Worksafe BC & Avalanche amendments

[Bogger]

Excerpt from the revised Worksafe BC regulations, won't matter to most but may effect the way clubs & organizations operate...

(9) On and after September 1, 2011, every active avalanche safety program approved before September 1, 2011 must have been prepared by, or reviewed and approved by,
(a) a qualified registered professional, or
(b) a qualified avalanche planner who is not a qualified registered professional but who meets the requirements of the CAA Recommended Minimum Training and Experience for Qualified Avalanche Planners published by the Canadian Avalanche Association in August 2008.
(10) If an avalanche safety plan specifies procedures to be followed by persons working in an avalanche risk zone, each person working in the risk zone must be trained in, and comply with, any procedures applicable to that person’s work.
Explanatory Note:
It is proposed to amend section 4.1.1 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (“OHSR”) by modifying the definition of “qualified avalanche planner”. Assessing avalanche risk and developing an appropriate avalanche safety plan requires the application of engineering and geoscience principles. The proposed change will ensure qualified registered professionals (engineers, foresters, geoscientists and registered forest technologists) are not restricted by the OHSR from carrying out the full scope of their professional practice.
The proposed change will also ensure section 4.1.1 continues to recognize there are people who are not qualified registered professionals but have through their training and experience, the knowledge and skill to carry out the role of qualified avalanche planner. These people will be professional members of the Canadian Avalanche Association, or certified guides and members of either the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides or the Canadian Ski Guide Association. After September 1, 2011, such people will need to meet the requirements of the CAA Recommended Minimum Training and Experience for Qualified Avalanche Planners published by the Canadian Avalanche Association in August 2008.
This proposed amendment will provide increased flexibility to stakeholders in achieving compliance with section 4.1.1.
AMENDMENTS FOR PART 4: GENERAL CONDITIONS
IN THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION
October 2010 Page 4 of 5
It is proposed to amend section 4.1.1(2) (a) through deletion of the reference to qualified avalanche planner. Since a qualified registered professional is required to be involved in the avalanche risk assessment for the workplaces specified in paragraph (a) it is redundant for the reference to qualified avalanche planner to be included. The qualified registered professional can coordinate the work and involve others with special expertise as necessary in preparing the avalanche risk assessment.
It is proposed to amend section 4.1.1(9) to make it compatible with the proposed new definition for qualified avalanche planner.

 

[Depsnolvr]

you have no idea.........on my way to pg for the show or I would share some info.

any club with a grooming program operating in "potential avalanche terrain" with compensated volunteers or employees is going to have some serious expense after sept 2011. Our plan alone was around 10000 after heli flight, equipment, staff work and plan creation and will be costly to implement. This is for a grooming operation considered to be low risk with a perfect operational history.

 

[ferniesnow]

Yes, Curtis! The minimal amount that clubs charge for "grooming fees" or membership will be greatly increased.

For one of these "professionals" to sign the dotted line (after he/she has completed a 15 page report on the avalanche issues and consulted with the Club to formulate a safety program) with all the liability issues and so forth, for each trail into the back country, will be major bucks.

The trail out of Elkford has 8 potential avalanche paths and most come down more than once during a winter! Each has to be assessed and probabilities worked out as well as a Safety Plan for the Club and the workers. If somehow it can be shown that the grooming and trail maintenance is done with volunteers, this will not be an issue.

But the cost of operating is not going down and we all know what BC really means.......Bring Cash!