It is with deep regret that the BC Forest Safety Council notifies the forestry community of the 6th direct harvesting fatality of 2013. On June 11th, the operator of a front end loader was fatally injured when the loader rolled over.  The loader was carrying a large fuel tank across a slope when the roll over occurred.  This incident occurred in an area near Port Alberni.

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of mobile equipment related injuries. Below are some general guidelines relating to equipment operations that should be reviewed to help prevent future incidents:

• Understand the limitations of your equipment.  Consult the dealer, manuals, WorkSafeBC requirements and experienced operators to get this information.
• Identify the hazards at your workplace.  Even if you are familiar with the area and terrain, there may be new hazards created if you add a new piece of equipment, a new task or new worker. 
• Take extra care moving any vehicle or piece of equipment across a slope.  Side slope movements often result in instability of the equipment or vehicle.     
• Seatbelts keep operators in the cab of the machine if a rollover occurs.  Staying in the cab offers the best protection during roll over incidents and will reduce the severity of injuries.