Smoke rises from the Babine Forest Products mill on January 12, 2012. This one of two explosions at British Columbia sawmills killed two workers and injured 20.

Smoke rises from the Babine Forest Products mill on January 12, 2012. This one of two explosions at British Columbia sawmills killed two workers and injured 20.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press

Workers sue safety board over explosion

Employees of two sawmills are suing a government safety board over explosions in 2012 that killed four of their colleagues and injured 42 others, reports Canadian Press. The Babine Forest Products mill and the Lakeland Mill in the western province of British Columbia exploded within months of each other.

The class-action suit says wood dust fuelled the explosions.

Duty to care for workers

There are regulations about wood dust and the suit alleges the safety board, WorkSafeBC, failed in its duty to inspect the workplace to ensure rules were being observed. CP reports the civil claim charges the board violated its duty to care for the best interests of the workers.

Every province in Canada has government agencies set up to ensure safety in the workplace. They usually send inspectors on random visits but are never able to visit all work sites in their jurisdictions.

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