HALIFAX, N.S. – A new investigation report from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has concluded that weather, approach procedures, airfield lighting and limited visibility all contributed to a collision between Air Canada Flight 624 and terrain at the Halifax/Stanfield International Airport on March 29, 2015. Early that morning, the Airbus A320 was arriving from Toronto when it struck power lines and hit the snow- ground about 225 metres before the runway threshold at about 12:30 a.m., according to the report, which was published on May 18. After continuing through a localizer antenna, the plane hit the ground nose-down and slid across the terrain, stopping about 570 metres beyond the threshold; 25 people were injured, and the aircraft was destroyed. The subsequent TSB investigation revealed that the flight crew had not detected wind variations that had changed the flight path, since company procedures did not require monitoring of an aircraft’s altitude and distance from the runway. In addition, the runway lights were not set at their maximum brightness, and the crew misinterpreted lights as a visual cue to continue the approach, realizing too late that the plane was too low and too far back. “If the type of approach-lighting system on a runway is not factored into the minimum visibility required to carry out an approach, in conditions of reduced visibility,” the report read, “the lighting available risks being less than adequate for flight crews to assess the aircraft’s position and decide whether or not to continue the approach to a safe landing.”
Category Archives: Environment/Climate Change
Politicians, union raise alarm about potential disaster at fuel company
Safety issues at the Windsor, Ont. location of Sterling Fuels Limited could lead to disaster for employees, the surrounding community and the environment if the company does not address them immediately, according to politicians and the local Unifor chapter – but Sterling’s safety manager has maintained that safety is the company’s top priority.
At a Windsor press conference on the morning of March 13, MP Brian Masse, MPP Lisa Gretzky, employees of the company and others called on Sterling to make necessary repairs to its facility. The employer has dozens of outstanding work orders against it, according to information from Unifor Local 444.
In a March 10 letter to federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau, Masse claimed that the marine and land fuelling company has “serious environmental, workplace health and safety and public safety concerns” that need to be addressed urgently.
“It is my understanding that there have been significant spills onsite and that they occur with an alarming degree of regularity,” wrote Masse, who represents the Windsor West riding for the federal NDP. “Further, the remediation of these spills has been called into question, with allegations that runoff of hazardous material stored onsite in some instances ends up in the [Detroit River].
“In addition to the environmental concerns that these allegations raise, the workplace health and safety aspects are extremely worrisome,” added Masse in the letter, published on his website on March 13.
Although Local 444 did not respond to COHSN’s request for comment before press time, a March 11 post on the union’s Twitter account stated that the federal and Ontario Liberal governments needed “to work together to solve multijurisdictional issues” to deal with the problem.
“Lac-Mégantic cannot be repeated in Windsor,” the union tweeted, referring to the oil explosion that killed 47 people in Lac-Mégantic, Que. in July 2013. “Sterling Fuels needs to abide by orders against them.”
Joel Gardner, the corporate health, safety and environmental manager for Sterling, said that the company is “fully committed” to the safety of its employees and the surrounding community.
“We’re regularly inspected,” said Gardner. “We have a robust safety and environmental management program.” He added that the company had invested heavily in maintaining, improving and upgrading controls at the Windsor site over the previous few years.
“We’re confident and comfortable with what we do and how serious we take safety and environmental management, and we’re going to continue to do that.”
On March 15, Gardner wrote a letter to Garneau, Masse, Gretzky, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkins and others, stating that not all of the relevant information about the alleged risks had been shared with the public.
“Sterling is a federally regulated facility,” Gardner wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by COHSN. “We spent over a million dollars on improving plant safety and environmental protection over the last few years – and spending continues.
“Improvements to the Sterling Fuels facility over the past three years cover plant and dock safety improvements, tank and loading-arm emission-control systems, personal and yard H2S monitoring devices, secondary-product containment systems and environmental-protection projects, including [a] groundwater-monitoring program.”
In March of last year, Local 444 members at Sterling refused to work, reportedly over a lack of proper protective equipment and training. But Gardner said that the walkout had resulted from “a new process” involving rail offloading. The incident resulted in an investigation from a health and safety officer, “which resulted in three compliance directions,” he noted.
“One of the compliance directions we’ve received, our compliance plan has been approved, and we’re working on closing the last two out.”
Masse’s March 10 letter requested “immediate action” on behalf of federal, provincial and municipal authorities to enforce Sterling’s full safety compliance immediately.
“I also call for a full report of this analysis to be provided publically,” wrote Masse.
WorkSafeBC warns of increased risk of avalanches this winter
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.
Labour federation questions safety enforcement after construction fatality
VICTORIA, B.C. – The B.C. Federation of Labour (BCFED) is asking whether the provincial government and WorkSafeBC are doing enough to enforce occupational health and safety rules, following the death of construction worker Rolan Huetzelmann in Victoria on Jan. 15. Huetzelmann was killed by a fall of more than 10 metres after a gust of wind caused a plywood sheet to knock him off scaffolding, BCFED stated in a Jan. 20 news release. “Why Huetzelmann wasn’t using a safety harness while working three stories off the ground in high winds will be a central question for the workers’ compensation board to delve into,” BCFED president Irene Lanzinger said, as quoted in the release. “Surely… the provincial government through [WorkSafeBC] could issue weather advisory warnings to employers to direct them to implement appropriate safety procedures.” Lanzinger added that in the view of the Federation, any employer whose negligence leads to a worker fatality should face a prison sentence.
Four new subcommittees to focus on mining safety in Ontario
In the wake of recent amendments to the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) regarding the mining sector, the provincial Mining Legislative Review Committee has formed four new subcommittees to deal with the industry’s safety hazards.
As announced in a Jan. 3 press release from Workplace Safety North (WSN), which is a nonprofit organization that provides oh&s training and resources for northern Ontario industries, these subcommittees will focus on ground control, traffic management, water management and ventilation/industrial hygiene respectively. A hoisting subcommittee that already existed will continue to function, the release added.
“The reason for the change is to allow for the Review Committee to better align its resources and efforts with the priority health and safety hazards in the Ontario mining sector,” Bob Barclay, the provincial coordinator for mining with the province’s Ministry of Labour (MOL), said in a media statement. “These priority health and safety hazards were identified in the Mining Health, Safety and Prevention Review, which was completed in 2015.”
The Mining Health, Safety and Prevention Review made 18 recommendations to improve employee safety in the mining sector (COHSN, April 21, 2015). The MOL immediately accepted all of the recommendations, which included mandatory risk assessments by employers, mandatory water-management programs and formal traffic-management plans for mines.
“With the reorganization of the subcommittees, the Review Committee will become more focused, thereby allowing it to provide more information to the MOL,” added Barclay, “which we expect will result in health and safety improvements in the mining sector.
“These improvements may include regulatory changes, improved guidance for stakeholders and better health and safety knowledge.”
The subcommittee announcement came two days after a series of amendments to Regulation 854, the section of the OHSA regarding mines and mining plants, went into effect. The Jan. 1 changes to the Act require employers to assess and manage safety hazards, mine owners to develop water-management programs, employers to maintain traffic management and all seismic events to be recorded.
“Risk assessments are the building blocks for successful health and safety management systems,” WSN mining director Mike Parent said in a statement about the new laws. “Due to the levels of risk water impoundment and traffic bring to a mine, it’s important to conduct risk assessments, as they are essential in the development, implementation and maintenance of management programs for these hazards.”
Parent added that WSN offers onsite hazard-assessment services to help employers meet the updated requirements. “Our mining health and safety specialists include experts in ventilation, ground control and industrial hygiene, so we encourage companies to take advantage of this service.
“Everyone has a role to play, from frontline workers to health and safety committee members to management. That’s why it’s important for all levels to learn about the updated regulation.”
Government turns to public for input on dangerous goods
FEDERAL – Transport Canada (TC) has launched a website seeking feedback from shippers, inspectors, manufacturers and other interested individuals about updating the federal Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations. Announced in a TC news release on Dec. 6, LetsTalkTransportation.ca invites input from industry stakeholders, academics and others on how to improve training in working with dangerous goods and responding to railway incidents until Feb. 28. Also encouraged to provide feedback are First Nations groups and provincial, territorial and municipal government representatives. “My personal commitment… is to advance public safety through an enhanced rail safety program and an invigorated transportation-of-dangerous-goods program. This means ensuring those who work with dangerous goods regularly, and those who must respond if something should go wrong, receive the most comprehensive training possible,” Transport Minister Marc Garneau said in a media statement. “I hope that Canadians from communities across the country take part in the discussion on the website.” Garneau plans to attend the inaugural meeting of the Steering Committee on First Responder Training – a group of stakeholders that aims to help develop a national flammable-liquids curriculum for first responders – on Dec. 14, TC stated.
WorkSafeBC warns employers, workers about cold weather
RICHMOND, B.C. – A news release from British Columbia’s occupational health and safety authority has reminded the province’s employers that they need a plan to protect employees who work outdoors from below-zero temperatures this winter. Sent out on Dec. 7, the WorkSafeBC release stated that 72 B.C. workers had been injured by exposure to cold weather since 2011 and that one of them had died from it. Among WorkSafeBC’s prevention tips: follow weather forecasts; minimize employees’ skin exposure; equip workers with dry, layered clothing, including hats; and keep employees rested and hydrated. Employers should also conduct cold-stress assessments and implement control plans on cold exposure, the organization recommended. “Frostbite can occur in a matter of minutes without the proper clothing and equipment,” Dan Strand, WorkSafeBC’s director of prevention for field services, said in a press statement. “Construction labourers, trucking and transportation drivers, utility and maintenance workers and ski-hill operators are just a few of the many different occupations that require workers to perform their duties outside.” Frostbite, trench foot and hypothermia are among the injuries workers can sustain in extremely cold weather, WorkSafeBC cautioned.
Labour ministry offers tips on working safely in cold weather
EDMONTON, Alta. – As winter approaches and temperatures drop across Canada, the Alberta Ministry of Labour (MOL) is warning the province’s outdoor workers to start bundling up and keeping themselves warm. In a Nov. 25 announcement on the provincial government website, the MOL noted that extreme temperatures are a workplace hazard for many and that employers are obligated to reduce the risks of cold stress, hypothermia and other weather-related consequences. Among the steps employers can take are providing onsite heat sources, shielding employees from wind, creating heated shelters for work and/or breaks, establishing buddy systems and educating workers about the risks of the cold, the MOL stated. Meanwhile, employees should watch out for early signs of cold stress, like the following: shivering; loss of feeling in fingers, hands or toes, or trouble moving them; or mild frostbite. “Cold weather is a fact of life in Alberta,” said Christina Gray, the province’s Minister of Labour. “I encourage all employers and workers to know their rights and obligations when it comes to safety in the workplace, especially as the weather gets colder.” Age, medical conditions, poor overall health and lack of exercise can make a worker more vulnerable to the cold, the MOL added.
Grain farm fined $2,100 after failing to report worker injury
BLAINE LAKE, Sask. – A large grain farm in the village of Leask, Sask. has been convicted of failing to report a workplace accident to the province’s occupational health and safety authorities, following a worker injury that occurred on Oct. 29, 2014. That day, a falling tree tipped over a zoom boom on which an employee of Thunder Ridge Farms Ltd. was standing more than seven metres above the ground, according to an Oct. 12 news release from the provincial Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. The accident resulted in several broken bones for the worker. This year, the employer pleaded guilty in Blaine Lake Provincial Court, near Saskatoon, to failing to notify the Ministry’s oh&s division of a workplace injury that put the victim in a hospital for at least three days. “Employers and contractors are required to notify OHS if a worker sustains an injury,” the Ministry stated in the release. “The notice must contain the names and contact information of the employee and the employer, the date, time and location of the incident, a description of what happened and what the apparent injuries are.” On Oct. 6, the court ordered Thunder Ridge to pay a $1,500 fine, plus a $600 surcharge.
Nuclear regulator failing to document inspections properly, according to audit
FEDERAL – The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) needs to improve its paperwork regarding safety inspections of its nuclear plants, according to a report released by the Auditor General of Canada on Oct. 4. The audit, one of five recently carried out by the federal government on different industries, found that the regulator had failed to document its planning decisions sufficiently and could not show that it had an adequate, risk-informed process for plant inspections. The CNSC also did not always adhere to its own inspection procedures or issue final reports on corrections of regulatory violations on time, according to the audit report, which noted that 75 per cent of the Commission’s inspections had not used an approved guide. “This kind of lack of precision in a precision industry, I think, is really not acceptable,” said Environment and Sustainable Development Commissioner Julie Gelfand at an Ottawa press conference, a video of which is available online. “These mistakes should not happen when we’re dealing with nuclear power plants.” A CSNC news release, dated Oct. 4, stated that the regulator accepted the audit’s findings. “I have always welcomed peer reviews, international benchmarking, audits and evaluations as part of our commitment to continuous improvement,” said CNSC President and CEO Dr. Michael Binder in a press statement, adding that the Commission would address all of the report’s findings by the end of March.