New combustible dust rules to go into effect at B.C. workplaces, 14 years after deadly explosions
In 2012, two separate mill explosions in northern B.C. killed 4 people, were fueled by wood dust
More robust rules are coming to regulate combustible dust in B.C. workplaces, more than 14 years after two separate deadly explosions in northern B.C. sawmills were fueled by wood dust.
In 2012, the explosions in Burns Lake and Prince George led to four deaths and over 40 injuries at the Babine Forest Products and Lakeland Mills.
The explosions were fueled by wood dust dispersed in the air, according to WorkSafeBC reports. Subsequent inquiries included multiple calls to properly mitigate combustible dust.
WorkSafeBC, the province's workplace regulator, passed amendments to its regulations in November 2025 that it says will require employers to "implement more robust measures to control and manage the accumulation of all types of combustible dusts."
A spokesperson said the changes, which go into effect on Jan. 4, 2027, clarify that other types of dust may also be combustible — including metal, chemical and plastics.
The changes are being celebrated by the United Steelworkers (USW) District 3 union, with a representative saying they were very thankful they've gotten to this point.
"I think it is a very good regulation, but it doesn't change anything for those people ... that [have] lost family members, and the fact that people were were injured," said Ed Kent, the health safety environment co-ordinator for USW District 3.
"So, you know, hoping that this does create some sense of relief for them, possibly that with these regulations in place, we don't have these types of events occur."
Kent said that the changes mean that workers would be involved in developing combustible dust mitigation plans, and the regulations would now apply to all types of combustible dust, not just wood dust.
He said the process for reviewing combustible dust regulations first began in 2018, and he questions why it took authorities this long to update the rules.
"The fact that it took 14 years to get to this point, from our point of view ... it is an excessive amount of time to get here, we believe," Kent added.
The WorkSafeBC spokesperson said that it would be providing employers with additional guidance about the new rules before they come into place next year.
With files from Hanna Petersen