Industrial and forestry stakeholders have announced an IRP development process to address what kinds of fire tools and fire suppression systems are acceptable for high hazard activities as required by the Wildfire Regulation. The process is focusing on project sites where access is restricted or removed from the functioning public or resource road system.
B.C. Wildfire Industry Recognized Practices Committee
Notice of Industry Recognized Practice Development for B.C. Wildfire Act and Regulation:
High Hazard Activity Fire Suppression System and Fire Tool Requirements
1 January 2008
Purpose: Current British Columbia wildfire legislation does not prescribe or define specifically how regulations pertaining to fire tools and fire suppression systems required for high hazard activities are to be met, particularly in situations where operational access is restricted or removed from the functioning public or resource road system.
Overlapping jurisdiction and legislation also add to the uncertainty of what is required to stay within the law. This increases the onus on stakeholders to ensure worker safety, reduce operational risk and exercise due diligence. Therefore it is in the stakeholders’ interest to ensure safe workplaces by developing industry recognized practices (IRPs) to meet the intent of the legislation and provide practical guidance so operations can be undertaken safely, lawfully and with reasonable confidence.
The proposed IRP should be useful to silviculture operations, seismic line cutting, transmission line vegetation management, exploration drilling, ski hill grooming, construction, railroading and so on.
John Betts
Executive Director
Western Silvicultural Contractors’ Association
RR#3 Site 36 Compartment 9
Nelson, B.C. V1L 5P6
Phone: 250-229-4380
Fax: 250-229-4366
Email: hotpulp@netidea.com