THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

NEW GUIDELINES

IWA

By ANDY SMITH
Regional Safety Director
In attempting to reduce the

tragically high fatality and
Serious accident rate in the
falling and bucking section of
the forest industry, and in line
with Resolution S-5 passed at
the last Regional convention
which says in part, “Whereas
W.C.B. Accident Prevention
Regulation No. 60.46 makes it
mandatory for the manage-
ment of every operation to
make available to all work-

It is recognized that these
can only be guidelines, and
may have to be modified to be
practical under varying con-
ditions. No set of regulations
ean list everything that is pro-
hibited or unsafe, nor every-
thing that is safe or permis-
sible. We must use discretion
and judgment to create as far
as possible a general proced-
ure which stated in broad
terms is “adequate standards.”

It is impractical in the

regulation under the Act -to

men who might be endanger-

ed by falling and bucking pro-

cedures which shall include:

(a) the minimum and maxi-
mum distances between
fallers and other work-
men,

(b) the procedures to follow
In case’ of falling and
bucking difficulties, and

(c) the means of securing
and rendering assistance
In case of accident.

“and, whereas, in order to

gain the safest possible fall-

ing and bucking conditions
under the provisions of Regu-
lation 60.46, the written meth- -
ods and procedures required

should be uniform throughout ALA
the industry.” The Regional 3 og" / ¢
peccuuye Board adopted the if eS F aN
ollowing recommendations | a. sane ‘fe
for establishing procedures ‘g al fi N ely \)
for fallers and buckers under ] PA if NaN Wy
W.C.B. Regulation No. 60.46

on January 24, 1967: ANDY SMITH

RECOMMENDATIONS...

Distances Between Fallers and Buckers

TWO-MAN SETS

Where a two-man set works close together, they shall not
be more than 25 feet from each other when a tree is being
felled.

Where a two-man set works apart, the minimum distance
between them shall be 300 feet and the maximum 600 feet
when falling operations are being carried out.

ONE-MAN SETS
In an operation where one-man sets are used, the mini-

mum distance shall be 300 feet and the maximum distance

shall be 600 feet.

Where it is required for fallers to be more than 600 feet
apart or out of sight or hearing of each other, because of
terrain or other circumstances, then a competent watchman,
flagman, or scaler shall be provided for communications.

Distances Between Other Crews and Fallers and Buckers
No person or other crews shall work closer than 300 feet.

Where there is danger of trees or chunks running down
steep side hill into work areas, no person shall work below

fallers.
No person or crews shall work above falling operations

where there is danger of objects being pushed or rolling down
on fallers.

Falling and Bucking Difficulties

A faller or bucker having difficulties shall immediately
notify his supervisor, who shall then take appropriate meas-
ures, and shall be responsible for continuing operations.

-Warning Signs For Falling Areas

1. Falling caution signs shall be posted adjacent to all falling
areas.

2, Stop signs to be used in conjunction with falling signs.

3. Where traffic is required to go through falling areas where
” there is danger of trees running or striking roadway, a
flagman shall be used to stop traffic and give clearance

when safe to proceed.

Signals For Distress or Accident
1. Whistle signals shall be used where there is no chance of

confusion between falling areas and for emergency only,
and where there is a chance of confusion, visual or radio

signals shall be used.
2. The above procedure shall be used as a means of securing
" Assistance in case of an accident.

above procedures are impractical, then a com-
3. bres pe ee flagman, or scaler shall be used. for

communications.

FOR FALLING AND BUCKING |

detail safe work practices for
each operation. It appears to
be preferable to draw a regu-
lation on the basis of the prin-
ciples to be applied and the
results to be obtained. How-
ever, any change would be a
matter for discussion and
agreement between the com-
pany, the safety committee,
and the workers involved.

If agreement can be reached
on the above procedure be-
tween the forest industry, the
Workmen’s Compensation
Board, and the union, it will
bring a uniformity to the in-
dustry that up to now has
been seriously lacking.

The question of power saws
continues to be a very vexing
one. It appears that any me-
chanical improvements that
are made are offset by other
factors such as the increase of
power vibration and fumes.
Perhaps the possibility of in-
troducing more personal pro-
tective equipment is worthy
of consideration. However,
this would have to be given
very careful consideration to
make sure that it does not in-
terfere with the mobility of
the workman.

It is a recognized fact that
all of the procedures, work
techniques, and _ protective
equipment are of little or no
value if the workman himself
ignores all of the common-
sense rules of safety. Human
behaviour being what it is,
gambling or risk-taking char-
acterizes much of the human
behaviour. The workman him-
self must assume the responsi-
bility of learning his job prop-
erly, of doing it in a safe man-
ner and taking time to live.

51

OUR PROUD BOAST:
“WHEN BETTER BOOTS ARE MADE, PARIS WILL MAKE THEM”

PIERRE PARIS & SONS

West Hastings Street
Vancouver 3, B.C.

A series from the Masters
dedicated in Canada’s Cen-
tennial Year to the men priv-
ileged to wear footwear cre-
ated by the skilled hands of
Paris craftsmen, working in
living leather for over half
of Canada’s Centennial.

Peter Paul Rubens
Black chalk, heightened with white
Abertina Museum, Vienna, Austria