Northern Health - interest in camps in Northern BC

[NH-EHO]

Attn: All planters, contractors and licensees:

Northern Health's Environmental Health Officers hope to conduct routine inspections at a significant number of silviculture camps this year. Our objective is to make sure the camps have adequate equipment to provide safe drinking water and food and meet the general sanitation requirements.

Camps in Northern BC will be expected to have Food Premises Permits and Water System Permits or be in the application process so the facilities to be provided can be verified and found to be adequate for their purpose.

Obviously we won't be able to attend every camp, but we are interested in hearing any concerns regarding health-related issues at the camps. If camp workers feel that they are being put at risk due to unsanitary conditions - (keeping in mind it is a bush camp) such as poor food-handling equipment or practices, or unsafe drinking water, their call will be followed up with the contractors and licensees on a confidential basis. Where deemed necessary, a camp inspection would be completed. Since we may need to clarify some details, your contact information would be required as anonymous complaints are difficult to act on effectively.

If you have specific concerns, let us know at Northern Health, Public Health Protection - (250)565-2150 in Prince George or send me a private email through this blog. Calls pertaining to other Northern Health Regions will be forwarded to the appropriate office. Northern Health covers the northern portion of the province from just south of Quesnel to the northern border, including the Queen Charlotte Islands.

We wish you all a successful season,
Jim

[Scooter]

This is an interesting topic. Camp inspections are something that often makes companies and/or supervisors and/or cooks a bit nervous, wondering if all of the regulations have been met adequately.

But for a company, it's in your best interests to keep the planters as healthy as possible, because it keeps them more productive. And for planters, you want to really make sure you're taking care of your health, because if you're sick it's costing you a couple hundred dollars per day.

Food safety guidelines are something that I probably understand better than most supervisors, only because I run a restaurant and I'm a full-time cook during the winter. But water has always been my pet peeve. Impure drinking water can quickly knock an entire camp down with giardia or "beaver fever." I think a lot of planters overlook that possibility, and complain more about the water tasting funny, not thinking about the potential for sickness with bad water.

Don't drink out of puddles. I always have, but then again, I've suffered from some major gastro-intestinal ailments occasionally over the years, which were pretty annoying for a couple of days and which were probably entirely my own fault. You can never take too much clean (potable) water to the block.

[Nate]

This would have been nice to know about a few years ago when our company hauled in water, then added 15 times too much bleach to it (are you even supposed to be adding bleach?) and our throats literally burned from drinking it.

"Costs too much to dump it and replace it, so we've got to drink it up."

[Scooter]

Did I do that? I don't remember that. But on that note, a little bit of bleach goes a LONG way. You shouldn't be able to taste it strongly - only as a very very very faint trace.

I think that the recommended quantities are about half a teaspoon per gallon of water. You have to mix it well, then let it sit for thirty minutes to be safe before consuming it.

On a larger scale, I think it's 1:4000. So if you have a 1000 litre reservoir, use 250 ml of bleach (one cup) to sterilize. Double it up just to be safe if the water is cloudy or probably really full of organics. Make sure that you understand whether the reservoir is described in litres or gallons. The only hard part is that if it's a water reservoir, you need to be able to mix it up well.


Incidentally, we don't add bleach to our water in my camps anymore - that's a thing of the past, although it would still work fine in an emergency. Nowadays, we always get potable water trucked in, and the water delivery company has to keep testing records to ensure that their trucks are supplying water that is truly potable. You can't just use the same delivery vehicle that you fill up out of ponds and spray on roads.

Although I'm sure that some companies still use bleach. Hopefully not the scented kind.

[Gnarly]

there is an unscented kind?

[Scooter]

Well, you can get "regular" bleach and "lemon" bleach and I think "outdoor fresh" bleach. No doubt they'll soon have "pine fresh" bleach and "summer breeze" bleach and "strawberry chocolate" bleach flavors.

I'd stick with drinking regular bleach.

[TheHamsterizer]

Did I do that? I don't remember that. But on that note, a little bit of bleach goes a LONG way. You shouldn't be able to taste it strongly - only as a very very very faint trace.

I think that the recommended quantities are about half a teaspoon per gallon of water. You have to mix it well, then let it sit for thirty minutes to be safe before consuming it.

On a larger scale, I think it's 1:4000. So if you have a 1000 litre reservoir, use 250 ml of bleach (one cup) to sterilize. Double it up just to be safe if the water is cloudy or probably really full of organics. Make sure that you understand whether the reservoir is described in litres or gallons. The only hard part is that if it's a water reservoir, you need to be able to mix it up well.


Incidentally, we don't add bleach to our water in my camps anymore - that's a thing of the past, although it would still work fine in an emergency. Nowadays, we always get potable water trucked in, and the water delivery company has to keep testing records to ensure that their trucks are supplying water that is truly potable. You can't just use the same delivery vehicle that you fill up out of ponds and spray on roads.

Although I'm sure that some companies still use bleach. Hopefully not the scented kind.

Isn't it really expensive to get your water delivered? Wouldn't it be cheaper just to get an RO or a UV filter?

[mcD]

the problem with these filters is that they are very fragile, and often do not work, especially if they are moved around a lot. often they stop working, nobody bothers to check and then everyone gets sick. as for the bleach, it isn't a set amount that you need to add to the water, it is all about the number of free chlorine molecules in the water. maybe someone else can correct me, but when you add the bleach it combines with organic molecules and becomes inert, so essentially you have to keep adding bleach until all the microbes and other organic particles have been combined with the chlorine, then you add a bit more. there is a testing kit available, you just dip a little piece of paper in a set amount of the water and then compare the color it turns to a chart showing how many free chlorine particles remain. if the bleach is added properly you shouldn't even tast it, however most people don't understand the system and add way to much.YUCK! I love trucking in water, but it is very cost prohibitive and in some cases not possible.

[Scooter]

^^^

That's a better answer than my earlier one. In a kitchen setting, the provincial health board goes with straight percentages. I presume that's under the assumption that the local water supply, while possibly unclean, will never quite resemble a murky puddle.

We have a testing kit in camp too. Only takes a couple minutes, and the cooks have to test each load of supposedly potable water and record results.

Trucking water in ... yes, very very expensive. Especially since we often have to use the same water for the shower system.

However, there are certain reasons why it is sometimes better than using the unreliable filter systems:
1. As pointed out, filters can break down, and the cost of letting a camp get sick is just astronomical.
2. More consistent and reliable, so if you're trying to provide a "hassle-free" camp situation to planters, they appreciate the more professional setup.
3. Volumes: sometimes the local water supply at your camp site can't provide the required volumes for filtering.
4. Convenience & opportunity costs: if you rely on local water, your camp site must be located beside a good local water source. If you're going with trucked water, you have more flexibility in camp sites. Let's assume you've got a great camp site 40 km from your blocks, which has great local water. And you've got a great camp site 3 km from your blocks, which is equal in all other respects but doesn't have water. By trucking water to the closer site, you can ultimately save money on fuel, kilometers on the trucks, and driving time for the planters.

That's the interesting thing about planting. There is not necessarily a "right" and a "wrong" way to do everything. Usually, there are several different ways to do everything, and the "right" way depends on the particular circumstances. Sometimes trucked water is cheaper than "free" stream water. Sometimes a tent kitchen is better than a bus kitchen or a trailer kitchen. Sometimes a larger and heavier quad will do the job better and sometimes a light old 350 will be best. The same applies to dozens and dozens of systems and types of equipment within a planting camp. Planting is all about being adaptive and flexible. People who are not open-minded and who prefer rigid environments just lose their mind when placed into a planting situation, where you have to constantly think and adapt.

[mcD]

uh, "light old 350", I shudder everytime my employer says "I have got a quad for you mate!", it seams like to have one working 350 you need two more in camp for parts

[TheHamsterizer]

^^^

That's a better answer than my earlier one. In a kitchen setting, the provincial health board goes with straight percentages. I presume that's under the assumption that the local water supply, while possibly unclean, will never quite resemble a murky puddle.

We have a testing kit in camp too. Only takes a couple minutes, and the cooks have to test each load of supposedly potable water and record results.

Trucking water in ... yes, very very expensive. Especially since we often have to use the same water for the shower system.

However, there are certain reasons why it is sometimes better than using the unreliable filter systems:
1. As pointed out, filters can break down, and the cost of letting a camp get sick is just astronomical.
2. More consistent and reliable, so if you're trying to provide a "hassle-free" camp situation to planters, they appreciate the more professional setup.
3. Volumes: sometimes the local water supply at your camp site can't provide the required volumes for filtering.
4. Convenience & opportunity costs: if you rely on local water, your camp site must be located beside a good local water source. If you're going with trucked water, you have more flexibility in camp sites. Let's assume you've got a great camp site 40 km from your blocks, which has great local water. And you've got a great camp site 3 km from your blocks, which is equal in all other respects but doesn't have water. By trucking water to the closer site, you can ultimately save money on fuel, kilometers on the trucks, and driving time for the planters.

That's the interesting thing about planting. There is not necessarily a "right" and a "wrong" way to do everything. Usually, there are several different ways to do everything, and the "right" way depends on the particular circumstances. Sometimes trucked water is cheaper than "free" stream water. Sometimes a tent kitchen is better than a bus kitchen or a trailer kitchen. Sometimes a larger and heavier quad will do the job better and sometimes a light old 350 will be best. The same applies to dozens and dozens of systems and types of equipment within a planting camp. Planting is all about being adaptive and flexible. People who are not open-minded and who prefer rigid environments just lose their mind when placed into a planting situation, where you have to constantly think and adapt.

I guess it depends on the region, we have water everywhere we camp, so it makes sense. As for the filters being fragile, we never had water problems and we move camp 5 or 6 times per season with them. I can't believe you guys shower with delivered water, that's pretty luxurious.

[Mr. Amazing]

I can't believe you guys shower with delivered water, that's pretty luxurious.

Steen 1 (first camp last year where the other half was...) and La Crete were both trucked in!

[jono]

...

[jdtesluk]

^^^
That's the interesting thing about planting. There is not necessarily a "right" and a "wrong" way to do everything. Usually, there are several different ways to do everything, and the "right" way depends on the particular circumstances. Sometimes trucked water is cheaper than "free" stream water. Sometimes a tent kitchen is better than a bus kitchen or a trailer kitchen. Sometimes a larger and heavier quad will do the job better and sometimes a light old 350 will be best. The same applies to dozens and dozens of systems and types of equipment within a planting camp. Planting is all about being adaptive and flexible. People who are not open-minded and who prefer rigid environments just lose their mind when placed into a planting situation, where you have to constantly think and adapt.

Pure gold here, hope some of those other Supervisors are listening. Mind if I quote you for the silviculture supervisor course Scotter?

[Scooter]

Sure, go ahead. I probably could have come up with a better description of the mindset if I knew I was going to have fifteen minutes of fame.

Re. showering in potable water - not always. As noted, it's kind of expensive. So sometimes we'll run a dual system - trucked potable water for the kitchen, and a pump from a stream for the showers. It's very site-dependent.

[Nate]

Did I do that? I don't remember that.

No, I've only ever been in camps where water's been trucked in with Folklore, and I'm quite appreciative of that (other than the nuisance of bowling those giant containers in and out of the shower trailer), the bleach incident was in Ontario on Haveman's Green Mantle contract.

[NH-EHO]

I thought the following information -- commonly noted permit conditions for site derived water, might be of interest. Conditions are at the discretion of the Public Health Engineer but are generally along these lines in Northern BC:

1. The source water should be carefully selected, avoiding water with visibly high turbidity, colour or contamination.
2. Potable water grade hoses must be used for distribution of treated water.
3. The “potable drinking water tank” should have proper air tight lid and insect proof air vent.
4. Filtered water after passing through the UV unit will be chlorinated in the “potable drinking water tank”. (These generally have at least 500 gallon capacity.) The residual free chlorine after 30 minutes should be at least 0.5 mg/L as measured by a chlorine meter. Repeat with more bleach until 0.5 mg/L residual free chlorine is obtained. (see note)
5. The UV unit must be NSF 55 compliant complete with shut off valve supplied by the vendor.
6. The taps/outlets for dispensing potable water are secured above ground to avoid contamination or splashing from the ground.
7. Where showers are supplied with nonpotable water, permanent signs should be attached to the showers to clearly indicate that the water is not potable.

• Note: To have 1 mg/L of chlorine in water, add 500 gallons of water to at least 50 mL of 5% bleach solution.

Disinfection
It is the responsibility of the water supplier to ensure that, following completion of construction at each campsite, all works are adequately flushed and disinfected. All equipment, including water containers, hoses are to be flushed, superchlorinated by keeping them under a minimum of 10 mg/L of free chlorine for 24 hours before they are used at each camp location. After disinfection, the water must be tested for bacteriological quality by a lab accredited by the BC Provincial Health Officer. A copy of the final test results is to be sent to Northern Health.

The snow is finally disappearing here in PG,
Jim

[Slowsis]

Best case scenario........well water.

Our Drayton Valley camp last year had fresh well water and was on the power grid.

Talk about luxury.

[NH-EHO]

Greetings once again from the Great finally=not=so=White North,

As the 2009 planting season opens, I’d like to introduce you to the Northern Health web site. Here you can see links to resources such as the current flu status and ways to protect yourself. There is also a link to our Food Permit and Water Permit databases where you can see the status of the various camps and recent inspection notes as well as water sampling frequencies and bacteriological results.

Go to: http://northernhealth.ca/ and have a look around at the current issues and resources at your disposal.

Be careful out there,
Jim