Forest Evaluation Report Makes Recommendations to Reduce Injuries and Deaths

By 250 News

    The Forest Evaluation Program has studied the impacts of  increased harvesting on worker safety, and the  report has come up with  several recommendations, and interesting findings.

The Report was called for after alarming  numbers of deaths and injuries in the forestry industry.  In 2005 there had been 43 fatalities and 110 serious injuries, in 2006, 12 fatalities occurred. As of July 9, 2007, there had been 9 fatalities.

Of the 50 fatal claims accepted by WorkSafeBC in 2005, 54% were registered in the forestry sub-sector category, 34% in the wood and paper products category, and 12% in the log-hauling category.

The report  was conducted by assessing the WorkSafe B.C. data base and surveying 770 forest planners, truckers and loggers about the effects of government policies on safety practicesassociated with logging.

Some of the findings are:

• Per cubic metre of wood harvested, the Coast has three times the  number of injuries compared to the interior
• workers employed by smaller companies had more reported injuries than those in larger operations
• injuries suffered by workers with smaller companies were more serious than those  reported by employees of larger companies.
• Road grades are too steep,  and the roads are not wide enough. Grades in excess of 25% were commonly reported. Respondents recommended a legal limit on grade, variously specified as 18%, 15%, or 12% maximum grade.

When given  a list of possible  reasons for accidents and injuries, those  who responded to the survey  selected the  following four 

1. Production Pressure: “Harvesting is occurring in increasingly difficult terrain, although workers are also expected to produce as much per day as in the past. Both planners and loggers stated that contractors must work faster during longer days to meet costs and make equipment payments. Maintenance (non-billable time) was often minimized. Due to seasonal weather influences, quarterly stumpage changes, and short-term lumber market conditions, harvesting was compressed into short periods of work, often at “panic speeds.” For example, planners made the following comments: “The general unprofitable state of the forest sector is forcing economic constraints into all areas of operations including woodlands operations.” “. . . anaemic earnings either spur employers to gain efficiencies that work in the regulatory realm or force them to work harder and harder with diminishing returns.” “. . . people or companies that are making less and less money are going to devote more energy to figure out how to be more profitable rather than focussing on balance in their operations.”
2. Fatigue: Both planners and loggers identified that “panic speed” harvesting was accompanied by long workdays, whether for layout, yarding, or trucking crews. Fifteen-hour days, six days a week was a common schedule for truck drivers. Many log truck drivers perceived that they were exempt from the hours of work legislation that applies to highway truckers.
3. Lack of Experience
4. Lack of Training

And in the category of “other”  50% of respondents listed “attitude” be it  workers believing they are tough, or  being complacent about the job at hand

The report lists several recommendations for change:

• A training and communication program for planners, forest workers, and government staff to improve their understanding of legislative and regulatory requirements, and the human, engineering, and equipment limitations present during harvesting operations.
• Annual forums, such as peer-to-peer workshops, to involve government, professional bodies, and industry associations in the sharing and discussion of safety information.
• Review of the methods used to communicate cutting permit and appraisal policy and procedures to both licensees and government staff.
• Regular pre-harvest safety meetings between planners, supervisors, and loggers to provide opportunities for continuous improvement of practices.
• Co-operative development of “road use agreements” for licensees operating on shared roads or road networks to enhance safety by ensuring adequate road maintenance.

The Joint Practices Board should consider the following recommendations, which aim to aid the Association of BC Forest Professionals and the of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia in developing guidelines for forest roads:

• Describe professional responsibilities and accountabilities for the design, construction, safety standards, and maintenance of forest roads;
• Include a section on relevant policy that incorporates limitations and opportunities for flexibility; and
• Include the “best safety practice” recommendations identified by planners and loggers in the safety surveys.

Finally, to determine whether the province’s safety record is improving,the report says  it is imperative that the forest sector, including industry, government agencies, WorkSafeBC, and the BC Forest Safety Council, work collaboratively in developing an information system that will clearly establish baseline safety data. This system will ensure that the appropriate information is gathered, evaluated, and freely shared in a timely manner to continually improve safety performance for everyone using British Columbia’s forest resources.

Forestry occupations with 100 or more injuries, 2000–2005

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