Chapter
15 – Safety & First Aid.
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Introduction
Although this chapter on safety and
first aid is not the very first chapter I have provided, I sometimes think that
it should be. No matter what you are
doing on the job, no matter when or where it is happening or why, safety should
always be your number one concern. The
planting industry is a very dangerous one, which has one of the highest rates
of lost-time accidents of any industry in
Disclaimer: When considering safety issues, making a
mistake or following improper procedures can result in injuries or
fatalities. The information provided
herein is provided on a “best-efforts” Good Samaritan basis. I have made every effort to ensure that the
content contained herein is correct and up-to-date with today’s accepted
standards. However, the reader is
advised to do additional research before relying on statements contained
herein, to ensure that personal safety is maximized, both for yourself and for
your fellow employees. The author will
accept no liability for any injuries, fatalities, or property damage that
arises as a result of the use of this information, whether negligently or
otherwise.
Specific
Safety Topics
Emergency
Evacuation Plan
This is something which has received
a lot more attention in just the past several years. Having these explicit evacuation plans is
part of a number of safety programs now, and also seems to be a requirement by
the Workers’ Compensation Board in both
There are five major components of
an evacuation plan:
1.
Mustering points.
2.
Emergency signals.
3.
Knowing your location.
4.
Knowing how to communicate with outside assistance.
5.
Having adequate transportation facilities available to perform an
evacuation.
First, your plan should have a
“mustering point” which is simply a place for everybody to meet during an
emergency. Pick mustering points that
are easy to remember. On the block, the
location of the main first-aid vehicle is a great mustering point. In camp, common picks would include either
the area in front of the first-aid tent, or in front of the kitchen, or whatever
areas seems to be a logical place for a safe meeting. In addition to having a designated mustering
point on the block or in the camp, it is useful to have a secondary mustering
point, or a backup in case things go wrong.
For instance, on the block, your primary mustering point would be
useless if the first-aid-vehicle was on fire, or if there was a bear
there. In such cases, a good secondary
point would be “50 meters down the road from the truck, back toward the
entrance to the block,” or something similar.
In camp, any number of problems can arise. I have often used “the driveway at the
entrance to camp” or “the reefer” as good secondary mustering points for camp.
The next part of the plan is to have
some sort of emergency signal which is used to gather the crew. I have heard of several common signals, such
as “repeated yelling,” “repeated blowing of the bear whistles,” “repeated
blowing of the truck horns,” etc. I think
that it is smart to use a combination of methods as possible emergency signals,
so that if any of the above techniques are used, all the planters within
earshot know that there is a problem, and they should get back to the trucks to
figure out what is wrong. I’m also not a
big fan of using the bear whistles as a general emergency warning unless it is
actually caused by a bear. This will
avoid confusion. Some people might hear
the whistles, and start looking around for a bear, not realizing that the emergency
is something entirely different back at the vehicles. So in other words, I would suggest sticking
to “repeated yelling” or “repeated truck horns” for general emergencies. For this reason, I also prefer not to see
planters leaning on the horn at supper-time to let other people know that it is
time to head back to camp for supper.
This sort of thing confuses planters when a real emergency comes, and
they start thinking that someone is just blowing the horn for minor
reasons. If planters are staying out on
the block too long while others are waiting impatiently at the truck to head
home, the foreman or crew boss should deal with the problem early in the
season. The planter should be
responsible for having a watch, and etiquette dictates that the rest of the
crew should not have to wait impatiently while you are trying to bag out.
The third major component of the
plan is ensuring that all personnel know their location, know how to get back
to camp, and know how to get to the nearest town/hospital. I like to try to get a couple maps of the area
before the contract starts, and make photocopies for each vehicle. It’s good to have an “area map” of some sort
that shows how to get from the blocks (and camp) to the nearest town, and then
some smaller scale maps if appropriate which provide more explicit
directions. It is fairly common,
unfortunately, for planters to have no idea how to get between the blocks and
camp, because they often sleep on the drives to and from the block. However, if you have maps in each of the
vehicle, you’ll be a lot better off.
The fourth component of the plan is
to have a sheet listing important communication information, and to make a copy
of this sheet for each vehicle. Planters
should, under good conditions, memorize the key parts of this information. However, having a copy of the key info in the
vehicle is a very smart backup. My
communication sheets usually include a lot of info, including: radio channels in use in the area, phone
numbers for key personnel in your own company, phone numbers for local fire,
ambulance, police, and helicopter services, plus the general contact numbers
for the local forestry office and forest fire reporting numbers. If you are in
The final issue for emergency
preparedness is to make sure that you always have available
transportation. If you get your truck
stuck on the way into the block in the morning, your foreman should try to get
everyone planting as quickly as possible (remember, you don’t get paid when
you’re not planting) but there should be one person left behind to start trying
to evacuate the truck. The foreman
should return to help get the truck out as soon as possible. You don’t want to have a time-critical
first-aid emergency and discover that the truck has just been sitting in a
mud-hole all day, and can’t move. On a
smaller scale, I always like to ensure that our first-aid vehicle is parked
facing the front of the block, and there is nothing on the road in the way that
would prevent it from getting out quickly.
It seems like overkill, but every second could count in an emergency. Finally, by far the most important thing to
remember is to make sure that the vehicle has enough fuel to get to the
hospital in an emergency! Whoever is
driving the first-aid vehicle absolutely must remember to fill up the fuel tank
each night upon returning to camp, as this vehicle should have priority on fuel
over other vehicles. Don’t leave filling
up until the morning – emergencies can happen in camp too. Actually, every vehicle should be topped up
every night in camp if possible, because even the tree delivery trucks are
sometimes used in emergencies.
If you and everyone on your crew
knows all of the information that is part of a full emergency evacuation plan,
and has the right communication equipment available, and vehicles that are
ready to roll for town at all times, then you should be able to feel a lot more
comfortable on the block.
Weather
Conditions
Weather, especially in the
mountains, is incredibly tricky to predict.
If you’ve planted for a couple years, no doubt you’ve got stories about
the time you got hit with hail the size of bottle caps, when it was sunny
out. Or the rain storm that washed away
peoples’ tents. Or lightning strikes so
close that the hair on the back of your neck stood up. The truth is that planters need to be ready
for all conditions, since the weather can change drastically, several times per
day. I’ve seen thirty degree weather at
the end of April, and I’ve seen snow storms in July and August, so listen to
the boy scouts and “be prepared.”
Hot
weather can be a problem, due to sunstroke. Wear a hat, if possible, to keep the sun off
your head. Many people get sunstroke due
to the sun cooking their skull or the back of their neck. Drink lots of water. Even on cool days, take more water to the
block than you think you’ll need. You
may not need the water right away, but if you get a sudden hot day, you don’t
want to get caught short. Eat a bit of
extra salt on your food, if you can, but don’t go to extremes such as taking
salt tablets. Salt is good because it
helps you to retain fluids, and also because your body needs salts for regular
metabolism to occur properly. You’ll
also probably want to have sunscreen available, especially at the start of the
season before your first good burn.
Apply lotion liberally to sensitive areas such as the nose, back of the
neck, and top of the ears.
Cold
weather can also be a problem.
Ironically, you can have problems with cold weather in the morning, then
deal with overheating issues during the middle of the day, and then get
hypothermia from a sudden storm in the afternoon. Cold weather is especially problematic when
it is raining or hailing or snowing, because water has a very high specific
heat value and carries heat away from your body more quickly than when you are
in a dry cold. Always carry a kit bag
with an extra sweater and rain gear to the block, in case the weather suddenly
turns bad. You may feel silly carrying a
sweater and rain gear out with you on warm mornings in June and July, but it is
really easy to be caught by surprise with bad storms throughout the entire
summer. One thing to be aware of is that
the back of your neck is one of the areas of your body most susceptible to the
transfer of heat, so if it is raining and you’re cold, you should protect the
back of your neck somehow (hoodies are great for
this, even if they do end up getting wet).
Also, it is good to have sweaters made of wool rather than synthetics,
because wool is a much better insulator than cotton when it gets wet.
It
can be wise to carry a pack to the block with you that has a raincoat, rain
pants, long johns, sweater, dry long-sleeved shirt, and shorts. Most of those items are for emergencies when
the temperature drops, and the shorts are for the days when it gets warmer than
expected and you want to shed your pants.
If
you end up being caught on the block during a lightning storm, use common
sense. Lightning is supposed to be
attracted to tall objects, so some people think that on a cut block they are
probably fairly safe if they are couched down, continuing to plant. I’ve had lightning strikes within 50 feet of
myself a couple times, and that gave me a healthy respect for storms,
especially since one of those strikes set me down on my ass on the ground. Another foreman at Folklore was hit by
lightning a few years ago, so don’t think that it can’t happen to you. Most intense lightning storms will pass
within forty minutes, so you would be well advised to get into a safer area and
wait out the storm, rather than risk electrocuting yourself.
Smoking
The role of smoking in our society
has changed a lot within the past two decades.
In a study by the National Clearinghouse on Tobacco and Health Program,
the rate of male smokers in
However, workplace regulation aside,
there is a lot more to the smoking issue than just good etiquette to fellow
workers. The big reason why smoking is a
safety issue is due to the risk of fire.
For this reason, smoking is often banned on the planting blocks, if not
by the licensees, at least by planting contracting companies’ internal
policies. Typically, planters are being
told that they may ONLY smoke on dirt roads, rather than in the block
itself. Some conscientious smokers are
starting to carry small tins that can be used as combination ashtrays and a
place to store cigarette butts after use, rather than throwing them on the
ground. It is probably these smokers,
who practice common sense, that have far more positive impact on the argument
to permit smoking in certain conditions than the careless smokers who just
complain about their rights.
Getting to the root of the problem,
in terms of the concerns of the forestry industry, careless smokers are far
more likely to start forest fires than non-smokers. In 1994, a major fire was started near
So having said all that, use caution
when smoking. Our company has the
following set of internal rules to minimize the threat of fires: No smoking within twenty (20) feet of jerry
cans, quads being refueled, propane tanks, or the fuel storage depot in
camp. No smoking on any block, period.
If you’re smoking in the field, you must smoke on major roadways (solid
dirt or gravel). Cigarette butts may not
be left on the roadway. Butt them out,
and keep them in your pocket until you can put them in an ashtray in the vehicles. That way, if anything catches on fire, it is
yourself, which should teach you to be careful.
A “smoker’s tin” is a good thing to carry with you if you do smoke –
it’s a great way to tidy up after yourself.
Don’t just bury your butts: I can think of one example where a buried
butt caught some underground roots on fire, which smoldered for several hours
before lighting the block on fire, much to the shock of the crew working there.
Finally, foremen should try to
respect people who do smoke IF it doesn’t cause other conflicts. Take a couple minutes to allow smokers to
have a cigarette before driving home, so it is easier for them not to smoke in
the vehicle. If you have a choice, set
their cache up beside a dirt-road that they can smoke on, rather than right in
the middle of a grassy field (if that makes sense from the planting
perspective). Set up an area in camp
which is tarped overhead, so when smokers leave the
mess tent for a cigarette, they don’t get rained upon.
Bears
and Wildlife
Some people have a healthy respect
for wildlife. Other people need
one. In the bush, several types of
animals can be dangerous to some degree, but the moose and the bear are probably
the only two that you really need to worry about, aside from common sense issues
like “don’t pick up a porcupine.” A cow
moose can be a danger, especially if calves are nearby, because she is a big
animal. One of my planters was chased by
an angry moose once on the first day of the season, and afterwards, he admitted
that he was pretty scared once he realized it was coming at him and very
angry. So if you end up running into a
large moose on your piece, keep an eye on it.
Hopefully, and this is the case most of the time, it will run away once
it sees you.
Bears are another story. Bears are dangerous because they are
unpredictable. Most of the time, they
will be startled by the appearance of a human, and cautious. Bears are a common site if you have planted
for very long, but don’t let this familiarity lead to complacency. It doesn’t long before humans become familiar
to a bear, and they lose their initial fear of you.
There are two main types of bear to
be aware of. Grizzlies are a type of
brown bear, and they can be pretty big compared to black bears, which are
smaller and more common. Grizzlies have
a large range, sometimes patrolling an area as much as thirty kilometers in
diameter. They feed on a wide variety of
fruits and vegetation. Their sense of
smell is so strong that they can locate carrion (dead animals) from several
kilometers away. They occasionally will
prey on animals as large as moose, elk, deer, goats, and sheep, when they can
be caught. Black bears have a very
similar diet, although they are less likely than grizzlies to attack the larger
animals.
In terms of physical appearance,
grizzlies are generally larger. However,
a fully-grown black bear may be larger than a young grizzly, so that can be
deceiving. Also, you should not rely on
the color as a means of differentiating between the two species, since both
species can have a large variety of colours, from
light brown to very dark. There are two
safe ways to differentiate between grizzlies and black bears, and that is by
visually inspecting the “hump” and the snout.
All brown bears (grizzlies) have a distinguishing shoulder hump, which
is a mass of muscle. The muscle is used
to help them dig more easily, and makes them stronger when swatting at things
with their paws. Black bears (without
the hump) can still dig, but not as well.
In terms of the snout, grizzlies have a concave or rounded face, whereas
black bears have a more extended and tapered snout. Of course, there are a number of other
differences, but these are the most obvious two, and of the most use when a
planter is trying to figure out what kind of bear he or she is dealing
with.
If you see a bear at a medium
distance and you are unprotected (ie. not in a
vehicle or not with a large group of people), detour as far away from it as
possible while keeping an eye on it. If
the bear is located between you and a place of safety (such as a vehicle), wait
for the bear to leave the area. If the
bear is approaching you, make it aware of your presence by standing as tall as
possible and waving your arms and shouting.
Remember that bears do not have good hearing or vision, although their
sense of smell is quite incredible. If
you can make the bear realize that you are in its path, it will usually
(hopefully) change direction.
If
a bear stands on its hind legs, it is not an indication of aggressive
behavior. It is probably trying to use
its senses more effectively to try to identify you. Speak loudly and firmly and slowly back
away. Never run from a bear – they can
run about four times as fast as the fastest humans, and look upon flight as a
sign of weakness. If you see a bear
displaying strange behavior, such as turning sideways, snapping its teeth,
slapping the ground with its paws, or laying its ears back, this is a sign of danger
(for you) and a warning to leave the area – don’t assume that the bear is hurt
and needs help, or is scared of you. The
usual reason for unfavorable conflicts with bears (and other animals) is due by
inappropriate human behavior. It is rarely the fault of the bear.
If
contact is made with a bear (ie. you are attacked),
the best thing to do is probably to drop to the ground and play dead. Lie on your stomach, clasp your hands behind
your neck, and use your elbows and toes to avoid being rolled over, to prevent
more vulnerable parts of your body from being exposed to the animal. Remain still and try not to struggle or scream (I would assume that this would be
difficult). A bear acting defensively
will not stop attacking until it is quite sure that the threat has been
eliminated. If you have been attacked
and the bear suddenly stops, do not move or make any noise for quite a while,
until you are absolutely certain that
the bear has completely left the area.
Some
planters carry “bear mace.” This is a
strong form of spray which is fairly similar to “personal defense” mace,
however, the two types of spray are not the same. Bear sprays will clearly be labeled with the
word “bear” on them – if the product that you are looking at doesn’t have the
word “bear” on it, it is designed for people and will be far too weak for use
on a bear. In the States, the EPA
prohibits bear mace from being sold in containers of less than 225 grams,
although I’m not sure about the CSA regulations. Optimally, your spray will last for at least
six seconds (in case you are charged more than once). Also, under optimal conditions, you should be
able to spray when the animal is between twenty and twenty-five feet away, so
the bear has a chance to experience the effects of the spray and make a
conscious decision to turn away before it reaches you. Be aware that mace is an effective deterrent
under the right conditions, but that it can be adversely affected by wind,
rain, temperature extremes, and the distance to the bear when the spray is
discharged. If you have ever been hit by
mace, you will know how strong it is.
Never carry a can of bear mace casually in a vehicle (I can think of one
busload of planters who had to wait 45 minutes for the air to clear before they
could get back onto the bus), and most especially, never ever carry mace on a helicopter. If the can is accidentally punctured, the
pilot will crash and you will probably die.
The
biggest mistake that planters can make in camp is to store food, candy bars,
toiletries, or other scented treats in their tents. Shaving kits, perfumed soaps, etc. may be
left in dry tent, etc. instead of your own tent, to minimize personal
risk. Never store food in your tent (use
common sense not only to prevent bears from visiting you, but also so that
smaller animals don’t try to rip into your tent when you’re away). Make sure that you always wash your dishes
with soap and water before you come back to your sleeping area – even traces of
food can attract bears with their incredible sense of smell. The camp should also have a secure area for
storage of bags of garbage, and the dish pit should be covered. Planters should take pride in their camp and
not leave scraps of food around, and someone should be designated to empty all
garbage cans each evening and throw the bags into the designated storage area
(preferably a wooden trailer or stronger).
The garbage trailer should be taken to town at least once per shift, at
a minimum. On the block, garbage should
NOT be left on the blocks, including biodegradable stuff such as apple cores,
orange peels, etc. All refuse must be
carried out of the block at the earliest possible convenience (ie. Daily for regular garbage, shortly after block
completion for cardboard boxes).
NEVER
approach, feed, or attempt to lure bears.
No matter how innocent and small they may seem (some may only be the
size of a large dog), remember that very occasionally they do kill people. Of course, don’t go to extremes and panic
about these animals: as a planter, you are far, far more likely to be killed in
a motor vehicle accident than you are to be even mauled by a bear. If you treat bears with respect and leave
them alone, and don’t tempt them with things that smell good, you should be
safe in almost all circumstances.
Beaver
Fever
Do not drink water directly from
streams, ponds, or puddles due to the risk of bacteriological infections,
commonly termed “beaver fever.” There
are literally thousands of different varieties of bacteria out there, so even
if you spent your childhood drinking out of creeks and streams with no
memorable adverse effects, it might be that you built up something of an
immunity to bacteria in your local area, and drinking from a creek while
planting could expose you to different bacteria that your body is not used
to. The effects of beaver fever can vary
greatly, from something as insignificant as a couple days of mild diarrhea, to
something as dangerous as days or weeks of heavy sweating, chills, fever,
constant dehydrating diarrhea, and vomiting.
Planters have been forced to miss the rest of their planting season in
the past after contracting beaver fever, although luckily the frequency of this
problem has diminished significantly in the past decade or so as people have
placed a greater emphasis on using only potable water.
Potable water refers to water that
is safe for drinking. To be safe, your
camp should only use drinking and cooking water from an approved water source
in town, ie. from a hose at a garage or car wash that
is hooked up to a treated municipal water system. In the past, it was often a common practice
to sterilize creek water by adding bleach or purification tablets to creek
water, and in fact some provincial health authorities condone this practice
(XXXX). This isn’t really much different
than how the municipal water sources are purified by chlorination and
filtering, although to be safe I would highly recommend the town water sources
as being preferable to do-it-yourself purification.
If your camp is located in an area
with no water nearby, your company may find it more economical to truck in
water and store it in huge plastic water reservoirs, rather than moving the
camp to a more distant location. If this
is the case, check with the water hauling contractor to see exactly what you’re
getting. A certified water hauler will
have his trucks inspected and tested regularly by provincial health authorities
to certify that the water is potable, and he should be able to provide copies
of such documentation to your camp in case you need to provide them for a
health inspector. Make sure that the
hauler does not use the same vehicle for potable and general use (non-potable)
loads. There will probably be a price
difference between the two types of loads.
Incidentally, if your camp is trucking water in, each load will probably
cost several hundred dollars. Be careful
not to leave the showers running after you’re done, and waste any of that
water.
If your company is trying to
minimize costs, which it should be doing, then getting loads of non-potable
water can be effective. If this is the
case, everyone in camp should know which water is safe for consumption. In my own camps, we always use a
“dual-source” system. We have blue water
barrels which are designated as always containing safe water from town –
someone takes the empties to town in a pickup to refill. The water for the showers and for washing
dishes comes from either a creek and water pump, or from the deliveries to the
camp’s water reservoir. You have to assume
that this water is not safe for consumption.
Try to avoid brushing your teeth in it, and when washing dishes, a
“three-sink system” must be used. The
first sink will contain the wash water, hopefully with soap. The second sink will contain rinse water that
has been sterilized by the addition of a small amount of bleach. The final sink is rinse water without
bleach. Remember that since this final
rinse water is not sterilized, dishes should be allowed to completely air-dry
before they are used. Cooks may also use non-potable water for cooking, but it
always has to be boiled properly.
On a final note, “beaver fever” is
not unique to
Vehicle
Safety
There are a lot of hazards involved
in the reforestation industry, and literally hundreds and hundreds of ways to
be injured. However, by far the biggest
hazard is vehicle safety. There may be
lots of other ways in which you are more likely to get an injury, but most of
those other hazards are not likely to kill you.
Unfortunately, vehicle accidents can and do kill tree planters on a
regular basis. I cannot think of a
single season in recent years where there has not been a motor vehicle accident
of some kind which killed a planter. In an
industry with only about ten thousand workers, that’s an unacceptable accident
rate. The chances of you being seriously
injured in a motor vehicle accident while tree planting are higher than the
chances of winning a decent prize on a one-dollar scratch & win lottery
ticket, and look at how many people gamble with those. Gambling with unsafe driving practices just
isn’t worth it. I’ve seen dozens of
vehicle accidents over the years, and some of the planters in my own camps have
been killed in accidents in company vehicles, so don’t think that it cannot
happen to you.
I’m not going to go into great
detail about vehicles here, since there is an entire chapter devoted to
vehicles, both in terms of mechanical issues and general safety
information. However, I am going to
summarize some of the best safety practices in a short list here:
-
Always wear a
seat belt.
-
Make sure you
have a cautious and responsible driver behind the wheel, with a valid license
and any other required permits, who has experience driving the type of vehicle
involved. I go above and beyond
provincial regulations and insist that all drivers in my camps have class four
licenses, with a driving abstract that shows no more than two minor violations
in the past two years of operation, and no major violations or accidents.
-
Do not drive
too fast for road conditions. You will
notice that I did not say, “Don’t drive fast” or “Don’t drive over the speed
limit.” The reality is that the maximum
reasonable safe speed can vary tremendous according to conditions at the time. Driving at 90 kilometers per hour on a flat
smooth gravel road under sunny conditions with no traffic may seem safe at the
time, but what happens if an animal runs out in front of you? Be prepared for the worst.
-
If the
vehicle breaks down, make sure you post warnings of some sort for other
approaching vehicles, if your vehicle is not fully visible from a good
distance.
-
If you are
changing a flat tire, make sure the vehicle is very firmly braced, ie. with rocks behind the opposite wheel, in gear, and with
the emergency brake on.
-
Do not travel
in a vehicle that is not mechanically sound.
Even minor problems, like a slow leak in a tire, should be fixed
immediately if possible. There are lots
of times in tree planting when circumstances prevent you from fixing a
situation immediately, but at least make sure that you fix the problem at the
earliest possible opportunity.
-
Do not let
people ride in the back of trucks, or on the sides or tailgate. This goes back to the fact that everyone
should be wearing a seat belt at all times.
If you’re the driver, you’re in charge.
Establish from the start that you won’t allow passengers to go without
their belts on.
-
If you are
the driver and you are tired, then either pull over into a safe area and have a
nap, or find an approved alternate driver to take over the wheel.
-
If you are a
passenger, and you feel that the driver is operating the vehicle in an unsafe
manner, let that person know your concerns immediately. If the driver continues to drive in an unsafe
manner, inform the camp supervisor immediately.
In
addition to the huge risk of injuries and fatalities that arise from motor
vehicle accidents, remember too that if you failed to act to prevent an
accident, you will probably be held partially liable. This can mean that you can easily go to jail
if you knowingly operated a vehicle in an unsafe manner, or failed to ensure
that your passengers were wearing seat belts, or failed to replace a poor
driver with a more responsible and careful one.
All
in all, proper operation of motor vehicles is the one area of safety that I
care about and emphasis more than anything else. I hope that if I continue to emphasize this
topic strongly enough, on a daily basis, I can help prevent any more deaths in
my camps.
The
Buddy System, Roll Call, and Working In Isolation Guidelines
The Buddy System was originally
conceived as a way to ensure that planters who got hurt in the field would have
some sort of immediate assistance in dealing with emergencies. In general, the Buddy System rule states that
every planter must have a planting partner located in close proximity. These partners must remain aware of each
others’ location and activities. If an
evacuation occurs, or the crew is moving to a new location, each planter is
responsible to check for the presence of their planting partner.
One drawback of the system, of
course, is that some planters prefer to work alone in their pieces. This is still possible – buddies can
certainly work in adjacent pieces, out of the same caches, on open blocks (where
planters can easily see each other).
However, if the planters are working on an out-of-the-way piece where
there is no visible communication with the rest of the crew, a pair of planters
should be assigned to the piece.
If a WCB officer comes up to you in
the field, you should be able to name your planting partner and point out where
he or she is working at all times, if you aren’t actually working side by
side. You should also be able to point
out at all times where the crew’s first aid attendant is working (the foreman
should announce this to the crew in the morning) and know roughly where the
foreman is most likely to be found. Even
saying something like “the foreman does regular patrols around the block while
checking and delivering trees, so he could be just about anywhere at the
moment” is a better answer than simply saying, “I don’t know.”
There are a number of emergencies
which can be facilitated by the presence of a planting partner. I have seen examples of planters who have had
problems in the field relating to sunstroke, heat exhaustion, broken limbs,
blacking out & stopping breathing, insect stings, and other problems. In many of these cases, prompt reaction by
another planter (and fast arrival of first aid assistance) prevented situations
from becoming far more serious than they actually were.
In general, when entire crews are
working on a block, there should be a fair amount of interaction between
planters and management personnel such as quality checkers, tree runners, and
especially the foremen. It is when
employees start working in secluded areas that larger problems arise, and
“working in isolation” rules need to be implemented.
“Working in isolation” rules should
apply to any group of workers who are working together in the bush. People tend to think myopically only of small
scale examples when talking about working in isolation, such as a pair of cooks
working together back in camp, or a pair of planters working on a piece away
from the rest of their crew, or even a small crew working far away from the
rest of the camp. No matter what the
size is of the group being assessed, the basic assumptions are the same:
1. All workers must have access to adequate
transportation.
2. All workers must have access to adequate
communications equipment.
3. Certain minimum standards of first aid
assistance must be available.
4. Workers must know how to respond and react to
problems and emergencies.
5. Regular check-in procedures must be
implemented when individuals or small teams are working by themselves.
We’ll cover each
of those areas now, one at a time.
Transportation
Workers must have access to adequate
transportation whenever possible. If the
crew is small and travels in a single truck, the foreman and truck should stay
on the block with the crew all day, wherever possible. Situations sometimes arise when the truck
needs to leave for short periods of time, perhaps to get more trees, but
advance planning (running trees the night before) should attempt to minimize these
incidents. If a group of planters are
planting on a second block that is a kilometer away from the rest of the crew,
and therefore within reasonable walking distance, a vehicle need not be parked
at the second block. However, if part of
the crew is located three or four kilometers away from the rest of the crew,
either a quad or truck should be made available.
The vehicle should be ready to leave
for the hospital at all times. If the
truck gets stuck on the block in the morning, or gets a flat tire, the foreman
should get the crew started planting, then deal with the vehicle problem
immediately, rather than leaving it for the end of the day. If the foreman won’t have time to deal with
the problem for several hours, one of the crew members should be assigned to
deal with the truck while the rest go planting.
Finally, the vehicle should always
have sufficient fuel to get to a hospital directly from the block, and it
should also have a good spare tire and sufficient seatbelts for all
occupants. The driver should refuel the
truck upon getting back to camp at supper, rather than waiting until the next
morning. That way, if there happens to
be a fuel shortage in camp, the problem will be discovered and can be dealt
with immediately rather than causing a problem the next morning. This can be a significant issue in camps
located far from the highway, if there are a lot of trucks in camp and the
blocks are far from camp.
Communications
Whether a group of crews are working
together, or a single crew is working by itself and far away (more than twenty
kilometers) from other crews, there should be access to communication devices
that let you talk to the outside world.
This might mean that each crew has a mobile radio phone, each foreman
has a cell phone, and the camp shares a satellite phone which is kept in a
designated vehicle. Of course, the use
of these various devices depends exactly where you are working. Mobile radio nets are becoming increasingly
rare in BC and
Every tree planting vehicle should
also have a VHF two-way radio installed, so that workers can talk to each
other, and sometimes to general traffic on logging roads. Usually a camp will agree on a pair of
communications channels to be used – the “road” channel of the area, if
traveling on active logging roads, and the “company” channel or “chat” channel,
for informal chatter between employees that shouldn’t be broadcast on the road
channel.
Planters working in very isolated
areas (ie. heli blocks) can
be given handheld versions of the VHF radios to allow them to communicate with
support personnel “on the outside” or with a helicopter, if one is being used.
First Aid
There are a lot of provincial
regulations in place which dictate how much first aid must be available at the
work site. For instance, in
In addition to meeting provincial
requirements, I strongly suggest using common sense. Anyone who can be reasonably expected to be
working alone or in a position of responsibility at some time should, at a very
minimum, obtain a SOFA ticket. This
would include every foreman, at least one veteran planter on each small crew (a
couple on big crews), the checkers and tree runners, the supervisor, and both
cooks. This is not a legal requirement,
but just good common sense. Your company
should support all efforts to meet and exceed basic requirements. Hopefully you will never need to use this
training, but even one saved life justifies the cost of having hundreds and
hundreds of people undertake this training.
Emergency Response Plan
Workers must know how to respond and
act when problems and emergencies arise.
To ensure that this happens, the supervisor and safety coordinator (or
head first aid attendant) should put together an emergency response plan before
going into the field, and make sure that all planters understand the plan. The exact contents of the ERP are discussed
elsewhere in these safety notes.
Check-In Procedures
Check-in procedures must be
implemented and used for every group of workers. The exact procedures should be “reasonable”
and useful depending on circumstances.
Some examples might be:
- A small crew is
working far away. The foreman checks in
with the supervisor in the morning and says, “We’ll be stopping at
- A small crew is
working far away. The foreman checks in
with the supervisor in the morning and says, “We’ll be stopping at
- The cook talks
to the supervisor in the morning and says, “We’re good today, we can hear the
foremen on the radio all day long, so don’t worry about checking in with us
during the day today.”
- The cook talks
to the supervisor in the morning and says, “We had a bear walking through camp
yesterday. Can you stop by camp sometime
around
- A foreman is
looking after six people, split up into three pairs, working on three blocks a
kilometer apart. He tells each pair to
turn on their handheld radio between
- A foreman and
planter come to the supervisor after supper to say that they are running a load
of trees to the block for the following day.
They say, “We’re heading up to block 5-27 right now. If we’re not back by
- The supervisor
tell the office one afternoon, “I’m going out with the checker to check out
some blocks in Vanderhoof tomorrow. If you don’t hear from us by
As you can see from the previous
list of examples, there are no hard and fast specific rules to follow. The Workers’ Compensation Board is concerned
that some sort of regular check-in procedures are used when people are working
in isolation, but their usual desire is to see some sort of arrangement in place
that can be interpreted as being “reasonable” under the circumstances. You should note that in the eyes of WCB
officers, it is very important to document and follow through on your check-in
procedures. If you are a supervisor,
verbally informing a WCB officer that you had planned to check on the cooks at
lunch will probably be considered to be insufficient. However, if there is a written note in the
cook tent to confirm that you’ll stop by between 1pm-2pm daily, or notes in
your personal supervisor’s log book/diary to confirm that you have been making
such checks on a daily basis, you should be in good shape. As with many other areas where government
occurs, documentation is just as important as actually doing what you say you
are going to do.
Roll Call
In a camp emergency, if all workers
are gathering at a central meeting point, each foreman (or a designated
assistant) should quickly do a head count and then roll call for the crew, to
assess whether or not anyone is missing.
Foremen should also perform roll call on a very regular basis, including
before leaving camp for the blocks in the morning, before leaving the block at
night to return to camp, and during regularly scheduled meetings in camp.
If part of the crew leaves the block
early for supper at the end of the day, they must have the foreman’s permission
to leave early, and must ensure that by taking a particular vehicle, they don’t
cause seating problems for the rest of the crew. Somebody who remains on the block must know
exactly who left in that vehicle, so that people do not inadvertently get left
behind on the block at supper. Don’t
laugh! It happens far more frequently
than it should.
Quad/ATV
Safety
I will not go into a full discussion
here of what is involved in operating a quad.
There is a full chapter elsewhere devoted to the topic. If you are driving a quad, you should have
gone through an official ATV certification course at the start of your
season. Many companies are now making
such courses an absolute requirement for all quad operators, and are picking up
the tab for the training. Other
companies are reluctant to invest in their preventative medicine, but if it
prevents a WCB claim due to a broken arm or leg, the course is worth it.
The biggest thing to remember when
using a quad is to always, always wear a helmet. Once you get used to it, you’ll feel very
uncomfortable any time that you do not have one available. Make sure that the helmet fits well and has
some sort of a chin strap in place, so it doesn’t fly off your head if you go
flying off the quad. Also, make sure
that it is a CSA approved helmet. A hard
hat is no good.
Don’t carry passengers on the
quad. There is a reason that there is
only one seat on a quad. Having a
passenger raises the center of gravity and decreases the stability of the
machine. If a passenger suddenly shifts
their weight when you are turning, it is very easy to flip the quad.
If you are going uphill, drive
directly up or down the slope, not across the face. If you are driving across the slope, the quad
can roll very easily. Experienced
foremen often come to expect frequently rollovers as part and parcel of the
job, and sometimes treat such incidents casually, but don’t let yourself
develop an attitude of indifference.
Those previous three guidelines are
by far the most important things to consider when operating a quad. Here are just a couple more minor rules that
should help you:
- Don’t let ropes
or bungies drag under the quad and get wrapped around
the axles.
- Learn how to
tighten your brakes, and do so on a regular (weekly) basis.
- Speeding is hard
on the quad. If you’re in BC, the quad
may be fairly irrelevant in many cases, because the trucks can usually be used
to deliver trees to caches. In muddier ground,
especially in northern BC and
- Wear steel-toed
boots for protection. Don’t tuck your
toes “in and down” when riding the quad.
If you can keep your toes sloped upward, and on top of the foot rests,
you are far less likely to have a stick flip up and crush your toes, or catch
your foot and twist your ankle.
I presume that no planting companies
use three wheeled ATV’s (trikes) any more. If so, run away. Trikes are
incredibly dangerous.
Perhaps the biggest safety issue
with a quad is that too many people look at it as a toy, rather than as a
valuable and dangerous piece of equipment.
One planter working in BC in 2003 tried to jump a brook with a quad, and
drowned. Our company has had a couple
incidents in the past few years where inexperienced operators flipped a quad
while going too fast for conditions, and broke an arm or a leg. Finally, one of my old supervisors was
doubling his girlfriend years ago, and flipped the quad. She hit her head (and was not wearing a
helmet), and she ended up in a coma for some time before eventually recovering. These examples go to show just how easily
accidents can happen, and how dangerous the machines really are. The quad is one of the best things to happen
in planting in the past decade and a half, but it should always be treated with
caution and respect.
Personal
Protective Equipment
There are many types of personal
protective equipment (PPE) available.
During safety audits, planters may be asked to name some of the types of
PPE required on the job, and to demonstrate that these items are actually being
used when circumstances warrant. Here is
a list, by no means exhaustive, of several common examples:
Boots: Many
contracts stipulate that planters must wear CSA approved footwear that features
steel toes and steel shanks (a strip of metal in the sole of the boot which
protects the bottom of your foot from bruising). Good mountain boots or dedicated work boots
are perfect, whereas light hiking boots and sneakers are unacceptable. On slippery logs, boots that have caulks
(numerous metal spikes sticking out of the bottom of the boot) can help you
maintain your footing more easily.
Bear Whistle: Many
contracts require that all planters carry bear whistles with them at all times,
to warn other planters when a bear is on the block. Please don’t use your bear whistle for any
other reason than a bear emergency. The
best thing to do is to tie your whistle to your planting bags so that you don’t
lose it.
Hard Hat: Although
a hard hat would certainly not save you if you were crushed by a large falling
tree, there is no doubt that it could save you from a serious head injury if
you get hit by a falling branch. The
chances of that happening are slim (unless you are a cutter, in which case it
happens regularly) and therefore hard hats are an annoyance to many planters,
but the possibility of getting hit is still there. Hard hats may not be of much utility on a
wide open cut block, but when working along wood-lines on windy days, they can
be a good safeguard. Wearing a hardhat
is not a common requirement in
Gloves: Some
seedlings are treated with a number of pesticides. Unfortunately, the pesticide residue on the
trees can be quite harmful to human health.
I have heard stories that medical authorities suggest that female
planters and nursery workers refrain from having children for two to four years
after heavy exposure to pesticides, however, I don’t know if that is based on
scientific studies or just fear-mongering.
I would think that time frame might be a little excessive, but
certainly, it would be better to be safe than sorry. Nurseries recommend that planters always wear
gloves when handling seedlings that have been treated, and that as a second
precaution you wash your hands before eating or smoking. The use of gloves is not mandatory, but of
course, gloves also protect your hands from getting torn up by the ground. During extremely cold weather, they are also
necessary to keep your fingers from freezing.
A lightweight glove is all that is required for a significant amount of
protection. Foremen and tree runners
will also find gloves mandatory far more quickly than planters when the
temperature starts to drop.
High-Visibility Vests: A
hi-vis vest is good for foremen and checkers to wear,
and also for first aid attendants, so they can be spotted on the block more
readily. I see no reason for planters to
wear hi-vis vests.
These vests are also critical for all personnel who will be working with
helicopters on any chopper blocks. It is
often quite difficult for pilots to spot specific individuals from the air,
unless the ground staff are wearing the vests.
Safety Glasses: The
use of safety glasses has always been a huge point of contention for
planters. The glasses quickly become
scratched and dirty, no matter how well they are cared for, and become more of
a nuisance and potential hazard to planters then they are worth. On rainy days, the glasses become absolutely
impossible to wear. People like myself
can see the pros and cons of requiring that planters wear eye protection. On one hand, I paid five thousand dollars for
laser eye surgery so I could see to plant better by not having to wear the
glasses. On the other hand, I once
ripped my cornea open on a sharp branch while planting, and I was very lucky
that I didn’t permanently damage my eyesight.
Under the right conditions then, eye protection is a good risk
minimization strategy, especially on overgrown blocks. Luckily, in many planting districts, the
contractual requirement is for the planters to have eye protection available at
all times. Whether or not the planter
actually uses the protection is up to the individual. This approach is probably the most practical
in the short term. Finally, planters
working around helicopters should always wear eye protection. The amount of dust that the chopper can blow
into your eyes is ridiculous.
Helmet: For
anyone driving a quad, a helmet is a very necessary piece of PPE.
Chaps: Kevlar
chaps or full chain-saw pants are essential PPE for anyone using a chain
saw. The Kevlar is used in bulletproof
vests, and is so strong that when the fibres are
woven into chain saw pants, they can usually tangle and completely stop a
running saw before the chain is able to cut off a limb. Not always, but quite often.
Hearing Protectors: Foam
insert hearing protectors or hard hat mounted swiveling ear muffs should be
used when working around a helicopter or when using a chain saw.
Braces: Knee
or wrist braces can be very useful PPE for anyone who suffers from chronic
agitation of these joints.
Sunscreen: This
item does not usually come to mind when talking about PPE, but it certainly
qualifies. Use it to avoid nasty burns to
exposed parts of the body.
Insect Repellant: Again,
bug dope is not usually the first thing that comes to mind when talking about
PPE, but is prevents some planters from getting bites that can cause serious
itching, swelling, or allergic reactions.
Seat Belts: Since
motor vehicle accidents pose the single greatest risk to planters, seat belts
are a very obvious piece of PPE.
Sun Hat: A
basic sunhat is useful PPE. Even though
it offers no protection against contact with hard objects, it can minimize the
chance of sunstroke or heat exhaustion.
Proper Clothing: Being
prepared for all types of inclement weather is important. Having good rain gear and warm clothing
available is critical in reducing discomfort and avoiding hypothermia.
Insect
Stings
Insect stings, especially from bees,
hornets, and wasps, can cause a number of people to suffer major allergic
reactions, or anaphalactic shock. If you have never been stung before and are
uncertain, let your first aid attendant and foreman know that there is a
possibility that you could have a reaction if you are stung. Even if you have been stung before but did
not experience any negative effects, a sting on the face or neck may cause
problems in the future.
If you do have known problems with stings, you should carry antihistamines
and/or a sting kit, commonly available in drugstores, depending on the severity
of the problem. Antihistamines are an
inexpensive basic precaution. The major
problem with stings is that the chemicals received from the sting usually cause
swelling. Since antihistamines reduce
swelling, this solves part of the problem.
A sting kit usually contains ….
Above all, remain calm. The chemicals in a sting can increase anxiety
and stress, which makes some people feel panicky, and this just aggravates the
problem. If this is the case, sit down
in the shade, try to relax, and let your foreman or first aid attendant know
what you’re doing. Remember that within
about twenty minutes, the antihistamines will kick in and you will probably
start to feel better.
Repetitive
Strain Injuries (RSI’s)
RSI stands for Repetitive Strain Injury. It is used
as an umbrella term to refer to various kinds of work-related musculoskeletal
injuries - for instance, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, bursitis, epicondylitis,
and others. If you experience pain and loss of feeling
in the hands, arms, or wrists, then you may have some type of RSI, especially
if the symptoms are associated with repetitive tasks. Repetitive strain injuries may also be
referred to as cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs). If your problem is localized, it is termed a
“distinct RSI,” whereas more general problems in an entire region of the body
are referred to as diffuse RSI’s. People suffering from diffuse RSI have
multiple areas of diffuse pain in the muscles and other soft tissues. This
condition is caused by nerve compression in areas where nerves or arteries are
susceptible to pinching from joint movements, such as the hands, wrists, arms,
shoulders and neck.
Some of the most
common types of distinct RSI’s include the following:
1. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS):
This is the most widely
recognized repetitive strain injury. Patients who suffer from carpal tunnel experience
swelling of the membrane linings and surrounding tendons in the base of the
palm. This inflammation compresses the nerve that supplies most of the feeling
to the hand, causing numbness and aching in the inflamed area. The symptoms of
carpal tunnel syndrome include pain or numbness in the wrist, thumb and first
three fingers and loss of strength or dexterity in the hand. Some planters may experience carpel tunnel in
their shovel hand.
2. Bursitis:
Individuals diagnosed with bursitis experience inflammation of the bursa
against the tendons attaching the muscles to the shoulder or elbow. The
specific symptoms are joint pain and stiffness, and limited movement. This is another problem occasionally
experienced by planters.
3. Epicondylitis:
Epicondylitis is otherwise known as tennis elbow.
This condition includes inflammation or a tear of the tendons that attach the
muscles of the forearm to the elbow. The
muscles that bend the wrist down start at the elbow, and therefore tennis elbow
can have widespread consequences. Forceful and repeated bending of the wrist
and fingers will cause tiny ruptures of the muscle and tendon around the
"funny bone" on the inside of the elbow. Epicondylitis
can produce painful symptoms and should be treated as soon as possible. This problem is relatively rare in planters.
4. Tendonitis: Tendonitis causes
inflammation of the tendon, often in the wrist, forearms, elbow or shoulder.
5. Tenosynovitis: This injury causes swelling of the tendon in a finger or
thumb, interrupting movement of the tendon.
A repetitive
strain injury is a progressive condition that begins with mild pain or
weariness of the hands, wrists and arms.
Symptoms may start after periods of intense and prolonged activity, such
as planting. In the beginning, RSI
symptoms may only be noticeable during working hours. Eventually, they become persistent and very
painful. Symptoms may include:
- Tenderness and
pain in the neck, shoulder, upper back, upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrist or
fingers.
- Swelling of hands
or forearms.
- Tingling,
numbness or loss of sensation in the hand or arm.
- Muscle spasms or
muscle weakness (including loss of strength in a grip).
- Stabbing, dull,
aching and intermittent pain in fingers, hands, wrists, elbows or arms.
- Unusual sensations
that may include numbness, tingling, stiffness, very cold sensations, tremors
and burning in fingers, hands, wrists, elbows or arms.
- Decreased
sensitivity, motor control, endurance and strength in fingers, hands, wrists,
elbows or arms.
Repetitive Strain
Injuries more frequently happen on fast, easy ground, and the effects are
magnified by cold conditions such as those experienced at the very start of
your season. However, no matter where
you are planting, or when, you should expect to have some negative effects from
the hard work that you are doing.
Repetitive Strain Injuries are a very contentious issue in the planting
world. If everybody stopped planting to
try to minimize aches & pains that arise from planting, very few trees
would ever go in the ground. However,
listen to your body. If your aches
progress from casual soreness to any sort of sharp or intense pain, you should
consult a first aid attendant immediately.
Although you don’t make money if you’re not planting, you need to balance
your financial needs with preventing yourself from being seriously injured for
the long term.
To minimize
effects from RSI’s, take it easy for the first couple
of days of the season. I usually try to
start my camp with half days on the first two days of the summer. Pushing yourself for extra production in the
first week will only hurt your production in the long term, and most
experienced planters don’t truly start getting back “up to speed” until the
third or fourth week of the season.
Stretching in the morning can be beneficial. No matter what time of season, don’t
over-extend yourself. It is tough to
restrain yourself on a good day and know that you are costing yourself a bit of
money in the short term, but in the long term it may prevent a premature end to
your season.
Getting
Lost
If you get lost, stay put. Wandering aimlessly through the woods will
only get you in deeper trouble. If you
have flagging tape, and think you might know the way out, go ahead. Remember to mark your trail though, so you
can return to your point of origin if it doesn’t work out. The best bet is to avoid “shortcuts” through
wooded areas – when using the washroom in the woods, don’t go into the tree
line very deeply.
If you do get lost, once people
eventually notice that you are missing, a search party will start looking for
you. If you keep moving around, it is
harder to carry out an effective and comprehensive search. Be patient.
It may take a while before you’re found, but you will be found eventually. If
you are bored while waiting, start thinking about ways to shelter yourself and
keep warm in case you’re still stuck at night, or if the weather gets really
bad.
Sanitation
in the Bush
When using the great outdoors as a toilet,
always bury your mess afterwards. You
can do it with a planting shovel, or you can even use your hands to scoop up a
large quantity of moss, leaves, and dirt.
In camp, or within a kilometer of camp, you should always use the
outhouses. If you absolutely hate the
outhouses, go for a long walk down the load (at least a kilometer) before you
do your thing, then bury the mess. Don’t
get lost.
Propane
Tanks
In BC especially, it seems that
poorly secured propane tanks are a special pet peeve of WCB officers. The fines for having unsecured propane tanks
in camp can actually be quite huge:
$3500 for a first offense in BC.
Here are the basic rules that you need to follow to keep from getting
into trouble.
- Make sure that
all tanks are dug into the ground at least 18 inches. If you are on a hard-packed gravel or slate
base, this is going to be problematic.
In that case, it might be more practical to set the tank on the ground
and import half a pickup load of dirt from somewhere down the road, and pack it
around the base of the tank, to achieve the same end result.
- The propane
tanks should be tied to a strong support, even if they are dug in well enough
that they cannot tip over.
- Empty tanks in
camp should still be tied securely to trees, just to be safe. The rules don’t say, “tanks with propane in
them should be secured,” they say, “propane tanks.” A WCB officer could, in theory, write you up
for having unsecured tanks if he is in a bad mood, even if they are empty. Dot the I’s and
cross the T’s. Being thorough and
cautious never hurt a person. Besides, a
propane tank lying on the ground is just an invitation to be run over by a
careless driver, even if you think it is out of the way.
- Whether empty or
full, a maximum of five propane tanks are permitted in or on any one vehicle at
any one time unless properly treated and handled as dangerous goods. If you have more than five tanks, even small
ones, the vehicle must be driven by a person with a valid Transportation of
Dangerous Goods ticket, and the load must be properly placarded and described
on the manifest.
- If you are
transporting more than one propane tank, or a single tank that is larger than a
standard 10-pound BBQ tank, and your vehicle is also carrying fuel in external
containers other than just a jerry-can, you are considered to be carrying a
mixed load. You will need to follow
Transportation of Dangerous Goods regulations for this mixed load. It is usually easier just to separate the
propane tanks and the fuel barrels so they are being transported in separate
vehicles.
- Propane tanks
should never be transported or stored in an enclosed space, such as the back of
a FIST or inside a reefer or trailer.
Even transporting tanks in the back of a covered truck or canopy truck
which has a rear opening is dangerous, because leaking gas can still accumulate
in sufficient quantities to explode if ignited with a stray spark. Always transport propane tanks standing
upright, and in an open back vehicle.
- Secure tanks
tightly. I have often seen trucks drive
off with tanks swaying back and forth several inches or more. Rope rarely works. The best approach is a couple of come-along
straps, pulled tight, so the tanks can barely even move a few millimeters.
- In camp, if you
smell leaking propane in the cook tent, go outside and turn off the source of
the propane immediately (turn off the shut-off value of the tanks
themselves). Allow the accumulation of
gas to dissipate before re-entering the area and trying to relight the pilot
light. When you relight the pilot,
perform an immediate inspection to see if a leak has developed somewhere, or if
the pilot simply blew out. It is good to
have someone helping you who is standing by, ready to turn off the tanks again
immediately. This is therefore a good
job for two people.
- If you discover
a propane leak, get it examined by a person who is competent in working with
propane fittings. Propane lines are a
dangerous area, not suitable for a MacGuyver sort of
repair job.
Danger
Trees (Snags)
A danger tree, more commonly
referred to as a snag, is any unstable and potentially dangerous tree that is
more than five meters (between fifteen and twenty feet) in height. The most obvious danger trees include trees
that are still upright but dead, as evidenced by lack of leaves in the early
stages and obvious rotting later on (if the tree remains upright that
long). Trees that are leaning somewhat,
but which are still alive and with health root systems, should not usually be
considered to be danger trees, unless there has recently been a significant
environmental change nearby which could have weakened the tree’s root
system. Also, a tree that has started to
fall but which is securely hung up in another health tree nearby, to the point
whereby the pair of trees can be assessed to cause no significant safety
hazard, will not be considered to be a snag.
Planters should not set up tents
under or near snags in camp. There are
two ways of dealing with this issue: either
by getting a certified snag faller to go into the area with a chain and
eliminate the snags, or by putting the tents up somewhere else. Of course, it is easier to drop the snags
before the tents are set up, to avoid potential damage. If a tree falls on you during the night while
you are sleeping, it will crush you, so don’t treat this subject too
lightly. Thinking about this issue at
three in the morning during a heavy storm, when you hear weak trees crashing in
the forest all around you, is probably too late. Make sure that camp structures such as the
showers and outhouses are not set up near snags either.
On the block, you should not be
planting under snags. The “safe
distance” is often designated as any distance more than twice the height of the
snag, away from the base of the tree.
This might seem a bit excessive, but it is that conservative because
falling trees sometimes shatter and throw debris, or will hit another tree
lying on the ground nearby and displace it somewhat. On the block, you are most likely to run into
snags along the woodline, but there will also be
frequent occasions where there are snags right on the block in the pieces that
you are planting. Individual “residual”
trees that have been left on a block after harvest are deceptively dangerous
too, even though they may look quite stable.
Skidders may have run over the ground beside such trees, weakening their
root systems, and without other nearby trees to help absorb the force of gusts
of wind, they can be quite unstable. My
crew was planting on a large block for several days in 2004 when a front of
wind suddenly blew across the block and simultaneously toppled about forty very
large live cottonwoods among the planters.
The best way to deal with snags on
the block is to send a snag faller in before the crew arrives, to eliminate the
problem. If this is not possible, or to
deal with danger trees that the snag faller has missed, the planters can either
establish a “no work zone” in a large circle around the base of the tree, which
should be indicated with pieces of flagging tape to identify it as a danger
zone, or the area should be planted using the “supervised plant”
technique. The technique involves two
planters: one stands guard watching the
danger tree, ready to yell a warning, while the other planter quickly plants
trees throughout the danger zone. I
prefer this approach to establishing a no-work zone, because it does not leave
an unplanted area that has to be dealt with later. Be prepared to explain to any WCB inspectors
how you managed to safely plant any such danger zones near snags on your piece.
There is a provincial course offered
in BC which trains a person to be a “certified danger tree assessor.” When working in BC, it is very advantageous
to have one person in your camp who has this certification. It is a two-day course, and is actually quite
involved. Go to http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/wlt/wdtac.htm
for more information.
Radio
Use (
To be added shortly.
Fire
Procedures
In
case of a fire, first you should assess the situation, size, and
conditions. Report the fire by radio,
cell phone, or satellite phone – in
-
What is your exact location? Latitude
& longitude is useful, but so is your position relative to a nearby major
logging road or highway.
-
How long has the fire been burning? Do
you know what might have started the fire?
-
How big is the fire? Do you know or can
you estimate how fast it is spreading?
-
What kind of slope is the fire on?
-
What are the local weather conditions?
-
What kind of fuel is burning (ie. grass, brush,
softwoods, hardwoods, mixedwood, dead stands, live
stands)?
-
Can you see flames or just smoke? Are
the flames on the ground, or in the tree tops, or both?
-
What color is the smoke? How thick is
it, and is it rising rapidly or just drifting?
-
Are you in a safe position to observe the fire without risking having your
escape routes cut off?
-
How close to the nearest dirt road is the fire?
-
How close is the nearest water source that you are aware of, and what type of
water source is it?
-
How many people are on the scene? Are
any of them trained professional firefighters?
Are there any people currently fighting the fire?
-
What types of fire-fighting equipment is available on the scene, both in terms
of hand-tools and major equipment?
-
Are any lives threatened? Is any
property currently threatened?
-
What is your name and phone number?
After
you have reported the fire, do an initial attack if possible to contain or
limit the fire. Stay at the fire until
you are released by a fire fighting official, unless personal safety is
threatened.
If you end up actually working on a
fire line, you will hopefully have been properly trained by taking the one-day
or two-day S100 Fire Suppression training course. That course will teach you a lot about the
conditions necessary to support wildfires, how to best reduce potential
property and personnel damage from fires, and how to actively fight wildfires
in a safe manner. This safety chapter is
certainly not an effective substitute for the S-100 course, but at least you
can start by learning these very basic safety tips:
-
Fire travels more quickly uphill. If you
are trying to run from a wildfire, keep this fact in mind (depending on escape
routes).
-
Fire can travel far more quickly than you can run, especially in a “crown” fire
in which the fire travels along the tops of trees rather than along the ground.
-
If you find yourself in a “drop zone” such that you might be about to be hit by
a load from a water bomber, try to lay down behind a strong obstacle such as a
solid tree, on your stomach, and face into the direction that the water or foam
will come from.
-
No timber or personal property is as valuable as your life. Don’t take unnecessary risks.
If you do become
involved in fighting a fire, remember that it can be very dangerous. In a study of forest firefighters in the
-
Burnover, or being overtaken by the fire – 29%.
-
Aircraft accidents – 23%.
-
Heart attacks – 21%.
-
Vehicle accidents – 19%.
-
Falling snags & miscellaneous (drowning, training, etc.) – 8%.
In terms of more
general fire control issues, remember the following guidelines:
-
Do not discard cigarette butts on the ground, or throw them out the window.
-
Don’t leave glass bottles on the block, and if you come across one, throw it in
your planting bags and take it out as garbage.
-
Every vehicle should have a working and fully-charged fire extinguisher.
-
Do not smoke in the woods or on the block; smoke on dirt roadways.
-
Do not smoke when handling fuel, or within 5 meters of any fuel depot or
storage containers.
-
Be careful when driving ATV’s through dry, grassy areas, as the hot exhaust
pipe or underside of the ATV can start a fire.
-
Do not light campfires in camp during fire ban periods, and don’t have
campfires unless you have permission from the licensee.
-
Do not light fires on the block, ever.
Safety
Bulletin Board
Every camp needs to have a bulletin
board hanging in a prominent location for the purpose of providing safety,
health, and reference information to employees working in the camp. A good location for the bulletin board would
be in the mess tent, where planters regularly hang out. The first aid tent probably isn’t the best
location since that tent should not be used as a general lounge area,
therefore, planters are less like to be able to casually read information on
the board.
There are a large number of sheets
that should be posted on your camp’s bulletin board. At a minimum, the following information
should be available:
-
Your
company’s Health and Safety Policy.
-
The BC
government’s “camp standards” requirements.
-
WHMIS
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for dangerous products in camp.
-
Seedling
pesticide data sheets.
-
The camp and
block Emergency Response Plan (ERP).
-
Notes from
specific weekly safety meetings.
-
General
safety information (ie. this chapter).
-
“Bear Aware”
brochures.
-
A list of all
personnel in camp, along with training or first aid courses possessed by each
person.
-
Emergency
communication information, including radio channels in use in the area, numbers
to call for ambulance/fire/hospital/helicopter, your own company’s contact
info, the local forest service, etc.
-
A map of the
area showing where the crews are working, and another showing how to get from
camp to the nearest hospital.
-
A copy of the
provincial health and safety regulations for the province you are working in.
Some of these
items may be extensive or ‘weighty’ enough in and of themselves to warrant being
kept in binders on a table by the bulletin board. You’ll also note that there is a lot of
information in the above list. I’ve
found that it is useful to have a bulletin board the size of a sheet of
plywood, to be able to accommodate everything.
I’ve even seen camps with two such large boards – one for the safety
information and one for the maps.
Running
on the Block
Avoid running on the block or
through slash or bushes, as it can increase your chance of injury. That’s all.
Firearms
Planting camps will frequently have
a designated firearm officer, whose duty it is to have and maintain a working
rifle in a secure location in camp, and to follow all applicable federal and
provincial regulations. In an emergency,
such as a bear control problem, this person may be called upon for assistance
in dealing with the problem animal (although all other options should be
explored first, whenever possible).
The
Firearms Act and its related regulations govern the possession,
transport, use and storage of firearms in
In terms of meeting the appropriate
personal licensing requirements, businesses and individuals need a valid
firearms license to be able to possess (own, borrow or store) a firearm in
Canada. They must keep their license up to date and renew it before the expiry
date if they possess firearms.
Individuals must be at least 18 years old to get a license that will
allow them to own or to acquire a firearm.
The Possession and Acquisition License (PAL) is the only license now
available to new applicants over 18 years old.
Applicants for a PAL or a Minors’ License must meet specific training
requirements in the safe use and handling of a firearm. All license applicants must pass a
public-safety check. A computer link between the Canadian Firearms Registration
System (CFRS) and the national police database allows for continuous checks of
license holders.
In terms of meeting the appropriate
requirements for registering a specific gun, you need to be aware that all
firearms in
As mentioned above, in order to
obtain a PAL, you must first successfully complete the Canadian Firearm Safety
Course (CFSC). This course covers topics
such as the evolution of firearms, major parts, types and actions; basic firearms
safety practices; ammunition; operating firearm actions; safe handling and
carry procedures; firing techniques and procedures; care of non-restricted
firearms; responsibilities of the firearms owner/user; and safe storage,
display, transportation and handling of non-restricted firearms. To find out where a CFSC course is being
offered near you, contact your provincial contact office. You can find a list of these offices on the
CFC website. This course has not changed
since
If anyone in the camp is in
possession of a firearm, it should be reported to the camp’s supervisor. If you are considering bringing a firearm to
camp, you should contact your company first to see what they have to say about
the situation. Although it is nice to
have one rifle in camp, with someone who is properly licensed and who can secure
it properly, most companies do not encourage going above and beyond that
minimum standard. The best method for
dealing with animal control problems is not through the use of funs, but rather
by keeping a clean campsite, following good wildlife interaction guidelines,
and trying to minimize the chance of animal problems in a proactive manner.
Transportation
of Dangerous Goods
The
transportation of any dangerous goods within
Under
the TDG system, diamond shaped placards and labels are used to identify these
goods specifically. Different colours and symbols are used to help identify materials
more quickly and specifically. For
instance, flammable substances have a flame symbol, and poisons have a skull
& crossbones symbol.
As
I understand the regulations, the main things that tree planters have to worry
about are the transportation of Gasoline (UN 1203), Diesel (UN 1202), and
Propane (UN 1978). In general, the following
list of points should be of some assistance in determining when a placard &
manifest system (explained below) will need to be used:
- Tidy tanks containing either
diesel or gasoline, in quantities of up to 450 liters, are exempt from needing
placards.
- If you have a mixed load, with any
other dangerous goods on the same vehicle as the above-mentioned tanks, you
will need placards.
- If you have propane, you are
allowed to have up to five tanks on a vehicle, of up to 100 pounds each, and
you still do not need placards.
- If you have six or more propane
tanks of any size, you need placards.
- If you are mixing various types of
fuel on a load, keep it under 450 liters so that you are exempt from needing
placards.
-
There may have been an exemption in the past for a straight fuel load of up to
2000 liters if the load was all gasoline or all diesel or all jet fuel, whereby
if the load was divided into a number of secure containers, none of which
exceeded 450 liters in volume, placards were not needed. This ruling is still unclear to me at the
present time.
Very
simply put, to make sure that you’re not breaking the law, make sure that you
never carry more than five propane tanks in the same vehicle, and make sure
that fuel containers (diesel barrels, gasoline barrels, jerry cans) are carried
in separate vehicles. Also, keep the
labeling requirements in mind and make sure that all your containers, whether
they are jerry cans or barrels or compressed gasoline tanks, have both a
visible WHMIS label and a visible TDG label.
If you exceed minimum quantities such that you need to put a placard
system in place, you are making your own job a lot more difficult. In that case, you need to have visible
placards on all four sides of the vehicles, have a properly filled out manifest
within reach of the driver or left visibly on the driver’s seat of the vehicle
at all times, have a 24-hour emergency contact number available for further
information, have have a driver who has a TDG
certificate. It is far easier to be
smart about how you pack your loads than to try to meet those regulations
properly.
The TDG regulations are pretty
complex. Luckily, the above summary
should provide most tree planters with the information that they need to
know. If you have other dangerous goods
that must be transported, such as herbicides and so on, you should investigate
the TDG requirements in more depth. The
federal government has a very comprehensive website available to cover the Transportation
of Dangerous Goods act and requirements in very great depth: http://www.tc.gc.ca/tdg/menu.htm
Winches
Winch cables can be very
dangerous. All bystanders should stand
back at least 1.5 times the total length of the extended cable from each
truck. A cable can be under more than
10,000 pounds of pressure, and if it breaks, the cable ends can snap like a
whip and go through the windshield of a vehicle, or seriously injure someone. Only persons trained in the use of a winch
should operate them.
Despite being told repeatedly that
winch cables under strain are dangerous, most planters will usually give a
blank look and step back about six feet, and continue to watch the excitement
from well within the danger zone. It is
the responsibility of the person operating the winch to take a moment before
increasing pressure, and look round carefully to make sure that all bystanders
are out of harm’s way. You will very
frequently have to halt, get out of the truck, and yell at people to “move
back, wayyyy back …”
Chain
Saws
If you are planning to use a chain
saw, there is absolutely no substitute for taking a chain saw safety course
first. These machines can be very
dangerous in untrained hands, to bystanders and especially to the user. If you are falling trees in the workplace in
The following is a quick list of safety
tips for trained chain saw users to use as a refresher guide:
-
Always wear
adequate PPE, including chain saw pants, proper protective boots, hard hat, eye
protection, hearing protection, and gloves.
-
Read the
owners’ manual before using any particular saw, so that you understand its
particular characteristics.
-
Always start
a saw in a safe position, ie. on the ground with the
chain brake engaged, rather than while you are holding the saw in the air.
-
Never stand
directly behind the saw while cutting.
Always hold the saw in a manner such that any kickback is directed at
the side of your body.
-
Always use
two hands on a chain saw, and have a firm grip.
-
Do not
operate the saw above waist level. Your
arms should not have to work to lift the saw in the air, as that reduces your
control over the saw.
-
Ensure that
you have very firm footing.
-
If cutting a
standing tree, always make sure that you have two “escape routes” first in case
the tree starts to fall toward you.
-
Watch the tip
of the blade, and avoid kick-back situations.
“Drilling” and cutting with the tip is extremely dangerous.
-
If the saw is
hot, allow it to cool down for a couple minutes before refueling. Take the time to grab a quick drink of water.
-
Make sure
that the cap is secured tightly after refueling, so fuel cannot leak onto the
saw or the operator.
-
If you spill
fuel onto the motor, clean it off before starting the saw.
-
Always use
the proper recommended fuel mix, and store fuel in a proper container.
-
Always have a
first aid kit and fire extinguisher available for immediate use.
First
Aid Equipment
Within BC, a number of regulations
have been put into place to mandate what type of first aid equipment is
available to employees on the work site.
Simply put, every vehicle must contain a “level one” first aid kit. The kitchen in camp must contain a “level
one” first aid kit. The Emergency
Transport Vehicle (ETV), when the camp is big enough to require one, must
usually contain a “level three” first aid kit.
Depending on the number of people working in the camp, the camp might
require a first aid room, and will require various levels of equipment.
In terms of training, most camps
(again, depending on size) require one or more OFA (Occupational First Aid)
attendants to be working and available to the crews at all times. Tree planting and silviculture
(excluding logging) workers fall into the “B” level classification, or
“moderate risk.” Usually, any crew or
group with fifteen or more people needs someone available with a “level three”
OFA certification. There are a number of
requirements in place, such as the maximum permitted response time of the first
aid attendant (which affects effective proximity), and minimum transportation
requirements. In addition to the head
first aid attendants, it is good for each small crew to have someone that has a
“level one” first aid certification.
This is the basic low-grade weekend course, sometimes former referred to
as SOFA (Safety Oriented First Aid) training.
A very complete and exhaustive set
of guidelines and regulations can be found at:
http://regulation.healthandsaf
I will try to put together an appendix eventually
that summarizes some of the first aid kit minimum contents, and minimum
certification requirements, as directly applicable to tree planters.
WHMIS
WHMIS is the abbreviation for the
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. It is a national system to help identify and
ensure proper use of hazardous chemicals.
WHMIS took several years to develop, and was put into place by a number
of groups representing labour, industry, and
government, which helps to explain why it is useful and widely accepted.
WHMIS
legislation states that workers must be informed about all hazardous materials
in the workplace, and receive appropriate training so they can work safely. All
suppliers are required to label and prepare a Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS) for every product that they make, import, or package. The buyers and users of these controlled
products must then make sure that these products are correctly labeled and that
MSDS information is readily available to anyone who might come into contact
with the hazardous materials. Employers
must educate workers about the contents and significance of WHMIS labels and
MSDS information, and instruct them how to work safely with hazardous
materials. The ultimate goal is to
create a safer workplace.
Health
A wide variety of products that are
commonly found in planting camps will fall under WHMIS regulations. I’ve prepared a list of the broad categories
here, along with several relevant examples from each category. You may note that some products will fall
into several categories:
-
Compressed Gases: propane tanks, oxygen
tanks in the first aid tent.
-
Flammable and Combustive Material: gasoline,
diesel.
-
Oxidizing Material: bleach, hydrogen
peroxide, nitric acid (used in some fertilizers).
-
Poisonous and Infectious Material: rat
poison (probably not present in planting camps).
-
Corrosive Material: oven cleaner.
-
Dangerously Reactive Material:
explosives (hopefully not present in planting camps).
The following information must be
contained on a WHMIS label: the product
identifier, the supplier identifier, a statement to the effect that MSDS
information is available, and the hazard symbol(s). If the container has a capacity of more than
100 milliliters, the WHMIS label must also identify risk phrases, precautionary
statements and first aid measures. As
required by section 29 of the Controlled Products Regulations, where new
information becomes available in respect of a controlled product or an
ingredient of a controlled product, the supplier must revise the label. For planting companies, it is probably a good
idea to update MSDS information on an annual basis every winter or spring,
before copies are made to be sent out to planting camps. MSDS sheets are commonly available on the
internet if you can’t find them anywhere else.
The best place to start your search is at www.msds.com
– this site requires that you register, but registration is free, and you can
download and print MSDS sheets for free once you have registered.
More complete information on WHMIS
can be found on the following site: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/whmis
Rolligons
Rolligons,
skidders, and tracked machines are sometimes used on contracts which feature
poor access. When these machines are
used, about half of the time they are used solely to transport trees, and the
other half of the time they are used both for the transportation of trees and
people.
Rolligons
can be very dangerous machines. The
biggest problem with them is the poor visibility that the driver has. If a rolligon is
running, the workers around it should be assisting the driver at all times in
letting him know what is happening behind the machine. Employees should not just blindly jump behind
a running machine without letting the driver know of their intentions first.
A second problem involved with rolligons is seating.
Rolligons are not necessarily designed for
carrying passengers. Some can be legally
fitted with seats and seat belts, but workers should not just ride
indiscriminately on the machines, standing precariously above the tires,
holding on for dear life, as I have seen on occasions in the past. I have not had the displeasure of working
with rolligons in my camp for about a decade, so I am
not necessarily that current on regulations or current industry practices with
respect to carrying passengers.
A final thing to watch for is “pinch
points.” Many rolligons
can really swivel around, as their bodies are designed to be very flexible for
travel over very difficult terrain. Be
careful never to place your limbs or torso near any part of the machine that
can flex or swivel significantly, in case you expose yourself to a potential
crush injury.
The
“Right to Refuse Unsafe Work”
Not only does each and every
employee have the right to refuse unsafe work, the employee has the
responsibility to do so. You cannot, for
example, say “I am going to operate this chain saw without any protective
equipment. I know it is not safe, but I
am accepting the risk.” Workers are
simply not permitted to work in conditions which are known to be unnecessarily
dangerous. For the majority of
situations involving workplace hazards, standardized procedures have probably
already been put into place to guide the worker in how to effectively deal with
the hazards. In such cases, the onus is
on the worker to adhere to such guidelines as prescribed by your company,
unless the guidelines should be considered to be insufficient considering the
level of danger of the hazard. If the
hazard represents a new situation where the worker must make a judgment call
about how to act appropriately, the onus is for the worker to use caution and
common sense.
If you believe that a situation is
unsafe, you may bring it to the attention of your supervisor, whether that is
your foreman or camp supervisor. That
person should assess the hazard immediately, and advise the worker how to
proceed. If there is a disagreement
following the supervisor’s assessment, the worker can ask for another
assessment which involves the supervisor and a member of the camp’s joint
safety committee. If there is still a
disagreement about how to proceed after this assessment, a WCB officer should
be called to the scene. No worker may be
forced to work under what he or she deems to be unsafe conditions.
Note that the “refusal of unsafe
work” is not a blanket excuse for a worker to get out of doing something that
he or she does not want to do. If the
job classification assumes that a worker would regularly have to deal with a
specific type of hazard, and proscribes methods for completing the task safely,
then the worker is obliged to carry on work.
For instance, a worker cannot state that working in the rain is
something that he or she considers to be unsafe, and refuse to work. It is a common practice for tree planters to
have to work in extreme weather conditions, and your company will have advised
the worker as to proper PPE (appropriate clothing) that should be worn when
working in such conditions. A
“frivolous” refusal to work can mean that the employee is subject to
disciplinary measures. Use common
sense. While refusing to work in the
rain would be considered to be inappropriate, a temporary refusal to work based
upon the fact that there are lightning strikes on the block would be considered
to be acceptable and perhaps even expected.
Helicopters
It cannot be overemphasized how
dangerous helicopters are. For a proper
understanding of how helicopters are used in the planting industry, see the
complete chapter elsewhere on this website, found at: http://www.replant.ca/reference/ch18/chapter18.html
For now, let’s just cover some of
the basics of helicopter safety in point form.
Your pilot will hold a crew safety meeting before anyone sets foot in
the machine, so you’ll get more comprehensive information at that time:
-
Never step
near the rear of the machine. The tail
rotor cannot be seen when the machine is running, but it is spinning at
thousands of revolutions per minute. If
you walk into the tail rotor, you will die.
-
Landing Zones
that the helicopter may use need to be completely cleared of debris. It will be impossible to eliminate sticks and
dirt on the blocks, but you absolutely must secure all tarps and tree boxes and
similar items. Use overkill: boxes with
half a dozen logs on them have still been known to blown away.
-
More
importantly, loose plastic pieces of flagging tape and bundle wrappers must
always be avoided and eliminated. When
bagging up, secure plastic wrappers in a closed box that cannot blow open, or
in a closed silvi insert bag. If a tiny bundle wrapper ever blew up into
the machines rotors, you are in for huge problems. Bundle wrappers are incredibly dangerous.
-
When
approaching the machine, always do so from the front or from the forward side,
and do not approach until the pilot gives you a visible nod.
-
Crouch when
approaching the machine, as the overhead main rotor blade can actually dip
quite low while it is spinning around, and never approach the machine from a
“high” point on the ground.
-
Do not wear a
hat when getting into or out of a helicopter, unless is it the type that is
fastened by a chin strap. Always carry
gear low to the ground. Never carry a
shovel over your shoulder, or wear a tall backpack.
-
Always wear a
seatbelt while in the machine. Do not
remove it until the pilot has given you permission to, even if you think he is
almost settled on the ground.
-
Know where
the “black box” or emergency locator is located, and how to turn it on in the
event of a crash.
-
Know where
the fire extinguisher and first aid kits are located in the machine.
-
If you are a
designated load assistant, dealing with cargo nets and slings, find out how the
pilot prefers to have both full and empty nets attached to the machine. Always wear safety glasses and a high-vis vest while working under the machine. Hearing protection is also useful.
-
Never ever
carry bear mace inside the cabin of a helicopter. In fact, do not bring any hazardous materials
in the cabin of the machine unless the pilot gives you explicit permission
beforehand.
It is easy for
rookies to make mistakes when they are first learning about working around
helicopters, and it is equally easy for experienced planters to make mistakes
because they become complacent around the machines and fail to pay adequate
attention. Helicopters are very
dangerous and expensive machines, so make sure you are at the “top of your
game” when working around them.
Thanks are due to Shelley
Harding (Folklore Contracting), Ian Allen, Tom Mulvahill
(Weldwood of Hinton), and several collaborators who
proof-read sections of this chapter and who helped significantly with research
and improving the contents and accuracy of the information presented herein.
Finally, special thanks are also due to IRL (Industrial
Reproductions Limited) in Prince George, who have worked very actively to help
distribute this and other safety information to workers and industry
stakeholders, to help make the silviculture and
reforestation industry more safe than it has been in the past.
-
Jonathan Clark (Scooter),
author.