Fatality Alert
On April 20th, three workers were fatally injured when rail cars carrying logs collided with a crew transport rail car and maintenance vehicle. Two other workers were injured in this incident, which occurred in the community of Woss.
Our condolences go out to the families, friends and co-workers of the deceased and our sympathies to all those affected by this incident.
Technical Safety BC, Transportation Safety Board, the Coroners Service and WorkSafeBC are investigating this incident.
These are the fourth, fifth and sixth harvesting fatalities of 2017.
Although the details of this incident are still unknown, review the following safety information:
- Gravity is a potential hazardous energy source that can be overlooked. Assess the worksite and consider what can break free, move or roll and injure a worker.
- Hazards may exist long distances from the actual work location. Runaway logs, rocks or vehicles can travel a long distance in downhill terrain. Don’t stack workers or equipment above each other if this risk exists.
- Test safety devices to make sure they are working properly. For example: do the emergency escape hatches in equipment open easily? Do the lock out devices and procedures prevent accidental movement in all situations?
- Having a good communication system in place is a very important part of the emergency response plan. Test the system before you start work and practice using the communication devices during realistic drills.
