Phase II of WorkSafeBC’s combustible dust strategy begins this week, and has been expanded to include similar wood processing operations where dust accumulation could be a safety hazard.

Until the end of the year, WorkSafeBC officers will be inspecting up to 280 B.C. employers registered in the wood and paper products subsectors. Inspections will focus on dust cleanup, ventilation, and dust control issues.

“Wood processing and paper product operations have been selected because of their high risk of combustible dust explosion due to large amounts of dust produced or handled in these facilities,” says Betty Pirs, Vice-President, Prevention Services. “Like all WorkSafeBC inspections, orders will be issued to employers based on violations observed during the inspections.”

WorkSafeBC aims to complete the first round of inspections by late August, and will be following up with employers to ensure they are in compliance with the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation in regard to combustible dust and potential safety hazards.

Phase two inspections will also include sawmill facilities inspected as part of Phase I, that are continuing to face challenges in maintaining compliance.

More information on Phase II of WorkSafeBC’s Combustible Dust Strategy can be found on a recently released Information Bulletin for employers.

Phase I of the combustible dust strategy was initiated in April 2012 after wood dust was suspected as a factor in the explosions at Babine Forest Products in Burns Lake and Lakeland Mills in Prince George. These two sawmills exploded within three months of each other, killing four workers and seriously injuring dozens more.

On April 26, 2012, WorkSafeBC issued a directive order to the province’s 173 sawmills to conduct a full hazard identification, risk assessment, and safety review, with particular focus on combustible dust; dust accumulation; and potential ignition sources.

Since the directive order was issued, WorkSafeBC has been following up with employers to ensure the ordered actions have been taken and that sawmills are in compliance with the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation with regard to combustible dust and potential safety hazards. The status of the inspections and compliance is posted on WorkSafeBC’s website.
www.worksafebc.com

Investigators have found similarities and possible sources for two separate sawmill explosions that killed four men.

Jeff Dolan, with WorkSafeBC, says investigators believe the ignition sources in both explosions were in contained areas in the conveyor level, or basement, of the buildings where electrical or mechanical equipment was in operation.

Dolan stresses their findings might be coincidental and the conclusions aren’t final, but says their discovery can’t be ignored by employers.

Roberta Ellis, vice president of corporate services with WorkSafeBC, says the agency has told other mill employers to pay extra attention to those locations inside their sawmills.

WorkSafeBC has already issued a directive to every sawmill employer in the province that they must clean up dust in their operations, which Dolan says could be one of the possible ignition sources in the explosions.

Two men were killed when the Babine Forest Products mill exploded in Burns Lake in January and another two workers were killed in an explosion and fire in the Prince George Lakeland Mill last month.