Ken Pedersen’s many safety achievements honoured with award

BC Forest Safety Council
June 19, 2018
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ken Pedersen, supply manager for Canfor Forest Management Group, received the 1st MaryAnne Arcand Memorial Safety Award at the Interior Safety Conference (ISC) held last month in Kamloops, part of the 60th Interior Logging Association’s annual convention and trade show. 

Ken was presented with the award by Matt Franks and Steve Mueller, on behalf of the ISC.

Steve explained that the award would be made annually and that nominations would be considered about an individual or group of individuals who had demonstrated outstanding work in improving the health and safety of forestry workers in BC’s interior, with a special focus on log hauling and forest worker health – an area that was near and dear to the late MaryAnne Arcand’s heart. She died from cancer just over four years ago and is remembered affectionately as bulldozer, “mom”, friend and safety champion who gave tirelessly of her time to further safety. MaryAnne was (From left) Matt Franks and Steve Mueller, present the MaryAnne Arcand Memorial Award to Ken Pedersen.especially driven to support the safety, health and wellness of log haulers.

Matt and Steve said it was fitting that Ken be the first recipient of the award. Ken is a founding member of the Trucking and Harvesting Advisory Group (TAG) which formed in 2013 and has always been a strong supporter of improving safety within the industry, demonstrated by his leadership with TAG as well as with his employer, Canfor. Ken has not only supported key initiatives through TAG but has also engaged Canfor’s senior leadership in that support as well. Since 2013, Ken has driven many safety and performance initiatives within Canfor and industry, including:

  • Improvement of incident data collection and analysis
  • Development of a road marshal/safety compliance officer program
  • Implementation of GPS monitoring
  • Development of log truck overweights management program
    Support of log truck driver fatigue best practices
  • Support of 60 long hauling safety seminars
  • Implementation of industry log hauling training standards
  • Implementation of log hauling professional assessment and endorsement program for existing drivers
  • Participation and endorsement of log securement/loader assist best practices.

In accepting the award, Ken expressed his appreciation. “Thank you, I appreciate it very much. I have been fortunate to work for a great company like Canfor and have really enjoyed being on TAG.”

Read the June issue of BC Forest Safety News here.

Read More