvement until you consider how many fewer people are employed in logging compared to 30 years ago.
On another note, when I worked in the industry, a study was conducted examining the characteristics of the “typical” fatality and it was found that, on average, a logger killed on the job had 12 years of experience, so I’m not sure I buy this idea that loggers under 25 are most at risk.
And just saying, but imagine if police officers, fire fighters, or even soldiers died in such alarming numbers. The public outcry would be deafening – why is there no such concern over logging deaths?
“And just saying, but imagine if police officers, fire fighters, or even soldiers died in such alarming numbers. The public outcry would be deafening – why is there no such concern over logging deaths?” .. well, probably because a loggers job isn’t usually directly to do with possibly facing down a criminal with a gun, or entering a burning building or even going to war in a foreign country. A loggers death is usually because of a job site “accident” and not directly tied to their job “description”.
WTF are you talking about Huh?
BC logging industry is considered one of the success stories in the logging world for reducing fatalities from an all time high of 51 in the early ’90’s to going to zero fatalities in the north for a couple of yrs running.
The unfortunate reality is also many long time loggers are retiring now and a younger and newer generation of workers are out there and for the most part all they see is a pay check and safety is not paramount on their minds. Say what you want about forest companies they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on safety but it is rarely reported but as soon as a death occurs then the fireworks begin.
Compared to Ontario and Quebec and Northern US we have a great safety record in the industry. Companies strive to prevent deaths but the reality is it happens and the industry tries to make sure it don’t happen again
Huh. Just for your information the homicide rate for police in the Province of BC from 1961 to 2009 ten (10).
Homicide rate for all of Canada for the same period was 133.
The rate for taxi drivers getting killed is almost double that of the police.
These rates are for homicides, and wouldn’t include death by car accidents, etc; however the police are certainly not anywhere near the rates of a lot of other vocations.
Not belittling this tragedy in any way but what is direct harvesting? Is this some term from a communications major. What if the accident was a pickup truck heading to the jobsite, what would that be called?
Its like wood burning now being called bio energy.
I think that “direct harvesting” means what happens in the bush up to the point the logs are loaded onto the truck, so accidents involving fellers, skidders and so forth. What it excludes are later stages, e.g. accidents involving truck drivers and mill workers. I think I’ve seen “direct harvesting cost” used with the meaning of “cost to get the wood on the truck”.
I agree that transportation of logs is something different than harvesting logs.
Incidents in log sorting yard are something different again. I would think that comes under manufacturing incidents.
So, this needs some clearer explanation by the BCFSC.
If better quality categorization is not available then we might as well not even look at counting anything.
On the other hand, if that is the way it has always been done then we should make sure that we keep it that way, otherwise we will never be able to get good relative info.
Many, many years ago when I was logging at the coast there was a saying about a plane crash in which 8 people and 2 loggers had perished.
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