The Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC) and its Safety Committee are committed to fostering a safety culture across the forest products industry. One way we do this is by hosting safety events, including the 2026 Wood Pellet and Bioenergy Safety Summit, held in Prince George, British Columbia, last month.
The Summit brought together 30 industry leaders, safety professionals, and regulators for two days of focused discussion, collaboration, and learning. Co-hosted by the BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) and WorkSafeBC, the event emphasized a shared commitment to advancing safety practices across the sector, with sessions covering technical hazard prevention, operational excellence, worker well-being and mental health.
Advancing WPAC Safety Initiatives
Julie Griffiths, WPAC Safety Committee Chair and Production Supervisor at Shaw Renewables, presented on WPAC Safety Committee projects, highlighting key safety initiatives undertaken over the past year and outlining priorities for the future. Her session emphasized the importance of active participation from member organizations to strengthen safety outcomes across the industry.
Preventing Fires and Explosions in Rotary Drum Dryers
A technical session on rotary drum dryer safety was delivered by Jeff Johnston, Vice-President of Technical Operations at Drax, and Hamid Rezaei, PSM Execution Lead at WPAC. They shared insights from a working group report, including common failure modes, near misses, and practical operational guidance.
Jeff and Hamid highlighted key strategies for explosion prevention and process isolation, reinforcing the importance of learning from past incidents to prevent future high-consequence events.
From Concept to Practice: Process Safety Management
The conversation on safer systems continued with a session on process safety management (PSM), led by Hamid Rezaei and Frank Wall, Operations Superintendent at Premium Pellet.
Hamid outlined early implementation lessons from PSM initiatives and discussed next steps for broader adoption, including the Safety Committee’s main focus for PSM this year: process flow diagrams and the management of change element.
Frank discussed the importance of PSM implementationsand Premium Pellet’s commitment to PSM, including how PSM has evolved over the past few years and the plant’s early adoption strategy.
Their insights emphasized that successful PSM requires structured frameworks, strong leadership commitment, integration into everyday operations, and cross-organizational cooperation to accelerate the initiative’s progress.
Aligning with Provincial Safety Trends
Mike Tasker, Supervisor of High Hazard Operations, Risk Management and Compliance at WorkSafeBC, provided an overview of trending safety initiatives in British Columbia, offering a valuable regulatory perspective and highlighting emerging priorities.
Addressing Musculoskeletal Injuries
The afternoon session shifted focus to worker health, with an interactive workshop on musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) led by Jenny Colman, Human Factor Specialist at WorkSafeBC, and Kia Lidster, Registered Occupational Hygienist and Occupational Hygiene Specialist at WorkSafeBC.
Through real-world examples and group exercises, Colman and Lidster explored ergonomic risks in pellet plants and shared practical strategies to reduce strain-related injuries. Attendees used tools, carts and measurement tools in a variety of postures to learn about mechanical factors, such as vibrations and tensions that can cause MSIs. The session emphasized proactive design and worker engagement as key components of injury prevention.
Expanding the Focus to Mental Health
The second day of the summit centred on Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Essentials, led by Udeepa Wijerantne, Coordinator at the Health and Safety Centre of the BC Federation of Labour.
This session broadened the definition of workplace safety to include psychological well-being. Participants learned how to recognize early signs of mental health challenges, respond with empathy, and take appropriate action during times of crisis, while also helping to reduce stigma and build more supportive workplace cultures.
A Holistic Approach to Safety
The WPAC Safety Summit underscored that building a safer wood pellet and bioenergy industry requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach. From technical hazard mitigation and process safety systems to ergonomics and mental health, each session reinforced that safety is both a shared responsibility and a continuous journey. In the spirit of openness, the presentations for many of the Summit sessions are available on pellet.org.
Ongoing Safety Events
WPAC has a series of upcoming virtual events this year, including safety huddles on standard operating procedures for winter truck loading/unloading, the rules for developing a process flow diagram, and webinars on the safe operation of rotary drum dryers and safe wood pellet storage. Keep an eye out for dates on the events page of pellet.org.
Safety events are one of the many ways that help strengthen industry knowledge, share best practices and foster a culture in which safety remains a core value for all participating organizations. Participation in safety activities helps ensure that lessons learned, emerging risks, and innovative solutions are shared across the sector, protecting workers, facilities, and communities. Our Safety Committee is open to anyone in the industry. We meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 11:00 am Pacific time. Join us!
Dr. Fahimeh Yazdan Panah is the Associate Executive Director of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada.