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Tuesday, December 17, 2013 The Parksville Qualicum Beach News
Sawmill inspections Sawmill inspections continue. continue.
WorkSafeBC Prevention staff have been working with industry, other provincial regulators, and stakeholders to ensure that BC sawmills and other businesses that deal with wood dust are, and continue to be, in compliance with safety requirements. WorkSafeBC Prevention staff have been working with industry, other provincial regulators, and stakeholders to ensure that BC sawmills and other businesses that targeted inspections of other wood products Directive order, follow-up inspections deal with wood dust are, and continue to be, in compliance with safety requirements.
and industry action
Directive order, follow-up inspections Inand Aprilindustry 2012, we issued actiona directive order to all sawmills in the province to conduct a risk
assessment wood order dust, and In April 2012,for wecombustible issued a directive to all implement dust-control sawmills in athe province toprogram. conduct Officers a risk assessment for combustible wood dust, for and inspected every sawmill in the province implement awith dust-control program. Officers compliance that order. inspected every sawmill in the province for
compliance with that order. and industry advisory A CEO-led sawmill taskforce
group developed safety resources to distribute to
A CEO-led sawmill taskforce and industry advisory
industry, including best practice guidelines and an group developed safety resources to distribute to
audit tool for dust-control management.
industry, including best practice guidelines and an
manufacturing industries, including pellet plants, and plywood and pulp and paper mills. We
targeted inspections of other wood products
inspected for compliance the management manufacturing industries, for including pellet plants, of dust,and andpulp also and examined andwood plywood paper ventilation mills. We and dust-collection systems. for the management inspected for compliance
of wood dust, and also examined ventilation and dust-collection systems. Ongoing and sustainable
compliance
and sustainable compliance InOngoing 2013 and going forward, our officers will continue to address combustible dust as a regular In 2013 and going forward, our officers will
part of their inspectional activity. This winter,
continue to address combustible dust as a regular
a dedicated team of officers will re-inspect
part of their inspectional activity. This winter,
sawmills throughout the province. The sawmill a dedicated team of officers will re-inspect
audit tool for dust-control management.
industry has made significant progress in
guidelines to wood dustand weresafety published, Three new related occupational health
that progress andmanagement. compliance with wood-dust addressing dust We want to ensure
Three new occupational health and safety along with related two hazard alertsdust to address risks guidelines to wood were published, specifically related to wood along with two hazard alerts dust. to address risks specifically related to wood dust.
Our officers re-inspected all sawmills to evaluate Ourindustry’s officers re-inspected all sawmills to evaluate the efforts to manage combustible dust.
the industry’s efforts to manage combustible dust.
Scope expanded to include wood Scope expanded to include wood processing operations processing operations
In 2012 and into 2013, officers also conducted
In 2012 and into 2013, officers also conducted
sawmills throughout the province. The sawmill
addressing management. We wantinto ensure industry hasdust made significant progress management is being sustained. that progress requirements and compliance with wood-dust
management requirements is being sustained.
Safety in BC sawmills is a vitally important issue, Safetyto in those BC sawmills is a in vitally important issue, firstly who work the industry, and also
firstly those who in the industry, and also to theirtofamilies and work communities. Our common to their families and communities. Our common goal is to make wood-dust management an goal is to make wood-dust management an
integral part of manufacturing operations.
integral part of manufacturing operations.
We will continue to work proactively with We will continue to work proactively with
businesses around the province to make safety
businesses around the province to make safety
a fundamental part of this industry.
a fundamental part of this industry.
Learn Learn more more at at www.worksafebc.com/sawmills www.worksafebc.com/sawmills