The number of injuries suffered in British Columbia’s (BC) forest products industry has reduced considerably, according to the latest findings of the BC Forest Safety Council.
Stastistics released in time for National Forest Week (September 23-29) show that between 2005-2006 there was a 21% drop in total claims in the forest sector – from 1,193 to 936. As a result, the injury rate dropped and overal claims costs decreased by 39%.
“The reductions in injuries witnessed last year are due to the extraordinary focus on safety that began in late 2005 and continues today,” said Lee Doney, co-chair of the BC Forest Safety Council and principal of RLD Strategies.
“It has been a collaborative effort of the forest sector, WorkSafeBC and government. We still have a long way to go, but the results show our efforts are making a difference.”
Thousands of companies have registered with the council’s SAFE Companies programme. “There has been a crucial shift in attitudes toward safety over the last two years,” added Doney
