The Forest Practices Board is questioning the safety of more than two dozen bridges on forestry roads in the British Columbia Interior.
A board investigation found 19 bridges that were obviously unsafe and another 13 bridges that were questionable. The study looked at 216 bridges built since 2010 in five forest districts - Vanderhoof, Cariboo Chilcotin, Rocky Mountain, Chilliwack, and Okanagan Shuswap.
According to FPB board chair Tim Ryan, the board “found numerous non-compliances
with legislation and over two dozen bridges that may not be safe for industrial use.”
Forty per cent of the bridges surveyed did not have complete plans and for 74 bridges, the required sign-off by a professional that the bridge was designed and built correctly was not completed.
“The problem is not the lack of legislation or guidance by professional associations,” said Ryan. “The problem is that some professionals are not performing to the standards government and the public expect. We are recommending that the professional associations that govern foresters and engineers take action to improve performance by their members. We also suggest that licensees ensure their bridges are safe and government compliance and enforcement staff increase their attention to bridge safety.”
In addition to the focused study of bridges, the Forest Practices Board continued to do its routine schedule of forest practices audits, and this included 26 licensees in the Prince George forest district. Another unsafe bridge was found in that process. Additionally, one licensee was found to have operated during a restricted time period without an adequate fire suppression system in place.
The other 24 licensees were found to be appropriately compliant with forestry rules and regulations.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, reporting its findings and recommendations directly to the public and government. The board can investigate and report on current forestry and range issues and make recommendations for improvement to practices and legislation.
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