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WorkSafeBC incidents report for forestry sector

May 19, 2016 - The following are recent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC. These summaries of selected work-related incidents recently reported to WorkSafeBC may help you to prevent similar incidents.

Injury Type: Serious upper-body injury
Core Activity: Log hauling
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C.
Date of Incident: 2016-May
ID Number: 2016155980013
A loaded highway logging truck went out of control on a steep section of road and travelled into a ditch on the high side of the road.

Injury Type: Injuries to upper body
Core Activity: Integrated forest management
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C.
Date of Incident: 2016-Apr
ID Number: 2016161740021
A grapple yarder was yarding up on a steep slope when one of two guylines broke. The yarder toppled over and landed on the road. The injured operator was transported to hospital by helicopter.

Injury Type: Fractured vertebra
Core Activity: Integrated forest management
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C.
Date of Incident: 2016-Apr
ID Number: 2016161740025
Two workers of a grapple yarding crew were changing the closing line on a grapple placed on top of a log pile. When the grapple unexpectedly began to close, one of the workers jumped off the log pile and landed on his back on the ground.

Injury Type: Broken bones, soft-tissue injuries to arm and upper body
Core Activity: Cable or hi-lead logging
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C.
Date of Incident: 2016-Apr
ID Number: 2016155980011
A forestry worker was trying to walk on a steep log pile (to get up to a road) when he slipped and fell between logs in the pile.

Injury Type: Bruising
Core Activity: Manual tree falling and bucking
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C.
Date of Incident: 2016-Apr
ID Number: 2016161750008
A worker was falling a limb-tied hemlock danger tree. As the danger tree started to fall, a school marm (a "Y" in the tree) broke off and fell backwards, striking the worker.

Injury Type: Lacerated leg
Core Activity: Wooden component manufacture
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2016-May
ID Number: 2016166960011
A lift truck operator exited his lift truck to assist another lift truck operator to place dunnage between loads of lumber. One of the lift trucks rolled forward, pinning the first operator between loads of lumber suspended from the forks of the lift trucks.

Injury Type: Close call
Core Activity: Sawmill
Location: Northern B.C.
Date of Incident: 2016-May
ID Number: 2016175160015
A large fire occurred on the chipper pile of a sawmill. The sawmill fire crew attended to the fire until the local fire department arrived.

Injury Type: Amputation of part of finger
Core Activity: Veneer or plywood manufacture
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2016-May
ID Number: 2016147280043
As a worker tried to clear wood debris from a transfer table at the outfeed of a veneer dryer, one of his fingers became caught in the pinch point between a drive chain and a drive sprocket.

Injury Type: Close call
Core Activity: Pressed board manufacture
Location: Interior B.C.
Date of Incident: 2016-Mar
ID Number: 2016112850009
A fire occurred within a pellet mill dryer. The fire was contained at the north end of the dryer within the recirculation fan section. Local fire departments responded to the fire and no injuries occurred.

Injury Type: Multiple fractures in upper body
Core Activity: Tree services
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2016-May
ID Number: 2016165370023
A worker was injured when he was struck by a tree being felled. The worker was pulling a rope to guide the tree as it fell.

Injury Type: Multiple fractures
Core Activity: Tree services
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C.
Date of Incident: 2016-Apr
ID Number: 2016117640008
A young worker was rappelling from a cedar tree when the limb holding the descent line broke. The worker fell 10-15 feet to the ground.

May 19, 2016  By WorkSafeBC