Fatality Alert
On October 16th, a feller buncher working in the Mackenzie area lost stability, rolled over and caught fire. The buncher operator was fatally injured.
Our condolences go out to the family, friends and co-workers of the deceased and our sympathies to all those affected by this incident.
The RCMP, Coroners Service and WorkSafeBC are investigating this incident.
This is the 7th harvesting fatality of 2017.
Although the details of this incident are still unknown, review the following safety information:
- Test emergency escape hatches often to make sure they will work during an emergency. Bent or damaged hatches, corrosion, rotten rubber seals, over tight bolts, or even heavy repainting can make escape hatches difficult or impossible to open.
- Practice rescuing workers from equipment during emergency drills. This is a difficult task and may require specialized skills and tools to do the job quickly and safely.
- Loss of stability can happen on all types of terrain, including steep slopes and flat ground. Walk the worksite, conduct a thorough site assessment and identify all the hazards. Develop site specific plans to manage those hazards and maintain equipment stability.
- Forest fire season is over but equipment and vehicle fires can still occur. Conduct regular tests and maintenance on fire extinguishers and internal fire suppression systems.
Resources:
- Alert on Mobile Equipment Escape Hatches – a good, detailed resource to help identify and fix potential problems with hatches.
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- Steep Slope Logging Resource Package – includes information on conditions that can cause machine instability. /steep_slope.html
