British Columbia recently introduced legislation to promote
workplace safety in sawmills. Bill 35 will require more
extensive involvement from members of the joint health and safety
committee during workplace accident investigations, and the
immediate reporting of fires or explosions that could cause serious
injury to a worker.
Bill 35 is the government's response to two tragic mill
accidents, the subsequent coroners' reports, as well as
specific proposals in the 2014 WorkSafeBC Review and Action Plan.
In 2012, two mill explosions, one in Prince George, and one in
Burns Lake, killed four men and injured dozens of other workers.
Following those accidents, a coroners' inquest was undertaken
which resulted in specific recommendations relating to workplace
safety and the standards required for building and refitting mills.
In addition, WorkSafeBC published its 2014 Review and Action
Plan that included recommendations to make sawmills a safer place
to work and to
