After more than 14 years since fatal explosions at sawmills in Burns Lake and Prince George in northern British Columbia, new and stricter regulations are set to govern combustible dust in workplaces. The incidents in 2012 at Babine Forest Products and Lakeland Mills resulted in four fatalities and over 40 injuries, with wood dust identified as the fuel for the explosions according to reports from WorkSafeBC.
In response to the tragic events, WorkSafeBC, the province’s workplace regulator, has approved amendments to its regulations in November 2025. The amendments will mandate employers to implement enhanced measures to manage and control the accumulation of various types of combustible dust. These changes are scheduled to take effect on January 4, 2027.
The revised regulations will now encompass a wider range of combustible dust, including metal, chemical, and plastics, in addition to wood dust. This expansion is welcomed by the United Steelworkers (USW) District 3 union, with a representative expressing gratitude for reaching this milestone. However, recognizing the impact on those who lost loved ones or were injured in the explosions, the union hopes that the new regulations will prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
Under the updated rules, workers will have a role in developing plans to mitigate combustible dust, ensuring their involvement in the safety process. The revision process for combustible dust regulations began in 2018, prompting questions from USW District 3 about the lengthy delay in updating the rules.
While acknowledging the progress, USW District 3’s Health Safety Environment Co-ordinator, Ed Kent, notes that the 14-year timeframe to reach this point is deemed excessive by the union. WorkSafeBC has indicated that employers will receive additional guidance on the new regulations before they go into effect next year.
