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WFP Falling and Bucking Safety Management System (The Red Book) -1-

The Red Book Timberlands Falling and Bucking Safety Standard

WFP Falling and Bucking Safety Management System (The Red Book) - 2 -

Table of Contents

DEFINITIONS...............................................................................................................................................................3 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................................................4 SECTION 1: FALLER MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISOR QUALIFICATIONS...........................................5

CAPACITY.....................................................................................................................................................5 QUALIFIED SUPERVISION...............................................................................................................................5 1.1 QUALIFIED SUPERVISOR...................................................................................................................5 1.2 QUALIFIED CHARGE-HAND ...............................................................................................................6 1.3 FALLER QUALIFICATION ...................................................................................................................7 1.4 TRAINEE FALLER - CONDITIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS.......................................................................8

SECTION 2: WORKPLACE SUPERVISION AND INSPECTIONS ......................................................................9 2.1 WORKPLACE SUPERVISION ..............................................................................................................9 2.2 FREQUENCY OF SUPERVISORY WORKPLACE VISITS ..........................................................................9 2.3 FALLER PLACEMENT......................................................................................................................10 2.4 FORMAL WORKPLACE INSPECTIONS/FALLER EVALUATIONS ............................................................11 2.5 FALLING WORKPLACE INSPECTOR..................................................................................................11 2.6 STANDARDIZED FALLING WORKPLACE INSPECTIONS & EVALUATION DOCUMENT .............................13 2.7 STUMP AUDITS ..............................................................................................................................13 2.8 PROFICIENCY EVALUATIONS OF NEW AND RETURNING FALLERS......................................................13 2.9 NEW CONTRACTOR PROFICIENCY EVALUATIONS.............................................................................13 2.10 CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ...................................................................................................................14

SECTION 3: WFP DEADLY SINS............................................................................................................................15 SECTION 4: AUDITS OF FALLING OPERATIONS ............................................................................................16 SECTION 5: WORKPLACE HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT........................................17

5.1 WORKPLACE HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT ..............................................................17 5.2 HAZARD REPORT...........................................................................................................................17 5.3 HAZARD INVENTORY......................................................................................................................18 5.4 PRE-WORK ...................................................................................................................................18 5.5 DEFINED WORKPLACE SAFETY PLAN (DSWP)...............................................................................18 5.6 BLOCK LOG..................................................................................................................................18 5.7 OVERLAPPING PHASES AND MANAGEMENT OF HAZARDS ...............................................................18 5.8 FIRST AID AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING .........................................................................19 5.9 FIRST AID ASSESSMENT.................................................................................................................19 5.10 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN (ERP).............................................................................................19

SECTION 6: OPERATIONS SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BINDER/FILE ..........................................20 SECTION 7: BCFSC SAFE COMPANY REQUIREMENT...................................................................................21 SECTION 8: MINIMUM SAFE WORK PROCEDURES.......................................................................................21 SECTION 9: DANGEROUS TREE ASSESSMENT STANDARD.........................................................................22 SECTION 10: DANGEROUS TREE (DT) BLASTING ..........................................................................................23

10.1 UTILIZING A SURFACE BLASTER WITH DANGEROUS TREE BLASTING ENDORSEMENT .............................23 SECTION 11: WFP REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND INCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS.........................24

11.1 WFP REPORTING REQUIREMENTS..................................................................................................24 11.2 INCIDENT REPORTING.....................................................................................................................24 11.3 STATISTICAL REPORTING ...............................................................................................................24 11.4 INCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS..............................................................................................................24 11.5 TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................................24


WFP Falling and Bucking Safety Management System (The Red Book)

Definitions "hazard" means a thing or condition that may expose a person to a risk of injury or occupational disease;

“practicable" means that which is reasonably capable of being done;

"qualified" means being knowledgeable of the work, the hazards involved and the means to control the hazards, by reason of education, training, experience or a combination thereof;

"risk" means a chance of injury or occupational disease;

"supervisor" means a person who instructs, directs and controls workers in the performance of their duties; "temporary hazards" are work activities or conditions within the defined workplace where there is a known or reasonably foreseeable risk to workers, which can be eliminated or mitigated. Examples may include dangerous trees; decked logs; etc. "work instruction documents" refers to operational maps and written instructions that are prepared and provided to give instruction to all phases (see definition) intending to work in an area. "workplace" is an area within a forest operation involved in a forest management activity such as the development of a cutblock, road heading, bridge project, harvesting, silviculture work or other physically defined workplace where work is taking place. "dangerous tree" is a tree that is precarious (e.g. highly unstable) to workers because of location or lean, physical damage, overhead hazards, deterioration of the limbs, stem or root system, or a combination of these (See Appendix 1 WFP Dangerous Tree Guides). "workplace safety plan" (WSP) is a documented safety plan that ensures existing hazards are identified and ongoing hazard assessments are conducted as work develops to identify hazards which may have been created by a change at the workplace. The DWSP also includes a workplace first aid assessment, emergency response procedures, identification of others that may overlap in the workplace, any special instructions and a record of the material contained in the DWSP being communicated to all workers at the site. “workplace safety log” (WSL) is a document that records newly identified hazards and any changes to the workplace safety plan. "hazard" means a thing or condition that may expose a person to a risk of injury or occupational disease (e.g. dangerous trees, mine shafts, sink holes and crevices, rock fall areas, avalanche chutes, hidden rock bluffs). "permanent hazards" are work activities or conditions within the defined workplace where there is a known or reasonably foreseeable risk to workers, which will remain over time, regardless of the active phase. Examples may include karst features (sinkholes, crevices, caves), rock bluffs, avalanche or slide tracts, or mine shafts.


Introduction The safe management and supervision of Western Forest Products Inc (WFP) and WFP-contracted falling operations is a core value of WFP’s Timberlands Leadership. WFP’s Falling Safety Management System aligns with WFP’s Safety Policy, WFP Safety Standards the BC Faller Training Standard, the Workers Compensation Act and WorkSafeBC regulations. The WFP Timberlands Falling and Bucking Safety Management System is the benchmark for all falling activities on WFP controlled lands. The standards contained in this document also represent best practices that have been observed within WFP’s falling community and the industry. The objective of the Falling and Bucking Safety Management System is to ensure WFP’s expectations are expressed in a series of standards that are consistently applied across WFP’s Timberland Operations. Equally important is the ability of WFP to measure operational compliance with the standard. This will be accomplished through specific operational requirements to report to WFP using key documents and records that demonstrate that an operation is in compliance with our standards. WFP will routinely conduct internal and 3rd party audits of all falling operations. WFP insists and expects that stakeholders identified in this document will take all reasonable and practicable actions to ensure the standards contained in this document are met.


SECTION 1: Faller Management and Supervisor Qualifications Capacity In this section the minimum acceptable qualifications of a falling operation’s stakeholder has been identified. WFP requires the Owner or Falling Supervisor to evaluate each employee to ensure he or she has the skills, knowledge, experience, physical ability and credentials necessary to safely carry out the tasks and responsibilities assigned to him or her.

Qualified Supervision

1.1 Qualified Supervisor WFP requires a Qualified Falling Supervisor to be present in the workplace at all times when falling or bucking activities occur on WFP-controlled lands. Falling Supervisor Qualification WFP requires that any person supervising Fallers possess at least one (1) of the following qualifications.

1. A person who has been certified by WorkSafeBC or the BCFSC as a Qualified Supervisor Trainer (QST).

2. A person who has been certified by BCFSC as a Qualified Falling Supervisor. 3. A certified Faller with at least five (5) years experience in timber type and terrain,

of which a minimum of two (2) years has been in a Falling Supervisory role or charge-hand role.

4. The BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) has made it possible for a non-certified Faller to become a Qualified Falling Supervisor. At operations where this occurs the Operations Manager must ensure the following conditions are met:

a. The Operations Manager must ensure that a Qualified Falling Charge-Hand is readily available to the Falling Supervisor to assist in overcoming a falling difficulty or an emergency situation requiring a second Faller, placement of Fallers and the development of any special falling plans;

b. The diligence of ensuring a Qualified Charge-Hand is readily available at the workplace is the same as required by WFP which is mentioned above in this section.

NOTE: It is WFPs expectation that by January 1, 2013 all designated Falling Supervisors and Charge-Hands will have successfully completed the BCFSC Qualified Falling Supervisor training course.


Documentation and Record Keeping WFP requires the Owner of the falling company to document the qualifications of the Falling Supervisor on the WFP Evaluation Form and retain a copy of this document in the Operations Safety Management System Binder/File. The Owner is also required to define and document the job expectations of the Falling Supervisor and retain a copy of this document in the Operations Safety Management System Binder/File.

1.2 Qualified Charge-Hand

1. To assist the Falling Supervisor with daily supervisory duties WFP recognizes the use of Qualified Faller Charge-Hands in the workplace. The Falling Supervisor may employ the Falling Charge-Hand to:

a. Conduct workplace inspections b. Conduct block hazard assessments c. Place fallers in the workplace ( face, right of ways) d. Conduct block initial safety meetings e. Relay Falling Supervisors instruction f. Render qualified assistance to another Faller to overcome a falling

difficulty g. Document their actions pertaining to any of the above assigned duties. h. A Falling Supervisor who employs a Faller Charge-Hand must accept the

responsibility and is accountable to ensure any duties assigned to the Faller Charge-Hand are carried out in compliance with the specifications of this standard, the BC Fallers Training Standard and applicable WorkSafe BC Regulations.

2. To ensure all stakeholders understand the roles and responsibilities of the Falling Charge-Hand. A written job description must be developed and signed off by the Falling Supervisor and Charge-Hand.

3. WFP will not consider a Faller Charge-Hand with less than two (2) years supervisory experience to be a Qualified Falling Supervisor for those periods when the Qualified Falling Supervisor is absent from the workplace.

NOTE: Proof of a Charge-Hand’s supervisory experienced can be provided by former employers or the operations current Falling Supervisor. Faller Charge-Hands are encouraged to have supervisory experience entered into their log book as a method of proof.


Faller Charge-Hand Qualification WFP requires qualified Charge-Hands to meet at least one of the following conditions:

1. A person who has been certified by WorkSafeBC or the BCFSC as a Qualified Supervisor Trainer (QST).

2. A certified Faller who has successfully completed the BCFSC Qualified Falling Supervisor Course.

3. A certified Faller with a minimum of five (5) years falling experience (verified by log book entries) with at least two (2) years experience in the timber type and terrain being worked in. The Faller must also to demonstrate to the satisfaction of Operations Falling Supervisor they have a working knowledge of the applicable WorkSafeBC Regulations, the BC Falling Training Standard, and the standards specified in this document.

NOTE: It is WFPs expectation that by January 1, 2013 all designated Falling Supervisors and Charge-Hands will have successfully completed the BCFSC Qualified Falling Supervisor training course. Documentation and Record Keeping WFP requires the Falling Supervisor to document the qualifications of the Falling Charge-Hand on the WFP Evaluation Form and retain a copy of this document in the Operations Safety Management System Binder.

1.3 Faller Qualification WFP requires any Faller employed on WFP controlled lands have and maintain the following qualifications:

1. Possess valid BCFSC Faller’s certificate and have proof of experience in the timber type and terrain the Faller is expected to be working in.

2. Possess a faller’s log book. 3. Be in good standing with the BC Forest Safety Council. 4. Where an individual Faller is a sub-contractor, they must be in good standing

with WorkSafeBC. 5. Where an individual Faller is a sub-contractor, they must be certified under the

BC Forest Safety Council Safe Company initiative as an Individual Owner Operator.


1.4 Trainee Faller - Conditions and Qualifications WFP requires notification of the presence of any trainee Faller in the work place.

1. To be considered for employment at a WFP operation or a WFP contractor operation, the trainee must have successfully completed the BCFSC Faller Training Course and be within the 180-day post-training period permitted prior to being certified.

2. WFP considers any faller who is not certified in the timber type and terrain they will be falling in to be a trainee Faller, and the Supervisor must notify WFP.

The Falling Supervisor must have a written training plan in place for this faller which includes weekly reports. The plan must be in place until the Falling Supervisor determines the faller is competent and enters this information in the Fallers log book.

Documentation and Record Keeping WFP requires the Falling Supervisor to document the qualifications and credentials of each faller working on WFP controlled lands on the WFP Evaluation Form and retain a copy of this form in the Operations Safety Management System Binder. Where a faller trainee is employed at the workplace the Falling Supervisor is responsible to ensure the appropriate documentation is completed and archived in the Operations Safety Management System Binder/File System:


Section 2: Workplace Supervision and Inspections One of the keystones of Faller safety performance is the presence of a competent supervisor observing, inspecting, instructing, coaching and correcting Fallers in the workplace.

2.1 Workplace Supervision The Falling Supervisor must schedule focused supervisory visits for each Faller’s workplace at intervals timed to prevent unsafe Faller workmanship or workplace conditions from developing. The focus of the Falling Supervisors visits must be on the Faller’s workmanship and workplace conditions. This requires the Falling Supervisor to observe the Faller falling and bucking timber and to provide feedback to the Faller on his workmanship and on the conditions observed. If a corrective action plan is in place for a Faller (see 2.9 below,) the Falling Supervisor must ensure the requirements of the plan are also carried out and documented. The appropriate level of supervision must be based on the Falling Supervisor’s knowledge, taking into consideration the hazards and risks associated with the timber being felled and/or bucked, and the experience and demonstrated competency of the individual Faller. The frequency of inspections must also consider any corrective action plans assigned to a Faller. For example: an experienced Faller, who consistently demonstrates good falling practices would require less attention than a new Faller or a Faller who is known to demonstrate poor falling practices.

2.2 Frequency of Supervisory Workplace Visits The Falling Supervisor must conduct daily assessments of each Faller’s fitness for work at the workplace prior to the Faller leaving the marshalling point. No Faller whom the Falling Supervisors believes to be impaired, physically or mentally, will be permitted to work on any WFP controlled lands. WFP requires the operations Falling Supervisor to ensure supervisory visits are conducted to observe a Faller’s workmanship and the workplace at intervals of not greater than seven (7) consecutive working days.


2.3 Faller Placement The Falling Supervisor is responsible for ensuring that Fallers are placed appropriately along the falling face, right of way or in the falling block. This task may be conducted by a qualified Faller Charge-Hand based on instructions given by the Falling Supervisor. WFP will not tolerate the self-placement of Fallers in a new work area. Documentation and Record Keeping WFP requires the Falling Supervisor to summarize his workplace supervisory activities for each Faller; He must record this information on a weekly basis on the weekly supervisor summary report form. A copy of this report is to be retained in the Operations Safety Management System Binder/Filing system.


2.4 Formal Workplace Inspections/Faller Evaluations

1. The Falling Supervisor must ensure the workplace is inspected and all Fallers evaluated by a Falling Workplace Inspector/Evaluator that meets the requirements specified in 2.5 below.

2. Inspections must occur on cycles which do not exceed once every 20 production days. The Workplace Inspector/Evaluator must conduct and record formal inspections of each Faller’s workmanship and workplace conditions, using the WFP Field Inspection and Evaluation form.

3. WFP expects the Falling Supervisor to ensure the results of inspections are discussed with the Faller and a plan made for correcting unsatisfactory workmanship identified; additionally WFP also requires the Faller to sign the inspection report.

4. The Falling Supervisor may elect to conduct and document the inspection and evaluation process over the 20 day inspection cycle.

5. The Falling Supervisor must watch at least 2 trees being tipped over.

2.5 Falling Workplace Inspector The use of a Faller to inspect the workplace on behalf of the Falling Supervisor is not an acceptable practice and will not be accepted practice by WFP. Effective June 1, 2009, WFP requires work place inspections and Faller evaluations to be carried out by a person who has demonstrated knowledge of the BC Falling Field Evaluation Criteria, WorkSafeBC regulations, and the WFP workplace inspection process and its requirements. A Falling Supervisor who employs a Workplace Inspector must accept the responsibility, and is accountable, to ensure inspections/evaluations assigned to the Workplace Inspector are carried out in compliance with the specifications of this standard. Falling Work Place Inspector/Evaluator Qualifications

1. Any person who meets the qualifications of a Falling Supervisor as specified in 1.1.

2. A Falling Charge Hand as specified in 1.2 above. 3. A Faller with the following qualifications:

a. Five (5) years falling experience with at least two (2) years in the timber type and terrain,

b. Has demonstrated to the Falling Supervisor a working knowledge of the BC Fallers Field Evaluation and applicable WorkSafe BC regulations.

c. Has been orientated to the WFP inspection process by the Falling Supervisor.


Documentation and Record Keeping WFP requires the Falling Supervisor to document the qualifications of the Workplace inspector on the WFP employee evaluation form and retain a copy of this document in the Operations Safety Management System Binder/File System.


2.6 Standardized Falling Workplace Inspections & Evaluation Document Workplace inspections benchmark workplace conditions and faller workmanship. To ensure continuous improvement, WFP requires the Operations Falling Supervisor to utilize the WFP Field Inspection and Evaluation form. The WFP Field Inspection and Evaluation Forms are directly linked to BC Faller’s Field Evaluation form.

2.7 Stump Audits WFP requires the Falling Supervisor to ensure that a minimum of ten (10) stump audits per month are conducted on each faller at the operation. WFP requires the stump sample to be a representative sampling of the timber type and terrain the Faller has been falling in.

2.8 Proficiency Evaluations of New and Returning Fallers When a new Faller is hired, WFP requires the Falling Supervisor to conduct an evaluation using the full BC Falling Training Standard Field Evaluation form. Prior to permitting the Faller to enter the falling crew. New Fallers scoring less than 75 percent on the initial evaluation will not be permitted to fall on WFP controlled lands. The Falling Supervisor may deem the faller as a faller trainee until such time as the faller scores 75% or higher. • A returning Faller who has been absent from the workplace for more than 30 days

must have an evaluation initiated within ten (10) days of returning to the operation.

2.9 New Contractor Proficiency Evaluations WFP requires any new contractor (employed as sub-contractor of WFP or a WFP contractor) to evaluate their Fallers within ten (10) days of commencing work on WFP lands.


2.10 Corrective Actions It is the duty of the Falling Supervisor to ensure corrective actions are undertaken without delay to address those unacceptable practices, items or issues identified during the inspection process and or through supervisory workplace visits or as a result of an incident where workmanship or conditions were determined to be unacceptable. The Falling Supervisor must remove any faller from the saw who scores a “U” unacceptable in sections 5 through 9 of The WFP Field Inspection and Evaluation Form. The faller is not to return to the saw until the Falling Supervisor develops a written corrective action plan and that this plan has been reviewed by the Prime Contractor. As well a corrective action plan must be in place for any Faller scoring “unacceptable” in any area of the monthly evaluation, regardless of the score. Corrective actions are to be recorded on the WFP Corrective Action Plan form and attached to the Faller’s monthly inspection. The supervisor must ensure corrective action is commensurate with the severity of unacceptable workmanship. Documentation and Record Keeping WFP requires workplace inspections to be recorded on the WFP Field Inspection and Evaluation form as specified. A copy of the inspection reports must be retained in the Operations Safety Management System Binder/File System.


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Section 3: WFP Deadly Sins The hazardous nature of falling requires that WFP identify those Faller work practices that will not be tolerated at any WFP workplace or WFP Contractors workplace. The following is a list of non-negotiable deadly sins which if observed or otherwise detected the faller must be removed from the saw pending an investigation of the incident. The Falling Supervisor is required to also contact the Prime Contractor of the results of the investigation including corrective actions.

1. Failing to progressively fall danger trees into open areas with the falling of other timber and before falling adjacent live trees.

2. Practicing “Domino Falling” for purposes of production, not to overcome a falling difficulty.

3. Leaving cut-up trees and failing to mark such trees and notify the work place supervisor and workers who may enter the affected area of the location of the cut-up trees.

4. Allowing workers, other than the Faller and those permitted by the regulations, to be within two (2) tree lengths of the tree being felled.

5. Falling trees within the specified minimum distances from unguarded overhead energized high voltage electrical conductors without complying with the requirements of this regulation.

6. Failure to get ten (10) feet away from the stump once the tree is committed to fall.

7. Working under a cut up tree. 8. Failing to manage dangerous trees as specified by the WFP Danger Tree

Assessment Card. 9. Failure on the part of the faller to show up for work mentally and physically ready

to comply with WFP standards and regulations. 10. Failure to gate a road or other travel route where a falling activity may create a

hazard to a user of that road or travel route.


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Section 4: Audits of Falling Operations WFP will conduct audits of all falling operations at a frequency to be determined by Senior Leadership. Audits will focus on the operation’s conformance with the Red Book requirements.


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Section 5: Workplace Hazard Identification and Management This section describes the requirements of section 5 of WFP’s Safety Standard No. 4 - Workplace Hazard Identification and Management. Some of the original text has been modified to be more relevant to a falling operation. This information has been included in the Red Book to assist the Falling Supervisor in maintaining a safety management system for his/her operation which contains all relevant WFP standards. The inclusion of this part of WFP’s Workplace Hazard Identification and Management Standard does not relieve the Falling Supervisor of his obligation to be knowledgeable of and in compliance with that standard.

5.1 Workplace Hazard Identification and Management Before work commences at a falling operation, any work activities or conditions within the workplace where there is a known or reasonably foreseeable risk to fallers, must be identified. This will require a qualified person to walk the work area prior to the commencement of activities. The identification of these hazards will enable Falling Supervisors and Fallers to review and prepare risk management strategies as required. These plans will be completed prior to the commencement of activities and will be documented at the time of planning. If after planning, there is a change in the workplace circumstances, including the work activities and the conditions, and the change poses or creates a known or reasonably foreseeable risk to fallers or others that was not previously identified, then the plan will be amended to identify and address the risks, and documented as soon as practicable. Several factors will have to be considered when identifying hazards types, including but not limited to topography, timber types, harvesting systems, falling methods, season of activities and silviculture systems (e.g. retention) and dangerous trees.

5.2 Hazard Report The Hazard Report Form will be used by supervisors to record any hazards and to detail corrective action plans or risk management strategies for hazards that cannot be dealt with immediately. This form will also be used by workers to document hazards to the attention of a supervisor. The workers must notify their supervisor and provide a description and approximate location of the hazard and where applicable the supervisor will develop a plan, including risk management strategies. To ensure identified hazards are appropriately reported, operations must ensure a Hazard Report Form is readily available and its use is understood by all who are required to complete it. An operation may elect to use another format to report hazards as long as it includes similar content to the attached form. It is the responsibility of the immediate phase supervisor to pass on locations of all known remaining hazards to the next phase supervisor as previously described.


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5.3 Hazard Inventory The Hazard Inventory is the collection of Hazard Reports for hazards that have not been mitigated or removed concurrent with operations.

5.4 Pre-work Prior to the commencement of phase activities, the supervisor will review the work instruction documents and the Hazard Inventory with the worker(s) on site. This may require a detailed field review of known hazards. Mitigation, alternative work plans and risk reduction strategies will be developed or refined during this review of site hazards. These reviews will be documented in the pre-work form found in the Defined Workplace Safety Plan.

5.5 Defined Workplace Safety Plan (WSP) The WSP contains key safety information and Prime Contractor instructions that ensure: • The safe coordination of the site occurs. • Appropriate first aid services are in place, • Emergency response procedures are in place.

5.6 Workplace Safety Log The communication of hazards and block planning are key aspects of Faller safety. WFP requires a falling plan to be developed and documented on the WFP Workplace Safety Plan for each block or right of way. The Workplace Safety Log is used to record daily planning activities within the defined workplace. It may include introduction and/or coordination of phases (people and machinery), hazard management communication, first aid coverage, ETV location, safe work distances, man check details, traffic control, radio frequencies, and fire equipment locations Any new permanent or temporary hazards remaining after a phase leaves the block must be passed on to subsequent phases. To ensure hazards are communicated the Falling Supervisor must transfer the information on any hazards that have not been eliminated using the Hazard Report that must then be forwarded to the engineering department to ensure work instruction documents are updated prior to the next release.

5.7 Overlapping Phases and Management of Hazards When overlapping phases exist within a workplace, the supervision of all workers and overall management of hazards will be assigned by the Prime Contractor to one supervisor until the overlap ceases to exist. This assignment of responsibility is to ensure that the required communication, coordination, development of control measures, and documentation is planned by one individual.


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5.8 First Aid and Emergency Response Planning The Falling Supervisor must not permit falling activities to commence or continue if adequate first aid coverage and a viable ERP are not in place.

5.9 First Aid Assessment WFP requires the Falling Supervisor to conduct and document a first aid needs assessment for each falling area at the start of falling activities and daily there after.

5.10 Emergency Response Plan (ERP) WFP requires the Falling Supervisor to develop a viable written ERP for the hazards and conditions in which crews are operating. The Falling Supervisor must provide documentation the ERP has been tested and communicated to all Stake-holders. Documentation and Record Keeping All forms contained in the Defined Workplace Safety Plan must be completed, maintained and retained in the operation’s Safety Management System Binder/File system.


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Section 6: Operations Safety Management System Binder/File WFP requires the Falling Supervisor to utilize a binder or safety file system to organize and store key documents and records associated with the safe management of the falling operation. WFP requires the Falling Supervisor to maintain this binder or file system onsite for review by WFP or the operation’s Prime Contractor.

1. The following items must be contained in the Operations Safety Management System Binder/File System:

a. WFP Timberlands Falling and Bucking Safety Standard (Red Book); b. Organization chart containing names of Falling Supervisor, Falling

Charge-Hands, Fallers, Trainee Fallers and their Faller certification number. The Falling Supervisor must identify any Faller or Supervisor who is a sub-contractor;

c. Signed-off job descriptions for Falling Supervisor and Charge-Hand; d. Completed evaluation forms for all Falling Supervisors, Falling Charge-

Hands, Workplace Inspectors, Fallers and any Trainee Fallers; e. Records of hazard assessments of the workplace; f. Block Map; g. Block Emergency Response Plan (ERP) with records of when the WRP

was tested; h. WFP Environmental shut down requirements and Fire Reporting

procedures; i. Completed first aid assessment for active workplaces (include names of

first aid attendants); j. Specific safety procedures for the block; k. Copy BCFSC Falling and Bucking Info Flip; l. Records of crew bus pre-trip inspection forms; m. Records of orientation of new Fallers; n. Records of new Faller or returning Faller proficiency evaluations; o. Faller Trainee records; p. Records of Faller evaluation and workplace inspection; q. Supervisor’s weekly Faller monitoring summary; r. Record Crew safety meetings; s. Records of initial safety meeting; t. Applicable safe work procedures; u. Hazard Report Forms.


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Section 7: BCFSC Safe Company Requirement WFP requires any contractor working for WFP or a WFP contractor be certified to appropriate levels as a SAFE Company. Contractors not certified or submitted for certification by August 1, 2008 will not be considered for employment at WFP. New Entrants to the SAFE Company process may be employed by WFP providing the contractor can provide proof of being registered with the BCFSC. Documentation All sub-contractors falling at the workplace must provide copies of their SAFE Companies certification number to the faller supervisor. The faller supervisor must keep these records in the workplace’s Safety Management System Binder/File

Section 8: Minimum Safe Work Procedures The Falling Supervisor must ensure the following procedures are contained in the operation’s safety binder, available to Fallers and are reviewed by the Falling crew.

1. Procedures that establish a minimum two (2) tree length and maximum ten(10) minute walk time separation between Fallers and other Workers;

2. Procedure for Fallers to ensure escape trails are planned, constructed and accessible;

3. Falling techniques to control the fall of trees; 4. Falling techniques that minimize unnecessary brushing; 5. Falling techniques for managing dangerous trees; 6. Techniques for safe bucking of trees and logs; 7. Guidelines and procedures using mechanical assistance to fall trees or during

bucking operations; 8. Summoning and rendering assistance to manage a falling difficulty or to deal with

an emergency; 9. Procedures for site specific special or innovative harvesting techniques; i.e.:

Dangerous Tree blasting, heli-falling, ripping, jacking trees, variable retention falling etc.;

10. Man-check procedures to ensure the well-being of each Faller and Bucker prior to the start of the shift, at least every half hour if working alone, and at the end of the work shift;

11. Gating or barricading procedures to control access to the Faller’s workplace; 12. Procedures for dealing with a cut up tree left by a Faller; 13. Hazard reporting procedures. 14. Operations Road Users Procedures


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Section 9: Dangerous Tree Assessment Standard The WFP Dangerous Tree (DT) assessment card is the minimum standard to be used by any Faller falling timber on WFP controlled lands. The Falling Supervisor is responsible to ensure Fallers are competent in the application of this card and that Fallers are monitored to ensure that the safety thresholds identified on the card are not compromised.


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Section 10: Dangerous Tree (DT) Blasting WFP endorses the practice of DT blasting as a safe alternative to hand falling dangerous trees or bucking dangerously positioned logs. It is anticipated that WFP will require the intent of this recommendation as a contractual condition of employment by January 1, 2011, if not sooner.

10.1 Utilizing a Surface Blaster with Dangerous Tree Blasting Endorsement Where a Faller with a DT Blasting Certificate is not available, the Falling Supervisor may utilize a Surface Blaster with a DT Blasting Endorsement. The use of a Surface Blaster in the blasting of dangerous tree potentially exposes the surface blaster to hazards associated with the dangerous tree which they have not been trained to, or have the experience, to recognize. To ensure the safety of the Surface Blaster during the blasting of danger trees, a certified Faller for the timber type and terrain must be present or have provided the Surface Blaster with a hazard risk assessment and blasting plan.


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Section 11: WFP Reporting Requirements and Incident Investigations 11.1 WFP Reporting Requirements On a monthly basis the Falling Supervisor must submit to WFP, or the Prime Contractor, the following records and documents. Submission of required documents is not necessary if a WFP Supervisor, or the Prime Contractor, reviews the documents in the field:

1. Workplace inspections; 2. Initial safety meeting for new workplaces; 3. List of new hires and records of their orientation and evaluations; 4. Crew safety meeting minutes; 5. Hazard risk assessments; 6. WorkSafeBC orders or Inspection Reports written to the falling operation.

11.2 Incident Reporting Incident reporting requirements are found on the WFP Incident Reporting Chart attached to this document.

11.3 Statistical Reporting The Owner must ensure on a monthly basis that the WFP Statistical Report form is completed and submitted to the Prime Contractor or WFP not later than the third (3rd) day of each month.

11.4 Incident Investigations WFP Requires the Owner to investigate incidents as instructed on the WFP Incident Notification Chart. Incidents that require investigation must be conducted using the WFP Incident Investigation form.

11.5 Tools and Equipment All tools specified in the BC Faller Training Standard’s Field Examination & Evaluation must be in place prior to a Faller commencing activities. The use of “Hot Saws” or Modified Saws is prohibited by WFP.

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