On November 15 & 16, 2023, more than 50 participants from wood pellet producers, operators, suppliers, and regulators from across Canada met to discuss evolving trends and regulatory topics. It was hosted by the Wood Pellet Association of Canada’s (WPAC’s) Safety Committee, in cooperation with the BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC), WorkSafeBC, and media partner Canadian Biomass. We gratefully acknowledge WorkSafeBC for its generous funding of this program. 

The summit provided an update on current safety initiatives that are creating a safer foundation for our industry. We heard from operators about their key learnings and experiences to date and identified priorities for 2024. 

We also examined future trends in safety, such as process safety management (PSM), how it will impact the way workplace hazards are handled, and what the industry can do to be prepared for new PSM regulations. 

On the second day, participants attended a WorkSafeBC workshop about the Human Factor Approach to Safety and the 7-step Methodology to Improve Worker Interactions to Drive Safety. 

The presentation below are the slides from November 15th.

Visit Wood Pellet and Bioenergy Safety Summit Summary for more information on the event.