Chasm Sawmill worker buried in wood shavings bin
November 27, 2018
By
Ellen Cools
Nov. 27, 2018 - According to a WorkSafeBC report, a worker at West Fraser’s Chasm Sawmill division was doing maintenance work inside a 50 by 80 feet high, 30-foot wide wood shavings bin when he was engulfed by sawdust and needed to be rescued.
The Chilliwack Progress reports that West Fraser did not provide the worker with a lifeline and harness, and there was no standby employee nearby who could have performed an immediate rescue.
“This employer did not immediately undertake a preliminary investigation that identified all the unsafe conditions, acts or procedures as far as possible, in order to ensure that work can be continued or resumed,” the WorkSafeBC report adds. “Also, according to information provided by the employer, another worker was engulfed; however, that worker managed to self-rescue.”
West Fraser has since developed and performed a risk assessment, as well as a safe work procedure for entering the shavings bin, according to The Chilliwack Progress.
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