Kenny's Loggin' – Safety at Menzies Bay

Apr 25, 2024 - one year ago

One of the first experiences I had with any kind of Safety Program was grade six at Campbellton Elementary School.

Kenny's Loggin' – Safety at Menzies Bay — Fallers at M&B Menzies Bay receiving Safety Award.
Photo courtesy Gordie Lee Collection.

I volunteered to serve on the School Safety Program. In the mornings when Gordie Lee and I got to school, we would get our signs and help the students across the three crosswalks near our school. Grades one and two were dismissed half an hour earlier than the rest of the students, our job was to line up these kids and escort them across the crosswalks.

This safety training would come in handy a couple years later when I was riding with my Dad (foreman for Norie Bros. Logging) for the summer. “I’m going to send you with old Bill the hooker to give him a hand stringing some strawline,” he said.

“You have to look after yourself out here,” Bill told me. “Always be scanning the logging activity.” Working in logging was a dangerous occupation. When you worked on the crew it was a team; everybody working together to get some logs.

In the camps I worked at, there was no official safety program. When I was working with Sam at Nories, the Workmen’s Compensation Board (WCB) wanted the crews to have safety meetings and keep records of them. Bill the manager told Sammy to have a safety meeting. In the morning Sam took two guys and had a safety meeting. Two rigging crews and only two men attended the meeting. Sam gave one guy paper and pen and told him to write down the names, date, and all items attended to, and that was the safety meeting! The rest of the crew found out about it on the way home in the crummy.

After I started at M&B Menzies Bay, I was working third man on the grapple yarder. Me and the hooker were in the crummy talking and watching the logs coming into the landing, when another crummy drives into the landing.

“Who is it?” the hooker asked.

“It looks like Russ Waller,” I replied.

The hooker said, “Safety Meeting!”

The hooker called the operator on the radio to come down for a safety meeting. Off of the machine came the operator, and we had a talk for well over an hour. We discussed what happened at the latest safety meeting, union business, and anything else we wanted to talk about. I was quite amazed that we would stop production to have this meeting. I would eventually learn about the tremendous amount of money safety would cost.

Later, I’m thinking the “safety rep. job” looks kind of interesting, and wondered how to get it. The Union and management made up the safety program. Each department had a union rep and a management rep. Seven departments in all so about fifteen to twenty people at a meeting. I had to go to a union meeting and get someone to nominate me for the job. There was a safety meeting and safety tour every month. When there was an accident or incident it had to be investigated and corrective action was to be taken. In a month, about half of the days I was to be busy with safety stuff and didn’t have to do any manual labour. I got to use my brain instead of having to put the caulk boots on — LOL! Attending safety seminars, organizing company picnics, and making safety calendars were some of the things I did.

Once a year, the “Job Safety Analysis” had to be reviewed and updated. This book had all the jobs for each department listed, with hazards listed and corrective action to be taken. When an employee was to do a different job, the foreman for that department would go over the “job safety analysis” to prevent them from getting hurt.

There was always lots of swag given out by M&B. Badges, stickers, pins, hats, coats, and cups. Safety milestones were always recognized with some employees getting over fifty years accident free.

Ken Wilson worked in the logging industry in B.C. for over 50 years. Ken is a regular contributor to Supply Post newspaper with his column “Kenny’s Loggin’”, and resides on Vancouver Island, B.C.