Technical Paper: Ontario's Logging Sector Root Cause Analysis Workshop Results and Next Steps

A volunteer group of labour and management subject matter experts, supported by the Forestry Tripartite Committee, met face-to-face to conduct a risk assessment of the hazards in Ontario’s logging industry, and later, a root cause analysis of its top health and safety risk.

The experts’ root cause analysis workshop determined the top 10 causal factors as well as specific controls for each. Next steps include an immediate focus on the five most common systemic weaknesses regarding collisions or contact between mobile equipment, pedestrians, light vehicles, and/or fixed facilities causing harm to workers and workplace health and safety:

• Deficient vehicles or older equipment with inadequate maintenance 
• Inadequate/limited support of safety programs (Internal Responsibility System) 
• Inconsistent competency-based on-the-job driver training 
• Lack of fit for duty program awareness and implementation 
• Limited or insufficient standards and coordination of company/Ministry of Transportation highway maintenance

View related poster and workshop results presentation.