Babine Mill Owners Issue Release on Inquest Findings
Burns Lake, B.C.-Babine Forest Products and Hampton Affiliates, he majority owner of Babine, have issued a statement on the findings and recommendations from the the Coroner’s Inquest into the deaths of Robert Luggi Jr, and Carl Charlie in the explosion and fire of January 2012.The deaths of Robert Luggi Jr. and Carl Charlie were classed as accidental. There was testimony at the inquest that no one was aware of the explosive properties of dust in a sawmill setting “We are eternally sorry for this lack of recognition and have taken many steps at all of our sawmills to ensure this never happens again” reads a quote from Hampton CEO Steve Zika. The release indicates Hampton is “participating with other British Columbia and U.S. sawmill owners to increase awareness and training relating to the risks of combustible dust in a sawmill environment,”
The inquest jury and coroner issued a a total of 41 recommendations, some of which are directed to Babine and Hampton. Hampton says the recommendations will be “considered carefully and reviewed and discussed with all Babine employees in the next 60 days”
The company has outlined a number of actions that have taken place since the explosion.
- The new Babine sawmill has been designed to meet or exceed all current fire, dust and electrical regulations.
- All material fire and emergency systems or safety processes proposed by the jury have already been implemented.
- Safety is the #1 priority for all Babine supervisors and employees and there is continual and productive dialogue with WorkSafeBC.
- Both the Babine and Decker Lake sawmills recently completed and passed third-party dust audits as required of all members of the Council of Forest Industries in British Columbia.
- In 2012 Hampton Affiliates hired a Director of Safety who audits Hampton sawmill safety processes. He is responsible for sharing safety information with all Hampton sawmills and corresponding with regulators and other industry participants.
- every Monday safety issues from the week before are discussed with Hampton managers, including the CEO, and any directives or safety alerts are communicated throughout the Hampton operations.
- When the new Babine sawmill restarted operations, cultural awareness training was arranged for all employees. Babine now has six supervisors of First Nations relation, up from one supervisor prior to the accident.
The release closed with the company saying it hopes the end of the inquest process will allow the company to “move ahead with maintaining successful long-term community-based sawmills at Babine and Decker Lake. Babine and Hampton will strive to ensure the safety of its workers and this focus will always be its utmost concern.”
Comments
What does cultural awareness and first nations hiring quotas have to do with safety and preventing fires and explosions?
I guess I can help you out with your question. The reason why cultural awareness and first nations hiring quota’s are mentioned is because the Babine Forest Products sawmill is located on Indian Reservation Land, also the Burn Lake Native Development Corporation is part owner of the sawmill, a minority owner at approximately 10%, but part owner non-the-less.
What does cultural awareness and first nations hiring quotas have to do with safety and preventing fires and explosions?
Not an unexpected question. It is a question which Hampton may not have asked in the past either. Since this incident they have had considerable time to think about that.
A safe workplace not only requires properly functioning and well maintained equipment, but also a crew which can work efficiently and effectively together. When one sees harassment, intimidation and discrimination at a work site it is relatively certain that the environment is an unsafe one.
Whether such practices are race related, class related, age related, gender related, etc. does not matter. The fact is that the staff have to be working together just as a well maintained saw, conveyor, etc.
Here are the recommendation which are or may be able to be altered by improved cultural awareness.
From the Jury to Babine Forest Products Ltd.:
8. Provide professional training for all employees in workplace harassment.
Background to the Recommendation: Testimony highlighted workers’ concern with topics including bullying, intimidation and discrimination that prevented them from bringing forward safety concerns.
9. Consider an aboriginal liaison coordinator or worker ombudsman to assist employees with workplace concerns.
Background to the Recommendation: Testimony highlight workers’ concerns with topics including bullying, intimidation and discrimination that prevented them from bringing forward safety concerns.
10. Implement a gradual employee orientation process during the job shadow period that includes continual training and emphasis on workers’ rights and responsibilities.
Background on the Recommendation: Many workers gave evidence that they remembered little from their employee orientation. Numerous in-class sessions during the job Shadow period would assist with information retention.
From the Coroner to Burns Lake Native Development Corporation and Babine Forest Products Ltd.:
2. Move forward in a timely manner to ratify the Relationship Accord.
Background to the Recommendation: Evidence indicated that the completion of this undertaking will serve to solidify healthy working relationships.
From the Coroner to United Steelworkers District 3:
3. Proactively recruit Aboriginal persons for positions on the plant committee and as job stewards.
4. Proactively recruit Aboriginal persons to represent the Union on the Joint Occupational Health and Safety
Committee.
Background to the Recommendation: It was heard inclusion and promotion of Aboriginal persons in these roles will serve to support healthy working relationships.
There are additional reasons why cultural awareness would go to improving the working relation, but they were not identified and they may not be applicable in this case. However, this would be a unique workplace if they were not applicable.
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