The BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) is one of three WorkSafeBC designated administrators of the BC Falling Certification Program. The other two administrators are Energy Safety Canada (formerly Enform) for oil and gas, and most recently, The BC Wildfire Service of the Ministry of Lands, Forests,Natural Resource & Rural Development Operations.  

Background

After almost a decade of program delivery, the BCFSC and WorkSafeBC determined that the faller training and certification programs and associated administrative processes at WorkSafeBC should be reviewed to assess their effectiveness and to identify opportunities for improvement based on stakeholder input and a review of leading practices for other sectors and in other jurisdictions.

As such, Deloitte was engaged in November 2014 to perform an independent review of the faller training and certification programs within the BC forestry industry. The governance of the BC Faller Standard by WorkSafeBC within the Province was within the scope of this review, however faller training and certification programs within the oil and gas industry, both as they apply within BC and across provincial boundaries were beyond the scope of this review.

The review is complete as of December 6, 2015, and the report is attached. The BC Forest Safety Council has started work to implement the recommendations of the report, relying extensively on the Falling Technical Advisory Committee for guidance. Updates on progress will be posted.