RICHMOND, B.C. – Workers in British Columbia’s construction, primary-resource and adventure-tourism sectors may be at higher risk of avalanches in backcountry worksites than usual this year, WorkSafeBC cautioned in a news release sent out on Jan. 26. January has seen a large snowpack in several of the province’s regions, the workplace-safety entity warned, so employers need to identify, assess and mitigate avalanche risks. Information on proper compliance measures is available from local WorkSafeBC prevention officers and the Canadian Avalanche Association, the release stated. “Employers in these situations are required under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation to ensure a well-rehearsed safety plan is in place and well-understood by all workers,” Patrick Davie, WorkSafeBC’s manager of prevention field services for the Kamloops region, said in a press statement. “If the conditions warrant it, the best plan may be to avoid areas of high risk entirely until the end of the avalanche season.” Three B.C. workers have died in avalanches since 1998, while WorkSafeBC has accepted 50 time-loss injury claims from avalanches over the same period, the organization said.