Category Archives: Health & Safety

WorkSafeBC is directing employers’ attention to similarities that have been observed during the course of the investigations at the Babine Forest Products sawmill in Burns Lake and at the Lakeland Mills sawmill in Prince George, British Columbia.

In both investigations, the ignition sources appear to have been located at the conveyor level, where electrical and/or mechanical equipment was in operation in areas contained by walls and equipment. These areas are at the basement or lower level of both of the mills under investigation.

Under the directive order that was issued to all sawmill employers on April 26, 2012, WorkSafeBC’s officers have been ensuring that sawmill employers are in compliance as outlined in that order.

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The BC Safety Authority (BCSA) has issued a safety order relating to regulated electrical equipment ordering sawmills to verify that they have valid operating permits in place, that proper maintenance procedures are being carried out, and that incidents are being reported as per existing BCSA directives.

This measure is precautionary and part of the BCSA’s ongoing investigation into the recent explosions and resulting fires at two BC sawmills that resulted in fatalities and serious injuries to workers. This safety order supports a directive order issued last week by WorkSafeBC.

Stephen Hinde, Electrical Safety Manager at the BCSA, issued the safety order as a precautionary measure to be acted upon without delay. “Although the investigations into the two recent fatal incidents are ongoing and the causes of those incidents have not been identified, this safety order is aimed at minimizing the risk of fire or explosion related to regulated electrical equipment being a potential combustion or ignition source in wood processing operations.”

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A worker was killed this week at Canfor‘s Plateau mill west of Vanderhoof, British Columbia. The deceased was working as an independent contractor for Nechako Construction (a division of the BID Group) and had been performing maintenance work at the mill since November.

At this time, it appears the worker was crushed by an unsecured gate. The accident is being investigated by officials from the BID Group, Canfor, WorkSafeBC, the RCMP, and the Coroner’s office.

The worker has been identified as George Park, Jr. of Kamloops B.C.

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WorkSafeBC said it was unaware of a wood dust explosion at Tolko’s Soda Creek sawmill in Williams Lake, British Columbia 16 months ago that blew apart a small control room and started a fire.

They also said they have no record of an explosion at the Pinnacle Pellet plant in Armstrong in 2011.

Under the Workers’ Compensation Act, companies are required to investigate and report incidents that have the potential to cause severe injury to WorkSafeBC.

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WorkSafeBC provided an update today on its investigation into the explosion and fire at the Babine Forest Products sawmill in Burns Lake on January 20, 2012.

As part of the investigation, WorkSafeBC is looking at the possible fuel sources in the mill. They have ruled out hot oil, hydraulic oil, gear oil, oxygen, and acetylene, stating there is no evidence to suggest they were the fuel source for the explosion.

They are still investigating natural gas, propane, and sawdust as the possible fuel sources.

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WorkSafeBC has released the last 5 years of inspection records of the Lakeland Mills sawmill in Prince George, British Columbia that exploded on Monday, resulting in the death of two employees.

The inspection records show that as recently as February, inspectors found piles of wood dust throughout the mill.

The records note that the mill operator was told to prevent the accumulation of “hazardous amounts of wood dust”, however, no corrective orders were issued.

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A second man, who had been flown to Edmonton for specialized care, has passed away as a result of the injuries he suffered in the Lakeland Mills explosion and fire in Prince George, British Columbia. He has been identified as Glenn Francis Roche, 46, of Prince George.

The first man who died has been identified as Alan Little of Prince George, 43, who was a shift supervisor.

The Lakeland Mills mill has been owned by Sinclar Group Forest Products since 1973. There was a fire at the mill in February when some sawdust ignited on a halogen light during maintenance. President of Sinclar Group Forest Products, Greg Stewart, said “There is absolutely no reason why we should link these two incidents.”

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After the second deadly explosion at a sawmill in British Columbia this year, WorkSafeBC has ordered province-wide sawmill safety reviews.

WorkSafeBC is asking employers of all the province’s sawmills to conduct a full hazard identification, risk assessment, and safety review, with particular focus on combustible dust; dust accumulation; and potential ignition sources. WorkSafeBC officers will be following up on these orders to confirm that the ordered actions have been taken and sawmills are in compliance with the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation in regard to combustible dust and potential safety hazards.

At present, WorkSafeBC does not have reasonable legal grounds to order sawmills closed. The agency will not hesitate to take such action should the circumstances warrant it.

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One employee of the Lakeland Mills sawmill in Prince George, British Columbia has died as a result of the massive explosion and fire that rocked the sawmill last night.

17 others remain hospitalized. 4 have been airlifted – 3 to Vancouver and 1 to Edmonton.

The injuries vary from minor to severe burns.

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The Lakeland Mills sawmill in Prince George, British Columbia was destroyed by an explosion and subsequent fire last night.

The first explosion occurred around 9:45pm and shook houses up to 2 kilometres away. Within moments a huge fire engulfed the sawmill. A second explosion followed.

50 people were on-shift at the time of the explosion, and 25 of them were working in the sawmill portion of the mill. 23 of these employees have been injured. 7 people are in critical condition, 5 are in serious condition, 11 have minor injuries. A Code Orange was declared to mobilize resources.

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