A new report has been released that identifies the failure to completely identify hazards before performing tree falling operations in British Columbia was a major contributory cause in nearly all serious injuries and fatalities in the sector since 2000.

The review and analysis of the 32 faller-related serious injuries and fatalities between 2000 and 2008 — conducted by an internal team comprised of WorkSafeBC investigators — found that in 28 cases, planning done by all parties did not include full identification of hazards in advance of work beginning. In particular, site-specific information (terrain, soil/slope stability, known hazards, wind patterns, wind thrown trees, natural and man-made hazards, species of danger tree and/or root rot) “is not being provided to the fallers and supervisors who need it to safely perform their work,” says the report, released on June 25.

On a positive note, no fallers certified through the BC Faller Training Standard (BCFTS) certification process died on the job between 2006 and 2007, the document points out. Before this period, there were 26 faller fatalities between 2000 and 2005 and another seven in 2008. Although the fallers killed last year were well-experienced, the report says, “the investigations of these incidents in every case, but one, showed that inadequate procedures were being used instead of the BCFTS best practices, and those deficiencies led directly to the fatal results.”

Read more: Lack of hazard identification cited in faller fatality review (BC Forest Safety Council)