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Forestry representatives gather in Vancouver to address high fatality rate  
2005/12/7

VANCOUVER (CP) - The number of deaths in British Columbia's forestry industry was called a "slaughter in the woods" and described as a "carnage in the woods" at a safety summit on Monday. So far this year, there have been 41 deaths among workers in B.C.'s forest sector, the province's biggest industry.

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"What can we do to stop this carnage in the woods?" was the challenge issued by former woodworkers' union leader Jack Munro to company executives, forestry workers, union leaders and provincial cabinet ministers participating in the one-day summit that Munro moderated.

In the past 12 years, more than 300 forestry workers have been killed on the job.

Steelworkers director Steve Hunt said the union "took control" of trying to find solutions to the high death toll because not enough was being done to confront the problem.

The conference was organized by the United Steelworkers of America, which absorbed the IWA-Canada - the woodworkers' union - a few years ago.

Hunt said that although former IWA members accounted for only four per cent of the Steelworkers' membership, they account for 40 per cent of the union's fatality rate.

Hunt cited the increase in the past few years of small, independent contractors, along with the B.C. government's push a few years ago to "reduce red tape and regulations" in the forest sector as part of the problem.

"We are seeing more and more contractors out in the woods and nobody is taking responsibility for them," said Hunt.

"Does anyone remember the minister saying we have to cut red tape and regulations by about one-third? I suggest these changes have contributed to the deaths and injuries."

Labour Minister Mike de Jong, a former forests minister, and Rich Coleman, the current minister of forests, attended the conference.

"We haven't seen injury and fatality numbers like this in 10 years and they are unacceptable," de Jong said during a break.

He said there are many factors accounting for the high fatality rates "and it's going to take a combination of approaches to address what is an unacceptable situation."

The minister said the deaths could not be blamed solely on the reduction of regulations in the woods.

"I don't think it's a question of volume but it's a question of effectiveness," said de Jong, noting that there were 16 deaths in 2004.

"Part of what is very vexing about this is that last year there was a record positive year in terms of fatalities with 16, but 16 is too high."

De Jong said it must be determined if the regulations that are in place are being followed and enforced.

Hugh Sutcliffe, the president of Cascadia Forest Products, said it was "easy" to point fingers at the small, independent contractors and the reduced red tape.

"To suggest this is all about deregulation in the industry and that is what's driving people to be killed . . . that not going to make industry safer."

The high number of deaths in the woods have "been a serious issue for years," he said.

Although Hunt suggested that workers who refuse to work in unsafe conditions would likely be "blacklisted" or replaced, Sutcliffe said that was not his company's policy.

"If someone is in a workplace situation they consider to be unsafe they have to stop and they have to be supported in their ability to stop," said Sutcliffe.

"In my organization if someone doesn't feel comfortable they should tell me and I will stop it."

Of the 41 fatalities this year, six have been tree fallers, two have died during heli-logging operations and eight died hauling logs.

Last week, Canfor Corp. CEO Jim Shepherd, chairman of the B.C. Forest Safety Council, promised the companies would improve safety.

Forestry executives who are members of the council pledged to set up a program that includes ensuring their companies and contractors are safety certified.

The 10-member group also said they would ensure that large and small companies have all the required safety programs.

A system of verifying and auditing those programs will ensure only certified contractors work for their operations.

Council chief executive Tanner Elton said the group hopes to have a pilot program ready early next year and implement the certification program by this time next year.

At the summit, the Steelworkers called for several steps to be taken immediately, including mandatory coroners' inquests into every fatality in the forest sector.

They also want increased monitoring of worksites by workers compensation board inspectors and a declared Day of Mourning each time there is a fatality.

Source:http://news.yahoo.com/  
 
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