British Columbia** has reportedly been fined $710,000 by its health and safety agency for finding wildfires about 80 kilometers northwest of Fort St. John's for cutting down trees in an "unsafe" manner.
It is reported that the administrative penalty against British Columbia** will be implemented in October 2023 and announced last week.
Previously, a construction site in Vonowang, British Columbia, was one of the largest penalties handed down in the province in the past six months.
In one case, WorkSafeBC, a department dedicated to ensuring the safety of all workers and contractors, found evidence that loggers were making fall cuts in unsafe conditions, and the remaining stumps after the cut were not enough to support the workers to climb down.
In a summary of the violations, WorkSafeBC stated: "WorkSafeBC also determined that the employer did not verify the faller certification as required by its fall safety program and did not actively supervise the work. As the owner of a forestry operation, the employer failed to ensure that the planning and implementation of all activities complied with regulatory requirements and safe working practices acceptable to WorkSafeBC. ”
In response to the administrative penalty imposed on British Columbia, the province's forest ministry said it was taking action to work with all contractors and subcontractors to ensure the high standards it had been striving to achieve.
At the same time, the ministry said British Columbia "agrees that there is a need to improve processes" and will review security and contract processes and procedures.
Not only that, but the British Columbia Forest Department's statement said the penalty was "arbitrary and disproportionately high." He also said he was appealing the "arbitrary and excessive" punishment.