Crews Working Wild: Bear Awareness

Yes. Under the general duty clauses of all provincial OHS Acts and the Canada Labour Code, Part II, employers must identify and control all workplace hazards - including wildlife. In bear country, this means conducting hazard assessments before work begins, establishing written safe work procedures, supplying bear spray and deterrents, and ensuring all workers receive training before entering the field. Alberta's OHS Act (Section 3) and BC's Workers Compensation Act (Section 21) both explicitly require employers to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that workplaces are free from risks to worker health and safety, and wildlife hazards fall squarely within that obligation.

Bears leave several visible clues even when not seen directly. Look for tracks (grizzly claws leave marks well ahead of the toe pads; black bear claws are shorter and sit close to the toes), fresh scat showing berries, grass, or animal hair, diggings in soil, claw marks or rubbed fur high on tree trunks, and overturned rocks or torn-up logs. A partially buried or covered carcass is a serious warning - a bear will defend it aggressively. If you find fresh signs, treat the area as active bear territory, increase noise-making, and report immediately to your supervisor before continuing work.

Yes. All Canadian provincial OHS legislation recognizes three basic worker rights, one of which is the right to refuse unsafe work when a worker has reasonable grounds to believe a situation poses an undue hazard - and an uncontrolled bear encounter risk can qualify. The refusal must be reported immediately to a supervisor and handled according to company procedures and the applicable provincial OHS Act. This is a protected right; workers cannot be disciplined or penalized for exercising it in good faith.

The correct response is opposite in each case, and getting it wrong is dangerous. In a defensive encounter - where a bear is protecting cubs or a food source - speak calmly, back away slowly, deploy bear spray if the bear is within 6–9 metres, and if physical contact occurs, play dead: lie face down with hands clasped behind your neck until the bear leaves and you are certain it is gone. In a predatory encounter, the bear approaches silently without warning and does not stop - playing dead will not work. Fight back aggressively with any available tool (rocks, sticks, fists) and aim for the face and eyes.

A bear's sense of smell is estimated to be 2,100 times stronger than a human's - cooking odours from a camp kitchen can draw bears from several kilometres away. The most significant attractants are unsecured food and garbage, cooking smells, and scented personal items like toothpaste, deodorant, and certain chemicals. Control measures include storing all food, garbage, and scented items in bear-proof containers or locked vehicles; packing out all waste (never burying or burning it); cleaning up food spills immediately; and maintaining a clean camp. Travelling in groups rather than alone and avoiding headphones in the field further reduce the risk of a surprise encounter.