Industry News

Faller Trainees take to the woods
A group of students from the BC Forest Safety Council faller training program have completed their 30-day formal instruction program at a worksite near Port Alberni. They demonstrated their new falling skills to employers and Council representatives before being hired by falling contractors and heading into a 6-month work experience program. 

The 8 trainees, representing the new face of safe logging, completed the first part of the Council’s New Faller Certification Program at Malaspina University-College in Nanaimo. The comprehensive training program started with 5 days of class work followed by 25 days of closely supervised field training. 

The trainees are now starting the second part of the program that includes up to 180 days of actual falling experience with a forestry employer. Trainees who successfully complete the training and work experience program are entitled to take a written exam followed by a field evaluation to become a certified faller. 

This program represents an industry first, where safe falling practices are taught in both the classroom and the workplace. It leads to the certification that is now necessary to work as a faller in BC. More than 3,000 working fallers have already stepped up to be evaluated and received certification over the 18-month mandatory certification period.

In 2007, new faller training will be offered throughout BC, with the BC Forest Safety Council monitoring the quality of the training.

To find out more about the new faller certification program, visit the Council’s website at www.bcforestsafe.org or call 250 724-2813.

Faller Safety Survey
3,300 professional fallers in BC were asked to participate in a survey on attitudes toward safety and the BC Forest Council Faller Certification Program. Approximately 1,300 fallers participated in the survey and all were entered in a draw for the prizes, which were donated by Stihl and Husqvarna.

Pacific BioEnergy Drives Last Spike
Reminiscent of the last spike at Craigellachie in 1885, Pacific BioEnergy Corporation drove their “last spike” to celebrate the completion of their rail siding at the site of their new pellet plant development in Prince George. John Rustad, MLA for Prince George-Omineca, was joined by Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsley, Pacific BioEnergy CEO Scott Folk, and Director Don Gould, in driving the last spike, surrounded by an audience of local and regional politicians, supporters, employees, and invited media. 

“We wanted to mark and celebrate this important step of our new plant development while thanking those who have supported us along the way,” said Scott Folk, Chief Executive Officer of Pacific BioEnergy Corporation. “As the original last spike ceremony marked the beginning of a prosperous future for Canada, our ‘last spike’ marks a prosperous future for our company,” added Folk.

The new rail siding can accommodate over 60 rail cars, up from their current 11, and is the first phase of a new pellet plant project that will be complete in the summer of 2007. Once finished, the new plant will increase existing production capacity by 20,000 metric tonnes to 160,000 metric tonnes per year. The plant has also been designed to process in excess of 300,000 metric tonnes pending the company’s ability to secure long-term, cost-effective fibre, which will enable them to meet the ever-increasing world demand for bioenergy. Pacific BioEnergy is a part of the solution for dealing with the mountain pine beetle crisis by producing a value-added product from wood that would otherwise be burned or landfilled.

Commercial Solutions Wins Customs Clearance Approval
Edmonton-based Commercial Solutions has become the first Prairie company to be granted certification for self-assessed customs clearance and accounting. The company was certified by the Canada Border Services Agency under its Customs Self Assessment (CSA) program.

Floyd Smith, the company’s Procurement and Logistics Manager, said, “This gives us a great advantage for our customers, who are urgently needing imported supplies. Being able to receive goods directly, rather than waiting for them to go through customs at the airport, saves our customers at least a day, if not more.” 
Smith explained that, while the new certification is important at the moment, the potential is even greater when the projected new US border regulations are set in force. “At that time, customs clearance could take 2-3 days.”