WCB commission Continued from previous page backed up by the “muscle” of the national and local union, an organi- zation that continues to push for better enforcement, better preven- tion, better education and a better deal for injured workers and their families. No wonder unionized for- est workers have been shown to have a ten times greater chance of going home from work alive than do their non-union counterparts. No wonder, as well, that largely non- union components of the industry such as silviculture continue to have the highest accident rates in the province. e believe that workers in those sectors should have a better oppor- tunity to protect themselves from injury than they do now. Tree planters, for instance, have the province’s highest rate of accident claims per hour worked. A recently- reported Simon Fraser University study notes that silvicultural work- ers use on average 60 percent of their cardiovascular capacity, which is twice the level recommended by occupational health experts. This situation is Peace a result of the competitive bidding system that forces employers to emphasize pro- duction at the expense of working conditions, wages and safety stan- dards. Silvicultural workers are cur- rently largely non-union and not surprisingly, silvicultural employ- ers have mounted a spirited cam- paign to keep it that way. We hope the recently-announced Jobs and Timber Accord will help change this situation and permit I.W.A. CANA- DA to improve silvicultural health and safety records, just as we have done in the sawmilling and logging sectors. It would be hard enough to deal with the many occupational haz- ards our industry provides if it were simply standing still. But in fact, the eset sector is undergoing con- stant transformation. This takes the form of new regulations, partic- ularly environmental regulations that affect the logging sector. It also takes the form of new technologies that continue to affect both logging and manufacturing. As well, whole new industries and processes are evolving within the value-added wood processing sectors. SAWMILLS - Just for a moment, con- sider the level of technology employed in our sector. The wood products industry is increasingly capital intensive. Our sawmills, for instance, are regarded as world- class in terms of efficiency, recovery, speed and productivity. That’s one of the reasons that our sawmill sec- tor managed to survive through the recessions of the eighties and nineties in the face of reatively low- wage competition from the U.S. South and elsewhere. But just say- ing those words - efficiency, recov- ery, speed and productivity - togeth- er in relation to workplaces should ive you some idea of the potential r danger. 3 Beside the dangers associated with powerful, fast-moving and massive equipment, many sawmill jobs are dangerously repetitive, ringing the risk of serious strains arate from prolonged repetitive motion. Sawmills are also typically extremely noisy, often hot and fre- quently dusty. Workers are at risk of exposure to dust from wood and other substances, which can affect their respiratory systems, eyes and skin. Sawmill workers also must work with various wood preserva- tives and other chemicals used to treat wood. Ergonomic design of uipment is an important concern of sawmill workers. Constantly evolving sawmill technology uires constant attention to new safety measures and training in response to new processes, equip- ment and materials. The dryland sorts attached to many sawmills are also often dusty; workers run the risk of accidents involving heavy equipment and falling logs. Booming grounds also resent extreme hazards: workers ace possible drowning, as well as the divest of being crushed by large floating timber or equipment. LOGGING - Logging, too, is evolving. In the nineties we have had the introduction of the B.C. Forest Practices Code, which has revolu- tionized the way we work in the woods. As well, we are moving rapid- ly into the area of helicopter log- ging, introducing various mecha- nized harvesting systems and going “back to the future” with the rein- troduction of cable yarding systems as a means to more carefully har- vest on sensitive or steep sites. Mechanized systems mean that many manual processes are replaced with repetitive interaction with a control unit or even a computer screen. As a result, while there is sometimes a reduction in the dan- gers associated with manual processes, there are new threats of ae aaa AGS associated with different materials and equipment and provided with appropriate safety equipment. The following is a list of rec- ommendations made by the I.W.A. in its submission to the Royal Commission: RECOMMENDATION #1 That the Workers’ Compensation Act contain a “purposes clause” that clearly defines the mandate, author- ity and responsibility of the Workers’ Compensation Board to ensure the prevention of occupational injury and disease and to promote occupa- tional health and safety in the province of British Columbia. RECOMMENDATION #2 (a) That the responsibility and authority for developing and imple- menting occupational health and safety regulations and standards remain with the Workers’ Compens- ation Board. (b) That a standing committee on regulation review be established under the Workers’ Compensation Act as follows: (i) The committee to be composed of equal worker and employer rep- ff ¢ Serious accidents in the B.C. strain injuries, as well as the loss of attention that comes with repetitive men ile many logging operations on the Coast OBC. are unionized, this is not the case for much of the Interior. There, the typical logging contractor is a small unit, which faces considerable economic pres- sure —pressure which all too often creates a constant temptation to “cut corners” on safety standards, environmental protection and other regulations. For such operations, it is crucial to worker safety that reg- ular, direct inspections take place. This can be seen, for instance, in the case of Andy Turner, an employ- ee of a non-union operation in the Southern Interior. Turner’s death in a February, 1994, skidder accident was the result of the machine’s faulty brakes — brakes that were reported faulty in the minutes of a November, 1993, meeting, but which remained unattended. Turner’s death at least resulted in prosecu- tions and convictions, albeit for a shockingly small amount. The point, however, is that with regular inspec- tions, that fatality and many others could have been prevented. VALUE-ADDED - As the value-added wood sector grows, we are creating new products out of wood, as well as combining wood with other sub- stances to produce new products. These aggregated products create new opportunities, of course. But they also create possible new dan- gers such as potential exposure to chemicals, new kinds of repetitive strain injury and new kinds of work- place stress. Workers must be prop- erly trained for new technology, warned of potential health risks forest industry remain at high rates. There were 32 deaths in 1996 under W.C.B. jurisdiction. resentatives with assistance from WCB staff, (ii) The committee to have the mandate to recommend changes to the regulations at least every two years, and (iii) Any changes to be brought through a public hearing process. RECOMMENDATION #3 a) That the authority and responsi- bility for health and safety of all workers in B.C. be given to the Workers’ Compensation Board. b) Where this is not possible, a pro- vision should be included in the Workers’ Compensation Act where- by the Board would be required to enter into discussion with other authorities regarding overlapping jurisdiction to ensure uniform and. equitable enforcement of occupa- tional health and safety regula- tions. RECOMMENDATION #4 a) That the Workers’ Compensation Act be amended so that the Board is clearly empowered to levy penal- ty assessments against employers as an enforcement tool. b) That the Workers’ Compensation Act clearly identify the grounds for the immediate imposition of such a penalty, particularly in high hazard situations and where: ; (i) the employer does not have a safety committee as required, (ii) the employer persistently refuses to cooperate with a work- place safety committee, (iii) the employer has not imple- mented a health and safety pro- gram as required. c) That the Workers’ Compensation Act require that any penalty levied exceed any cost savings enjoyed by the employer during the period of non-compliance or violation of the regulations and/or Board orders. RECOMMENDATION #5 Survivor benefits should be made more clear and simple and benefit rates should be increased and kept at current and prevailing rates. The commission should adopt the rec- ommendation of the B.C. Federation of Labour. RECOMMENDATION #6 The prevention of accidents, par- ticularly serious accidents and fatal- ities, and the protection of workers’ health and the public health, should be legislated as the primary goal of the W.C.B. and the occupational health and safety system. RECOMMENDATION #7 All workplaces of over 10 persons should have an occupational health and safety committee empowered in legislation guaranteeing: ° the right to know about hazards and risks; ° the right to participate in deci- sion-making about their health and safety; ° the right to ensure employers are complying with health and safety regulations; and ° the right to refuse to undertake unsafe work, stop work until unsafe conditions are removed or unsafe practices are ceased and be free from reprisals as a result of these actions. RECOMMENDATION #8 The W.C.B. should increase its budget for enforcement, especially in the area of frequent inspections backed up with strong measures, penalties and sanctions to ensure compliance. RECOMMENDATION #9 As part of an emphasis on pre- vention and health-promotion there should be a review of health and safety standards and conditions in B.C. sawmills, sorting yards and booming grounds, with emphasis on noise, dust, air quality, ergonomic design and repetitive strain injuries. RECOMMENDATION #10 There should be a mandatory W.C.B. training program for all new logging, sawmill and value-added employees. RECOMMENDATION #11 There must be regular inspection of all logging operations and the board must have increased powers to investigate and where necessary, prosecute employers whose negli- gence or lack of due diligence caus- es serious or fatal accidents. RECOMMENDATION #12 Workers in value-added wood products plants must have the right to know about the products and processes they are working with and these plants must have func- tioning plant committees who have the rights outlined in Recom- mendation #7. RECOMMENDATION #13 There should be a full review of helicopter logging safety standards with an eye to establishing a train- ing program for all helicopter pilots and airborne staff, helicopter pilots and ground crew. RECOMMENDATION #14 All legislation affecting work- places including environmental statutes and regulations should be written to include reference to the Workers’ Compensation Act and Regulations, which should prevail in the event of discrepancy between the two. EEE TIPPETT LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER 1997/13