“While we are pleased no criminal or regulatory charges will be approved by Crown Counsel, we never will forget the terrible tragedy and the resulting effects on our employees, their families and the community of Burns Lake. We have done our best in the aftermath to care for our affected employees and their families and mitigate the impact on the community,” said Steve Zika, CEO of Hampton Affiliates.
“We have fully cooperated with both WorkSafeBC and the B.C. Safety Authority in their extensive investigations of the incident. While we have not seen their official investigation reports, we doubt the actual cause of the explosion will ever be known. We believe the cause was related to combustible pine beetle dust and have worked with the Forest Industry Task Force in conjunction with WorkSafe to develop new safety processes to dramatically reduce the risk of future such accidents. Consistent with industry research and BCSA recommendations, the new Babine sawmill contains state-of-the art equipment and systems to collect sawdust at machine sources. It also has equipment, building and floor plans designed to facilitate clean-up and reduce areas where sawdust can accumulate.
“We anticipate the new Babine sawmill starting up in early February with the next thirty days focused on completing construction and training our returning employees,” concluded Zika.
Babine Forest Products and Decker Lake Forest Products sawmills are a joint venture operated by Hampton Affiliates in partnership with the Burns Lake Native Development Corporation (BLNDC) of Burns Lake, B.C. BLNDC is comprised of six First Nations to identify and develop economic ventures and initiatives for and with Aboriginal people of the Lakes District.
