Single Mill Inquest an Insult, Says Cullen
Prince George, B.C. – The MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley has come out highly critical of the B.C. government’s decision to hold one all-encompassing coroner’s inquest into the interior sawmill explosions which took the lives of four workers and left another fourty with injuries.
NDP MP Nathan Cullen says “the BC Coroners Service decision this week to hold a single public inquest into four deaths at sawmill explosions in Burns Lake and Prince George is little more than a "tick box" in already badly flawed investigations. This is an insult to the memories of the deceased individuals and hardly an exhaustive effort to protect people who continue to work at sawmills," Cullen said.
"The decision to hold one inquest into these deadly explosions at separate mills doesn't seem to value the loss of life and harm to families and communities.
"The federal inquiry into the decline of Fraser River sockeye took months and cost $26 million, but the best the BC government can manage to prevent future sawmill death and destruction is this."
The Babine Forest Products sawmill in Burns Lake was destroyed in an explosion and fire on Jan. 20, 2012 that killed 45-year-old Robert Luggi Jr. and 42-year-old Carl Charlie and injured 19 others. 43-year-old Alan Little and 46-year-old Glenn Roche were killed and over 20 injured in the April 23, 2012 blast at the Lakeland mill in Prince George.
The inquest into the mill explosions begins March 2nd, 2015 in Prince George.
Comments
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Incidents-Topic.asp?ReportID=36879&_ga=1.69754131.265662978.1407585886
Posted by: Woodlot on August 9 2014 5:06 AM
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Incidents-Topic.asp?ReportID=36879&_ga=1.69754131.265662978.1407585886
Let’s see…..
Warning sawdust can explode clean up your mill! They didn’t listen.
Part 1.Too much sawdust in the air and there was a spark. Boom! Two people died.
Warning sawdust can explode clean up your mill. They didn’t listen again
Part 2. Too much sawdust in the air and there was a spark. Boom! Two people died again.
Who do you want to blame? Worksafe, Management, or the Workers Themsleves? Both mills were warned to clean up their act! So now it’s managements turn. Management dropped the ball so now it’s the workers turn!
What will the inquest prove? Recommendations that have already been implemented? Take a tour of the new Babine Mill. Vertical cable trays, gussets on the I beams to prevent dust accumulation, closed in ceilings so no exposed beams, low temperature induction lighting and explosion proof equipment! Is Lakeland being built the same?
http://www.safetyauthority.ca/combustible-dust
Should be mandatory reading for all sawmill employees!
The inquest into the mill explosions begins March 2nd, 2015 in Prince George.
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Are we ever getting tis done!
Cheers
There has been lots of sawdust in the mills for 80 years nothing has ever happened. Until they started sawing beetle killed wood that is, it is dryer and hangs in the air more. I know for sure no one wanted these accidents to happen.
And the mills are much more enclosed then in the past.
Cheers
We live and die by our mistakes, enough said.
not a mistake, was never a mistake Government, company new the risk have a look at reports from WCB passed and safety books from Canfor 2009.Mistake screw off
As the farcical search for accountability continues… what a joke!!!
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