forestry safety moments

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# OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION (cont.) ## Prime contractor requirements for forestry operations (cont.) WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT B.C. Reg. 296/97 # OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION Part 26 - Forestry Operations and Similar Activities (a) the person designated (i) is qualified to be the prime contractor in respect of that workplace, and (ii) has the authority necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of prime contractor under the Act, including, without limitation, authority over any employer, worker or other person who may be carrying out the work of the owner at the workplace, and (b) not more than one person holds the designation of prime contractor for that workplace at any given time. [en. B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 3; am. B.C. Reg. 279/2019, App. D, S. 6.] ## Multiple-employer workplace - 26.1.2 (1) This section applies to a multiple-employer workplace in a forestry operation. (2) Before starting any activity that is likely to create a hazard for an independent operator or a worker of another employer, the person intending to carry out the activity must notify the prime contractor. [en. B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 3.] ## Planning and conducting a forestry operation - 26.2 (1) The owner of a forestry operation must ensure that all activities of the forestry operation are both planned and conducted in a manner consistent with this Regulation and with safe work practices acceptable to the Board. (2) Every person who has knowledge and control of any particular activity in a forestry operation must ensure that the activity is both planned and conducted in a manner consistent with this Regulation and with safe work practices acceptable to the Board. (3) The planning required under this section must (a) include identification of any work activities or conditions at the workplace where there is a known or reasonably foreseeable risk to workers, (b) be completed before work commences on the relevant activity, and …

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# OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION (cont.) ## Climbing equipment (cont.) WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT B.C. Reg. 296/97 # OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION Part 26 - Forestry Operations and Similar Activities (4) Before a climber begins a climbing activity, a written climber rescue plan must be developed and communicated to all persons associated with the climbing activity. (5) If a climber rescue plan requires another climber, (a) a duplicate set of climbing equipment must be available for immediate use at the climbing work site, and (b) the other climber must be available to carry out any required rescue. (6) If, with respect to a climber, there is a possibility of a climbing rope or strap being severed in the conditions present at a climbing work site, then (a) the rope or strap must be made of material that cannot be severed, or (b) the climber must use a second climbing rope or strap. (7) Climbing equipment used by a climber must be maintained in good order. (8) A climber must inspect the climbing equipment before each use to ensure it is in good order. [en. B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 8; am. B.C. Reg. 207/2021, App. B, S. 3.] ## Weather conditions 26.7.2 When weather conditions create a hazard for a worker in a forestry operation, additional precautions must be taken as necessary for the safe conduct of the work. [en. B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 8.] ## Cutting cables 26.8 A hammer or axe must not be used to cut wire rope, unless designed for that purpose. 26.9 Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 312/2003, App. D, S. 28.] ## Metal in saw logs 26.10 A spike, drift bolt, nail, or any other metal must not be left in any recoverable log. ## Dangerous trees - 26.11 (1) If it is known or reasonably foreseeable that work will expose a worker to a dangerous tree, (a) the tree must be felled, or (b) a risk assessment of the tree must be undertaken by a person who has completed a training program acceptable to the Board. (2) If a ri…

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# Part 26 - Forestry Operations and Similar Activities (cont.) ## Location of fallers (cont.) WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT B.C. Reg. 296/97 # OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION Part 26 - Forestry Operations and Similar Activities (2) If an elevation or steep slope poses a risk to a faller, the faller must be provided with and use an appropriate fall protection system. (3) Any fall protection provided under subsection (2) must not impede the ability of the faller to move to a predetermined safe position as required in section 26.24 (4) A faller must not work in a location where the faller is supported solely by a lifeline and harness. [en. B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 21.] ## Summoning assistance - 26.28 (1) Qualified assistance must be readily available to fallers in case of difficulty, emergency or injury. (2) Fallers and buckers must have an effective means to summon assistance. ## Entry to falling area - 26.29 (1) Only a worker with duties associated with the falling activity may enter an active falling area. (2) Before entering the active falling area, workers must notify the faller or bucker and wait until advised by the faller or bucker that it is safe to enter. (3) A worker, in addition to the faller, may be at the base of a tree being felled if the worker is (a) supervising or directing the falling activity, (b) training as a faller, or (c) required to assist the faller to overcome a specific falling difficulty. [am. B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 22.] ## Mechanical Falling ## Application 26.29.1 Sections 26.29.2 to 26.29.5 apply only to mechanical falling activities. [en. B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 23.] ## Limits on use of mechanical harvester - 26.29.2 A mechanical harvester must not be used to fell a tree if (a) the tree is in a condition that, if felled in that condition, it would pose a reasonably foreseeable risk to the harvester operator, or (b) the mechanical harvester is not capable of falling the tree saf…

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# OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION (cont.) ## Falling supervisors for forestry operations (cont.) B.C. Reg. 296/97 WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT # OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION # Part 26 - Forestry Operations and Similar Activities (3) The supervisor designated under subsection (1) must not undertake or be assigned activities which interfere with performance of the supervisor's duties under subsection (2). [en. B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 17.] ## Procedures for falling and bucking - 26.23 (1) In this section and in section 26.24, "brushing" means the striking of a standing tree by a tree being felled if the strike is a direct blow or a glancing blow of sufficient force to cause one or more branches to break at or near the stem of the standing tree. (2) Fallers and buckers associated with falling activities must be provided with and follow written safe work practices acceptable to the Board for the type of work activity they perform, including procedures for the following: (a) establishing minimum and maximum distances between fallers and other workers; (b) planning and constructing escape routes; (c) controlling the fall of trees; (d) minimizing unnecessary brushing; (e) dealing with dangerous trees; (f) bucking trees and logs; (g) using mechanical assistance to fall trees; (h) summoning and rendering assistance to manage a falling difficulty or to deal with an emergency; (i) conducting special or innovative harvesting techniques; (j) ensuring the well-being of each faller and bucker at least every half hour and at the end of the work shift. [en. B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 17.] ## Responsibility for falling and bucking - 26.24 (1) Subject to section 26.29 (3), before a tree is felled, all workers must be clear of the area within a 2 tree-length radius of the tree. (2) Before falling or bucking starts, all obstructions to the activity must be cleared and a safe escape route to a predetermined safe posit…

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# OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION (cont.) ## Slope limitations (cont.) WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT B.C. Reg. 296/97 # OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION Part 26 - Forestry Operations and Similar Activities (2) If the manufacturer's maximum slope operating stability limit for logging equipment is known, the equipment must be operated within that limit. (3) If the manufacturer's maximum slope operating stability limit for logging equipment is not known, the equipment must be operated within the following limits: (a) a rubber tired skidder must not be operated on a slope which exceeds 35%; (b) a crawler tractor, feller buncher, excavator and other similar equipment must not be operated on a slope which exceeds 40%; (c) any other forestry equipment specifically designed for use on a steep slope must not be operated on a slope which exceeds 50%. (4) Despite subsections (2) and (3) but subject to subsection (5), logging equipment may be operated beyond the maximum slope operating stability limits specified in those subsections if (a) a qualified person conducts a risk assessment of that operation, and (b) written safe work practices acceptable to the Board are developed and implemented to ensure the equipment's stability during operation. (5) Despite anything in this section, logging equipment must not be operated in a particular location or manner if its stability cannot be assured during that operation. [am. B.C. Regs. 312/2003, App. B, S. 58; 20/2008, App. A, S. 16.] 26.17 Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 17.] ## Brakes 26.17.1 Mobile equipment used in forest operations and similar activities must have braking systems that meet the performance requirements of one of the following standards, provided that the standard applies to that type of mobile equipment as indicated in the scope of the standard: (a) ISO Standard [redacted postal code]:1993 Machinery for forestry - Wheeled special machines - Vocabulary, performance tes…

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# OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION (cont.) ## Planning and conducting a forestry operation (cont.) B.C. Reg. 296/97 WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT # OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION # Part 26 - Forestry Operations and Similar Activities ## Planning and conducting activities involving trees other than a forestry operation or tree-climbing activities - 26.2.1 (1) The employer must ensure that work activities at the workplace that involve pruning, repairing, maintaining, bucking or manually falling trees, taking down trees in pieces or taking down parts of trees are (a) planned in accordance with this section, and (b) conducted in accordance with the plan. (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to (a) work activities carried out in a forestry operation, or (b) tree-climbing activities. (3) The planning required under this section must (a) identify the hazards and risks associated with the work activities to be performed, (b) identify how the hazards and risks will be eliminated or minimized to the lowest level practicable, (c) be completed and communicated to each worker involved in the work activities before the work activities commence, and (d) be documented at the time of planning. (4) If, after planning takes place under subsection (3), there is a change in the workplace circumstances, including the work activities and the conditions of the workplace, and the change poses or creates a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard or risk to workers that was not previously identified, the employer must ensure that (a) the plan is amended to identify (i) the hazard or risk, and (ii) how the hazard or risk will be eliminated or minimized to the lowest level practicable, (b) the amendment to the plan is communicated to each affected worker before the amendment is implemented, and (c) the amendment to the plan is documented as soon as practicable. [en. B.C. Reg. 207/2021, App. B, S. 2.] ## Training - 26…

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# OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION (cont.) ## Notice of project (cont.) B.C. Reg. 296/97 WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT # OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION Part 26 - Forestry Operations and Similar Activities ## Initial safety meeting - 26.5 (1) In this section, "new work location" means a work location in a forestry operation where the crew of workers has not previously worked. (2) Before a crew of workers starts work in a new work location, a crew safety meeting must be held to inform the workers of any known or reasonably foreseeable risks in that location and the actions to be taken to eliminate or minimize those risks. (3) If a worker did not attend the crew safety meeting under subsection (2) for a new work location, before starting work in that location, the worker must receive a safety orientation that covers any known or reasonably foreseeable risks in that location and the actions taken to eliminate or minimize those risks. (4) Records must be kept of the crew safety meetings and safety orientations provided under subsections (2) and (3). [en. B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 7.] - 26.6 Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 7.] ## Highly visible clothing - 26.7 (1) Highly visible outer clothing that meets the requirements of Part 8 must be worn by a worker in a forestry operation if (a) the worker may be endangered by any moving equipment or line, (b) the worker's location must be routinely checked, or (c) the worker is involved in harvesting trees at night. (2) Safety headgear worn by a worker in a forestry operation must be a high visibility colour that contrasts with the background against which the worker is working. [en. B.C. Reg. 20/2008, App. A, S. 7.] ## Climbing equipment - 26.7.1 (1) In this section, "climber" means a worker in a forestry operation who climbs trees or wooden spars at the workplace. (2) Unless a climber uses other equipment acceptable to the Board, a climber must use (a) a safety be…