This Late Night Friday Before Long Weekend In Clarkland...Babine FP's Coroner's Inquest Response From Minister Responsible.

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The Coroner's Inquest into the deaths of Robert Luggi and Carl Charlie at the Babine mill's dust-fueled explosion has concluded and, after ruling the tragedy an accident, the jury and the coroner have a total of 41 recommendations and they've called on Worksafe BC to make things better according to Charelle Eveyln's piece in the PG Citizen:

...(Presiding coroner Chico) Newell also highlighted the shaky fire inspection record at the mill, which sits on native-owned land.

Evidence presented during the inquest revealed a lack of regulation regarding fire inspections on unincorporated and First Nations lands.

As part of his testimony, Burns Lake fire chief Jim McBride said the mill was subject to regulation by the federal fire marshal, who McBride said he might have met once in his 17 years heading his department.

Newell called on WorkSafe and the office of the Fire Commissioner to collaborate to create a regulation for an annual fire inspection and for the provincial Minister of Justice to ensure the office has the necessary resources to inspect industrial facilities on those lands. He also recommended changes to the province's Fire Services Act so that that the B.C. Fire Code applies to unincorporated and First Nations land...


And what does the Minister responsible, Ms. Shirley Bond, have to say about that?

Well.

As you might expect, it's...

Blah-blah-blah talk in the form of a press release:

Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour Shirley Bond released the following statement in response to the B.C. Coroners Service Babine inquest jury recommendations:

“This has been a very difficult process for the community and the families involved and again I want to extend my condolences to those who were injured or lost loved ones in the Babine mill tragedy.

“I want to thank the inquest jury for these recommendations that will help to guide future actions to keep workers safe. The jury has issued recommendations to a wide variety of agencies including the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour, to various other provincial government bodies and external organizations.

“The Babine Forest Products Inquest (July 31, 2015) jury recommendations received today will be reviewed and inform the efforts already underway across government to ensure worker safety. These efforts include the complete review of the jury recommendations from the Lakeland Mill Inquest (May 14, 2015). Government intends to report back in writing to the coroner on the work being done on all of the recommendations.”

And, as you might also expect, the press release from the good Minister had no link to the actual decision and recommendations.

Luckily, the regional division of the MoCo has put them up for the six or eight of us, plus the families and loved ones involved, will actually read this weekend.

Sheesh.


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