An exploratory study by an independent consulting firm specializing in remote work camps has found British Columbia silviculture camps “extremely poor” in terms of “quality of life” including quality of supervision, food, sleeping accommodation, pride in work, trust in management and trust between workers. Read more
One in 15 treeplanters in British Columbia is likely to injure themselves according to WCB injury claim statistics. Diet and pre-season fitness training has proven to reduce injuries and increase productivity. FISA and Weyerhaeuser have partnered to get this treeplanting health information out to silvicultural workers. fisa backgr.pdf Read more
The father of treeplanter Julia James, 20, who died in a treeplanting vehicle accident last year says contractors need to reexamine their industry culture around safety and the treatment of young workers. Colin James made his comments in a moving address to the WSCA conference in Victoria February 4, 2004. Read more
Wildland fires are dangerous. Fighting such fires is a high risk business. For instance, based on US Forest Service statistics, the most common cause of fatal incidents in the 1990 to 2000 period was burnover followed by significant fatalities in aircraft related accidents, heart attacks, and vehicle accidents. Read more