The Terrace Standard, Monday, December 23, 1996 - AS

Out of harm’s way —
Loggers rank high on injury list

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

A postie’s plea

it doesn’t take a lot of thought to place a mail box

right
But oftes times with anguish fraught we do > struggle
with all our might,
By DAVE TAYLOR your mail to deliver when it’s brought t fo your hom é,
LOGGING IS a dangerous business — especially in the come day or night.
fall and winter and especially in the northwest. We come in many shapes and sizes your
According to statistics from the Worker's Compensation correspondence to deliver

Board, the Terrace region had the second highest incidence
of worker death in the province between the years 1993
and 1995, So the WCB has embarked upon a safety
campaign to help keep forestry workers out of the hospital.

Ten people died as a result of logging accidents in the
Terrace area from 1993 to 1995, Only the Courtenay area
on Vancouver Island had more fatalities, with 11 deaths
reported.

Workers most at risk of death are fallers, truck drivers,
and log loaders and sorters. Each of these groups ac-
counted for about 20 per cent of all fatalities in the indus-
try. The age group most at risk from death are those be-
tween 30 and 39,

The good news is that the number of logging deaths in
the northwest has fallen every year for the past three years,
from seven in 1993, to two in 1994, and then just one in
1995,

But local loggers aren’t out of the woods yet, as the Ter-
Tace area also accounted for 11 per cent of all serious in-
jury claims in the industry. That’s more than 400 claims
last year — up 30 per cent from 1992.

WCB public affairs manager Heather Prime says the fall
is the most dangerous lime of the year because that’s when
industry activity is at its peak.

“When activity peaks, so do injuries,” she says, ‘‘Thal’s
why we target the fall months for our safely campaigns.”’

Intact and dry - for us na prizes but obstacles enough
fo give you the shivers,

A selection of goods in mail baxes stuffed.

Juggle with mail in space not enough... ;

Gloves, toques, cheque books, bags of salt, umbrellas,
toys, Xmas gifts, pop cans, Christmas light hulbs,
electric cords, several days’, sometimes week's mail,
to mention some,

Then there are the obstacle courses, tike vehicles
parked so close to the mountain of snow that surrounds
the mail box, which hangs underneath the very low
sharp cornered eavestrough, which drips water onlo the
driveway, which water freezes around the refrigerator
which is parked close to the vehicles, next to the
planter which is also underneath the eavestrough, none
of which are lit up, that not even the Skinniest of per-
sons can reach the mail box!

It’s strange how many planters are right next lo or
immediately underneath or surrounding the mail box.
There are electrical cords, some right across the screen
door which covers the mail slot which is in the front
door. _

And there are walter hoses and toys, and squeezing
through cars, boats, skidoos, snowmobiles, ‘campers,
tracks, etc, parked so closely in driveways there’s vir-
tually no room to walk.

That safety campaign
included radio commer-
cials, and safety agents
conducting on-site inspec-
. tions. .

Prime says the program
is effective, pointing out
that when the WCB
largets a specific area, or
occupation, the = injury
rates in that area go down.
Unfortunately, at the same
time injury rates in non-
largeted areas tend to go
up slightly.

‘So the (overall) injury
rate seems filat,’’ says

“It’s dangerous
work. The trees
are huge, the
equipment Is big,
it’s hard work and
often over very
rough terrain.
These things add

up. tit

Prime. ‘‘Butin fact there are peaks and valleys.’’

Prime says every occupation has its own injury tates and
dangers, and that those areas are targeted differently, ac-
cording to what statistics indicate and what safety officers

see during inspections.

- And Prime says there isn’t usually any one group that
can be faulted for the large number of injuries.

“It’s dangerous work,’’ she says. ‘‘The trees are huge,
the equipment is big, it’s hard work and often over very
rough terrain. These things add up,’’

Prime points out that an injury can sometimes look like
the fault of a logger, but in fact the worker may not have
been properly trained for the jab, or may not have been
made aware of its particular hazards.

Workers’ risk increases when they get a new job,’’ she
says. “Even if it’s within the same company.”’

‘One person who fs certainly aware of the dangers of log-

ging is Joe Mallia. Mallia drove a logging truck for 26
years, and is now a business agent for the TWA.
. He says the accident rate is actually fairly low consider-
ing the type of wark and the number of people working in
the bush. But he agrees with Prime in that it he thinks it
takes a concerted effort by loggers, logging companies and
the WCB to keep those rates down,

“It’s everyone's responsibilily,’’ he says. ‘‘The WCB
does the best they can, but they have a buge geographic
area to cover, and they can’t be everywhere at once,”’

Mallia’ says that part of the problem is thal, as the
weather gets colder, logs get slipperier and loggers have to

Sawmills
out to stop
all injuries

SAWMILL ACCIDENTS
in B.C, dropped significant-
ly last year, but a recent
_ Workers Compensation
Board report says there's
still room for improvement
_ in the high-risk industry.

Disability claims in the
province's sawmill industry
have dropped 25 per cent
since 1995. However, so far

this year the WCB has still
accepted three fatal and al-
most 2,000 claims from
sawmill workers.

“Tt’s too early to say if the
drop is a (rend,’’ says WCB
public. affairs manager
Heather Prime. ‘Even if it
is, sawmills are still consid-
ered high risk.

Prime. explains that the
noisy environment of saw-
mills combined with heavy,

- moving equipment, logs and
debris can result in hazard-
"ous working conditions.

But she says (be primary
cause of injury is the lack of
worker tralning and im-

proper work procedures.

Some 39 per cent of
worker fatalities occur
within the first year of

--employment'al the job site
and: 33 per cent of injuries
happen within the first six
months of starting a new
job,

‘Even. changing yards
with the same job or chang-

ing machines in the same
yard increases risk,” says
Prime.

Other common causes of
injuries were from failure to
de-energize or lock-oul
equipment before working
on it,

Skeena Cellulose process-
ing superintendent Steve
Planeta says such accidents
are preventable if workers
follow proper procedure.

‘(Many accidents happen
because people just aren't
paying attention, " he says.
“Ef you lock-out properly,
there’s no way someone can
get hurt.”

Planeta explains thal when
a piece of equipment gets
jammed ar breaks down, the
worker at that station shuts
off the machine, then goes
to the power disconnect,
shuts off the power and
locks it off using a personal,
numbered lock,

All this is supposed to oc-
cur before the worker at-
tempts to fix the problem.
Plancta says the challenge is
to get the workers to re-
member to lock-off their
machines,

‘We hold what's called a
Job Safety Analysis (JSA)
for cach employee at least
once a year,’ Planeta says.
‘*That’s where we go over
proper procedires and what

be more careful — and keep their equipment in good or-

der.

“You get a frost and cork boots don’t bite into wood as
weill,’’ he says, ‘You've got to keep them sharp or replace

them.”

Mallia also says that as some areas get close to shutting
down, workers’ minds begin to wander — which can jead

to accidents,

Auld Mallia agrees that training is vital, which is why he
says most companics hold monthly mectings to discuss
safety, and informal tailgate mectings for loggers to voice

their concerns,

‘Sonietimes guys complain that they never see (WCB)
safely officers,’’ he says. ‘‘But if there’s a safety concern,
they should speak up right away. That’s what the nicetings

are for.”

The WCB’s Prime agrees on the need to be diligent in
the woods. ‘‘We can only make a difference through a

combined effort,”’
home al the end of the day.”

she says. ‘‘We want these guys to come

TRUCK DRIVING is just

one of the high-risk oc-—

cupations in the logging
industry. Every year the
WCB handles thousands
of logging-related injury
claims from fallers, log
loaders, sorters and
others, The job gets even
more dangerous in the
fall and winter when cold
weather makes things
stippery. That's truck
driver Boyd McKay clnch-
ing down a load. McKay
has driven for over 25
years without having had
a major accident.

WORKING IN the sawmill industry is considered a high-risk occupation, but in-
dustry and WCB officials are working to make it safer. That's Maurice Prevoust
working at the. Skeena Cellulose mill in Terrace.

15) expected = Lom
specific individual."

that

Planeta says the JSAs help
prevent workers from pick-
ing up any bad or unsafe
habits over the course of the
year, But he says some
workers still don’t follow
guidelines.

“There’s a barrier. with -

some of the older workers
because they say they've
beet doing it a certain way
tor 30 years without: inci-
dent so theyll continue to
do it their way,’’ Planeta
says, ‘‘But it only takes one
time to get injured.'”

Planeta says in addition ta
the JSAs, the mill holds

meetings,

weckly 15-minule — safety

That's when
workers or supervisors can
express aly concerns.

Another common worker
injury is sprains and ss
resulting from over exertion
or repetitive motion, These
account for some 28 per
cent of all sawmill claims.

‘We've heid a series of
workshops throughout the
province on how to reduce
strains,’ says Heather
Prime. ‘‘Movement-related
injuries account for a lot of
lost work days."’

Planeta says that many
strains arc the result of
repelitive’ movements. He
points out that his mill tries

to use mare people in repeti-
tive motion jobs, like board
grading.

Graders turn thousands of
boards every day. More
graders mean each individu-
al has to turn fewer boards.

Prime says she’s en-
couraged by the drop in
sawmill claims, but points
out mill workers are still in
the high risk category.

‘Forestry directly
employs more than 97,000
people in BC and 25 per
cent of them are in saw
mills,’ she says. ‘'That
means there are a lot of
people at risk out there, We
want to reduce that risk as
iiuch as possible,”

We deliver to your homes through hail, sleet, snow,
wind, storms, through searing heat and mosquitoes;
through water sprinklers watering not only grass and
lowers but also steps, porches and surrounding areas
to the mail box.

Be we six feet two inches tall it’s not casy reaching a
mail box only 12 - 18 inches off the ground. Be we
four feet two inches short il’s impossible to reach the
one hanging five fect six inches high.

So, other than @ dream come true for ice and obstruc-
tion free driveways —- bylaws thal state mail boxes
Should be installed no lower than three feet low (ho ho
ho) and no higher than four fect high (ho ho
ho).......would be a wonderful relief.

There are compensations to this hazardous job. Just
when ] was thinking: ‘Here we go again, another round
of slipping and sliding and groping up wolit steps...’ I
heard ‘‘O come all ye faithful...’’ from inside a house,
and as IT walked (not slid) along —- many driveways
were shoveled for the first time in weeks, The house
that never has a light on outside had one buming
brightly; and vehicles were parked away from the mail
boxes, and [ thought; ‘Oh me of little faith’.

Then there's the beauty of the flowers, carefully dis-
played to bring joy to one’s heart. But the best part of

ali was the magnificent from of natural art which had
Shapened itself from top to tail of a tree, The water
which had deluged down from the eaves itough Was
suspended in frozen tortuous splendor. and’ glistening
wondrously under the gleam of the moon.

PS. If you see your neighbour’s mail has not been
taken in, or their driveway not shoveled, check on
them. Maybe they’re inside, sick or hurt; or maybe they
didn’t have the courage to come and ask you to take in
their mail while they were away.

A lille act of kindness can go a long way.

Terrace’s postal workers

Sad commentary

Dear Sir:

T am on welfare and contrary to what many working
people seem to think — many individuals on welfare
try diligently to find employment.

Bul the current system works against those on wel-
fare, forcing these — its poorest citizens — into a com-
tinued cycle of poverty, and prevents their taking ad-
vantage of career opportunities through inflexible and
unsympathetic policies.

] recently applied for a posilion with Revenue Cana-
da. I was pleased to learn that, with my recent Diploma
in Business Administration, ] bad met their criteria, I
laler took and passed their Genera] Competency Test
II. I was now scheduled for an interview and an exam
to be held in Prince George.

1 was very excited; this was a very prom ising career
opportunity. I was also proud that I bad persevered, and
that [ now had a chance at a challenging job, with a
decent rate of pay. But ] was also worried. How would
I be able to afford to attend the interview?

Asa single individual on welfare my monthly income
was $466.75, ] was in no position to pay for.travel ex-
penses to attend the interview and exam. | despcratcly
hoped ] would find a solution.

It tums out ] bad reason be worried as Human
Resources ne longer pays for clicnts to attend job inter-
views and by parents could not help me in this in-
stance; even their gencrosity has its limits.

Ultimately 1 was forced to pull my name out of the
competition. | simply had no money to gel to the inter-
view.

I find it an extremely sad commentary on today’s so-
cial system, that although the emphasis is an employ-
ment, the system failed to deliver when ] necded it the
most.

So [ remain on welfare - too poor to do olherwise -
with the realization that the only opportunities I can af-
ford to pursuc are local ones; out-of-town positions
beyond my financial reach,

Obviously this is evidence of a system (and govern-
ment) ignorant of the resources required to find
employment in today’s marketplace, and completely
out of touch with the needs of the people il claims are a
priority.

P.S, Last week, afler 9 {/2 months and 13 interviews,
I found employment. I am working the graveyard shift
ata local convenience store,

While not ideal, [ am thrilled to be working and
grateful they gave me the opportunily to prove myself.
I am confident they won't regret their decision.

Peter Randrup, Terrace, B.C.

The Terrace Standard welcomes Iet-
ters to the editor. Our mailing address
is 3210 Clinton St, Terrace, B.C. V8G
5R2, You can fax us at 250-638-8432 or
e-mail us at standard@kermode.net