Log Hauling | BC Forest Safety Council Page 1 of 1 Log Hauling Safety Alert Type: Log Hauling Location: 500 Road-east of Quesnel Date of Incident: 2007-12-27 Company Name: Inwood Trucking Details of Incident: A loaded tridem long log truck was loaded on the 500 Road. The road was in winter condition-frozen and icy. While coming around a corner on a 10-12% downhill slope, the logging truck met a pick up (empty direction) towing a trailer with 2 snowmobiles on it. The pick up did not have a radio. The log truck tried to slow and allow the pick up to pass, however, the pick up driver panicked and began to back up. The trailer behind the pick up jackknifed in front of the logging truck, blocking the road. At this point, the log truck driver applied his brakes, causing his trailer to jackknife as well. The right front corner of the loaded logging truck bumped the snowmobile trailer, pushing the pick up around. At this point the loaded truck came to a stop. During the investigation, it became known that the pick up was on the wrong road. The young driver had become lost while looking for a popular snowmobile area and turned onto an active logging road. He ignored the signs warning of radio use and industrial traffic. There was minimal damage to both vehicles and no injuries. However, the potential for serious injury was enormous. Only the defensive driving of the log truck driver prevented a more serious outcome. Recommended Preventative Actions: 1. Public should be more aware of industrial traffic and radio control on multi user roads. 2. Pick ups should be radio equipped, keep to their own side of the road and use pullouts to clear industrial traffic. 3. All log truck drivers should drive defensively and be aware of non industrial, recreational traffic at all times. More Information Contact Details: Lloyd Inwood (250) 992-6097 Copyright © 2008 BC Forest Safety Council. All rights reserved. http://www.bcforestsafe.org/node/164 3/24/2009 Manual harvesting/bucking | BC Forest Safety Council Page 1 of 1 Manual harvesting/bucking Safety Alert Type: Manual Harvesting/Bucking Date of Incident: 2007-12-27 Company Name: Long Shot Holdings Ltd. Details of Incident: Due to road builders falling the right of way into the standing timber, an entangled mess of trees was left standing at the north end of the block. A faller was sent in to clear out the mess. The faller attempted to straighten the mess and in doing so a tree slid down another; which had been left fallen down through the standing timber. This caused the ground that the faller was working around to become unstable. Recommended Preventative Actions: A loader could not knock the trees down because of the steepness of the right of way. It was decided to drag the trees over with the lines of the grapple yarder. It was noted that this was a high hazard incident and the outcome could have been worse than it was. All employees were reminded that everyone has the right to refuse unsafe work. INVESTIGATION: It was shown that the road builders had fallen the right of way trees into the standing timber. This made it hard for a loader to knock them down as the slope was to steep on the right of way. The faller attempted to fall the trees and after the way the first tree came down the faller refused to attempt the others. The faller did the right thing. More Information Contact Details: Laura Olynyk Long Shot Holdings Copyright © 2008 BC Forest Safety Council. All rights reserved. http://www.bcforestsafe.org/node/184 3/24/2009 FOREST INDUSTRY SAFETY ALERT Close Call/Serious Incident Location: Cowichan (L-Line) Date of Incident: November 23, 2007 Details of Incident: A faller was bucking the root off a blown down fir tree when the root wad, which was partially attached, rolled from its original resting place down the slope increasing the load energy on the tree. When the cut was completed the top portion of the tree kicked back striking the fallers left lower leg pinning him and fracturing his leg. Faller misjudged the hazard of the loaded stem and the potential for the energy to increase with the root wad moving down hill. Recommended Preventative Actions: 1. Eliminate loaded hazards by bucking at pivot points. 2. Faller positioning, ensure safe position prior to making any cuts. 3. Where pivot points or hazards can't be removed do not attempt any bucking 4. Ensure this incident is reviewed with all fallers and documented For more information, please call: Ted LeRoy Trucking Ltd. Safety and Compliance Dept. Jim Vaux or Shawn Munson (250) 246-2880 1 2 Log Hauling | BC Forest Safety Council Page 1 of 1 Log Hauling Safety Alert Type: Log Hauling Location: 1320.5 km-east of Quesnel Date of Incident: 2007-12-23 Company Name: Inwood Trucking Details of Incident: A short log truck was returning to the bush on the 1300 Road. Winter road conditions were present. After calling “1318 empty” the driver cleared a loaded truck and started to the bush again. After calling “1320 empty” the driver was proceeding around a right hand corner at 1320.5 when he met a loaded truck. The driver of the empty truck swerved to the right in an attempt to allow the load to pass. However, he could not completely leave the road due to the heavy snow bank. The driver of the loaded truck also swerved to try and clear the empty truck, hitting the ditch in the process. Despite the road being wide enough, the trucks could not clear each other and the driver’s sides of the trucks hit. The empty truck sustained damage to the driver’s side cab and the trailer. The loaded truck sustained severe damage from the impact and from hitting the ditch in an effort to avoid the crash. Fortunately, there were no injuries as a result of the incident. Recommended Preventative Actions: 1. Warn all drivers to use radios and clear loaded traffic. 2. Keep to proper side of road 3. Keep speed down during periods of winter road conditions. 4. Drive defensively and expect the unexpected. More Information Contact Details: (250) 992-6097 Copyright © 2008 BC Forest Safety Council. All rights reserved. http://www.bcforestsafe.org/node/163 3/24/2009 HAZARD ALERT | BC Forest Safety Council Page 1 of 1 HAZARD ALERT Safety Alert Type: Log Hauling Date of Incident: 2007-12-17 Company Name: Buckley House Holdings Ltd. Details of Incident: A lowbed driver had attached a belt to the pin holding the trailer hitch onto the truck. This was apparently done so he did not have to reach in when pulling the pin to disconnect. The belt was fairly long and hung out from the hitch. The lowbed was moving a D6 Cat and due to slippery road conditions the driver put his chains on. As the truck was proceeding down the road one of the chains caught the belt and pulled the pin out of the hitch. This caused the trailer to detached from the truck. The trailer started sliding backwards down a hill pulling the truck with it. Fortunately the driver was able to stop the truck with minimal damage, he then hooked up and proceeded. This could have been a very serious incident. This alert is to advise all drivers to inspect their trucks regularly and identify potential hazards. Also it is recommending not to add anything on to equipment. Let all continue to work and drive safe. Copyright © 2008 BC Forest Safety Council. All rights reserved. http://www.bcforestsafe.org/node/321 3/24/2009 Mechanical Harvesting | BC Forest Safety Council Page 1 of 1 Mechanical Harvesting Safety Alert Type: Mechanical Harvesting Location: Malakwa Date of Incident: 2007-12-17 Details of Incident: Loader Operator was working on setting up roadside yarded logs for loading at approximately 5:30 am before yarding crew arrived. As loader was moving logs around a hemlock log slid down the hill in the dark and hit the backspar machine approx. 400 ft. below road. Loaderman was not aware that a log had slid down and hit the backspar machine until the yarding crew arrived and noticed the cab on the backspar machine was missing. No injuries resulted from this incident. Recommended Preventative Actions: Keep separation between loading area and active yarding roads; make sure logs are stable on road or landing. Yarding crew to be safe distance from the active yarding road during any operations, and do not sit in backspar machine during active yarding. Copyright © 2008 BC Forest Safety Council. All rights reserved. http://www.bcforestsafe.org/node/196 3/24/2009 Manual harvesting/bucking | BC Forest Safety Council Page 1 of 1 Manual harvesting/bucking Safety Alert Type: Manual Harvesting/Bucking Location: Clearwater Date of Incident: 2007-12-14 Details of Incident: Hand faller fell small Pine tree which landed on some debris on ground kicking up small piece of slash that came back and hit him in the knee causing a loud snapping noise. He had previously bucked some slash in the path of the tree prior to falling it. The faller continued to work as no pain was experienced but began to notice incomplete functioning of his knee. He still finished his day (he only had a few trees left) then went to hospital. Doctor diagnosed him with a 3rd degree tear of NCL tendon on his right knee.