Slide 1 Presentation to Fire Chiefs’ Association of BC Raymond Roch May 29, 2013 Copy of presentation provided to conference organizers. Notes have been added beneath most slides to provide more detail.
Slide 2 Agenda What is FIPI? Structure Goals Regulator Focuses Employer Letter Impact on Local Governments/Fire Dept. Impact on LAFCs FIPI Support for LAFCs Questions FCABC – May 29, 2013 FIPI - Fire Inspection and Prevention Initiative 2
Slide 3 What is FIPI? WorkSafeBC funded/Provincial Government supported initiative Vision: Enhance worker safety and improve Fire Code compliance in high-hazard, complex industrial facilities Scope: High-hazard complex wood processing facilities FCABC – May 29, 2013 FIPI - Fire Inspection and Prevention Initiative 3 British Columbia experienced worker fatalities in two separate combustible dust explosions in early 2012 at BC sawmills. These explosions killed 4 workers and injured another 42 workers, many suffering horribly painful and life-altering injuries. Since then, WorkSafeBC inspections of similar operations revealed many had unacceptable levels of combustible dust accumulation supporting the notion that many workplaces are not as safe as they think. Simultaneously, a closer examination of fire inspection processes in the province revealed inspectional and jurisdictional gaps related to Fire Code Inspections: • small municipalities may lack expertise and resources to conduct these inspections • inspections less likely in unincorporated areas • industrial operation s on First Nations Lands may not get consistent inspections Last October, in response to those findings, the provincial government announced the creation of the two year Fire Inspection and Prevention Initiative (FIPI) to be funded by WorkSafeBC. Through FIPI, the regulators intend to improve their cross-agency communication and collaboration with respect to ensuring high-risk complex facilities minimize the risk of low frequency, high consequence fire and/or explosion events from combustible dust accumulation. Scope: High-hazard complex wood processing facilities, for the purposes of FIPI, are classified as Type F in the BC Building Code and are: • Facilities identified in the WorkSafeBC Combustible Dust Strategy Phase 1& 2 (sawmills and other primary wood manufacturing operations), or • Facilities referred to the FIPI office by WorkSafeBC or BC Safety Authority field officers (e.g., secondary wood manufacturing operations), other manufacturing operations creating other types of combustible dusts, (e.g., plastic, fabric).
Slide 4 FIPI Structure Steering Committee * † Representation from industry and regulators FIPI Office Working Groups Referral Working Group * † LAFC Inspection Working Group * † Workplace Fire Prevention Working Group † Communications Working Group * * FCABC represented † FPOABC represented FCABC – May 29, 2013 FIPI - Fire Inspection and Prevention Initiative 4 Steering Committee – Representation from industry and regulators: • Office of Fire Commissioner (OFC) • Fire Chiefs’ Association of BC (FCABC) • Fire Prevention Officers’ Association of BC (FPOABC) • BC Building and Safety Standards Branch • Local Government Management Association (LGMA) • BC Safety Authority (BCSA) • WorkSafeBC (WSBC) • Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) • Justice Institute of BC (JIBC) • Manufacturing Advisory Group (MAG) • Council of Forest Industries (COFI) • United Steelworkers (USW) Referral Working Group – Representation from regulators • OFC / FCABC / FPOABC / BCSA / WSBC / AANDC / FIPI Office LAFC Inspection Working Group – Representation from regulators • OFC / FCABC / FPOABC / LGMA / FIPI Office Workplace Fire Prevention Working Group – Representation from industry • MAG/ USW/ FNESS / OFC / FPOABC / FIPI Office Communications Working Group – Representation from FIPI Steering Committee • COFI / FNESS / LGMA / OFC / FCABC / FIPI Office FNESS – First Nations Emergency Services Society
Slide 5 FIPI Work Plan Goals Compliance with BC Fire Code 1. Fire Safety Plan Minimize Combustible Dust Fire & Explosion Hazard Legacy training materials for: 2. Building owner/occupier/employer LAFCs Information Sharing MOU & Inspection Referral 3. System FCABC – May 29, 2013 FIPI - Fire Inspection and Prevention Initiative 5 FIPI Work Plan Goals: • Increased compliance with BC Fire Code in high hazard complex wood processing facilities with respect to fire and explosion hazards from accumulation of combustible dust through production processes or facility design. • Legacy training materials for workplace fire prevention education and Local Assistant to the Fire Commissioner (LAFC) Inspections. • MOU for information sharing and participation in an Inspection Referral System between WSBC, BCSA and Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC)/Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) inspectorates.
Slide 6 Regulator Focus Collaboration between 3 inspectorates responsible for: Fire Services Act and the BC Fire Code BC Safety Standards Act and the Safety Standards General Regulation Workers’ Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation FCABC – May 29, 2013 FIPI - Fire Inspection and Prevention Initiative 6 • The OFC and the municipal/regional AHJ through their fire departments and LAFCs – focus is on Fire Safety Plans as required by the BC Fire Code, including controlling combustible dust fire/explosion hazard both within the combustible dust collection system and in the general work area. • BC Safety Authority through their Safety Officers – focus is on regulated electrical and gas equipment installed within a classified (combustible dust) hazardous location that could spark or propagate an explosion. • WorkSafeBC through their Prevention Officers (Occupational Safety Officers and Occupational Hygiene Officers) – focus is on the functionality of the dust collection ventilation systems at preventing workplace dust accumulation and general workplace combustible dust accumulation. An unintended consequence of the three regulators fulfilling their obligations is that many, in industry, perceive that coordination and consistency is not present, that compliance requirements are unreasonable, and that training is of little value or too difficult to access.
Slide 7 Letter to Employers Informs employers of need to comply with BCFC Informs employers of Referral process Includes 5 Attachments to assist them meet their obligations Issue letter week of June 1 Copies to Local Governments and Fire Chiefs FIPI - Fire Inspection and Prevention Initiative 7 Letter will inform employers of need to have a current and effectively implemented fire safety plan addressing combustible dust and other fire and explosion hazards that may exist. Letter will inform them that all 3 regulators will soon be inspecting for compliance with the requirement to have a current and effectively implemented fire safety plan. To provide assistance to the employers, 5 attachments will accompany the letter: • Selection of Subject Matter Expert – Due Diligence • OFC Fire Safety Planning – Buildings Containing Wood Dust Producing Operations (this is a new OFC Document) • Strategies for Dust Mitigation and Ignition Source Control • Additional Sources of Information • FIPI Backgrounder Letter to employers will be issued during the week of June 1, 2013. LGMA and FCABC will ensure that the letter and attachments are posted and available for access by CAOs and Fire Chiefs.
Slide 8 Impact on Local Governments & Fire Departments Referrals Areas with no Local government Office of the Fire Commissioner Within Municipal boundaries Authority Having Jurisdiction OFC assistance to smaller communities upon request FIPI - Fire Inspection and Prevention Initiative 8 Referrals will be sent to the Authority Having Jurisdiction, i.e., the local government required to do inspections in accordance with the Fire Services Act. Upon request, the OFC will assist the local government especially in those smaller communities that don’t have a lot of experience in inspections. In the rural areas where there is no local government required to do inspections the OFC will coordinate inspections for those facilities.
Slide 9 Impact on Local Governments & Fire Departments (cont’d) AHJs most affected: Surrey (32), Abbotsford (23), Maple Ridge (14), Quesnel (14), Chilliwack (12), Langley Township (12), Prince George (12), Port Alberni (10), Williams Lake (10) AHJs with 5-9 sites: Central Kootenay Region, Municipality of N. Cowichan, Kamloops, Mission, Delta, Burns Lake, East Kootenay RD, Houston Vol. FD, Vanderhoof, Kelowna, Mackenzie, Richmond FIPI - Fire Inspection and Prevention Initiative 9 With the exception of a few AHJs, AHJs should not see significant increase in workload. • 33 AHJs have only one site • 27 AHJs have only two sites • 13 AHJs have only three sites • 11 AHJs have only four sites WorkSafeBC and BC Safety Authority are not blitzing this industry sector. They will visit these sites in the normal course of their business. Employers are being provided with information to help them comply.
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