Avalanche risk assessment - Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural ...

eferred to as the “officer responsible for avalanche risk management.” In
larger organizations, that officer does not do all the work, but provides
policy and advice on setting up risk management systems and then monitors
what is being done.
An avalanche accident and incident log should be maintained to assess
the frequency of avalanche hazards encountered in the forest. A proactive
approach to record-keeping will function only if the workers and management
view the process in a positive light with an objective of
improving occupational health and safety. Contractors should not be
penalized for tracking or reporting incidents or for making conservative
decisions regarding their own safety.
Accident and Incident Logs
It must be recognized that while an incident
and accident log can help a forest company
plan its response to the avalanche hazard, it
may fail to give adequate warning if the
operating environment changes. Logging
operations moving into steeper terrain or
higher elevations, or operations that
encounter an unusual combination of
weather and snowpack conditions, may face
an abrupt increase in the avalanche risk.
Fatalities
Accidents
Non-injury incidents
figure 78 Typical ratios of non-injury industrial
incidents to injurious accidents and to fatalities.
Many studies of industrial accidents
indicate that a large
number of non-injury incidents
are precursors of accidents and
fatalities (Figure 78).
3.3 OWNERSHIP OF RISK IN
FOREST OPERATIONS
It is recommended that an
overview avalanche risk assessment
be undertaken for portions
of the operating area, as a part of
“total chance planning,” where
harvesting is planned for slopes
steeper than 30° (58%), especially
in areas of high snow supply.
This may be achievable by a combination
of air photo
interpretation, gis analysis, and
limited field verification. In high
snow supply areas, it is appropriate
for the qualified registered
professional to incorporate a
more detailed avalanche assessment
at the block level as a part
of a terrain stability field assessment.
56 Snow Avalanche Management in Forested Terrain