Safety

Safety is a primary concern during on-site work, and will be an important part of your restoration planning. You should identify and mitigate any potential hazards in advance, and plan for the proper safety gear, equipment, and procedures. You'll also need to consider whether your plans will pose a hazard to the public, either during the work or after the work is complete. An example of a public hazard is girdled trees near a walking trail. These trees will eventually snap and pose a hazard as they fall.

Potential Safety Hazards Heavy machinery Power tools and hand tools Remoteness Lack of safety plans & equipment Un-heeded safety procedures Communications and vehicle breakdowns Poison ivy, nettles Wild animals and snakes Ticks, wasps and bees Steep slopes "Snags" Swift water Foul weather

Dave Polster Note the hard hats and high visibility clothing, necessary for safety reasons.

You will need to be familiar with Workers' Compensation Board procedures to avoid accidents and to ensure coverage if someone gets injured. If one of your WCB hazards are 'snags', (wildlife trees) you should minimize their removal; Wildlife Tree Assessors are available to assess their risk, and no-work zones can be created to ensure that these important habitat elements are not lost due to safety concerns.

Safety Equipment and Procedures
	Hold tailgate safety meetings regularly stressing proper lifting, tool use safety, and reporting accidents and injuries.
	Follow Workers Compensation Board regulations but avoid loss of important ecological elements such as wildlife trees (“snags”).
	Maintain appropriate first aid kits and supplies.
	Plan for communications (the ability to call an ambulance or helicopter if needed).
	Plan for emergency medical evacuation.
	All workers should have personal safety gear; the type will depend on the project. Safety gear includes:
hard hat gloves appropriate boots (may be hard toed) safety glasses high visibility vest proper foul weather gear