Black Bear Encounter Safety Policy

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Black Bear Encounter Safety Policy

• Ministry of Natural Resources

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Introduction

• MNR undertakes a variety of operations that
  involve employees working in black bear habitat,
  occasionally this may result in an encounter
• Objective To provide an overview of the policy
  and ensure that you understand all of your
  responsibilities as related to policy
  requirements

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Scope

• All MNR employees who may be required to work in
  field locations known to be black bear habitat
• All contractors
• Any MNR employee responsible for storage and/or
  transportation of Ministry issued bear spray
• Policy can be located in Outlook under public
  folders-Natural Resources-HealthSafety

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Purpose

• To ensure individuals to whom this policy applies
  are aware of the ways to prevent and respond to a
  black bear encounter
• Policy does not govern nuisance bear management
• Will provide a means for employees to request
  bear spray and address the hazards associated
  with its use
• Requirements under OHSA and Criminal Code of
  Canada (prohibited weapons)

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Training Standard

• All staff must receive training or instruction in
  black bear awareness and encounter techniques and
  review material in Appendix one of policy, before
  working in field
• Will view two videos

• Staying Safe in Bear Country
• Working in Bear Country

• Appendix two, specific training in bear spray
  safe work procedures, must be completed if spray
  is issued/responsible for storage or transport

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Mandatory Requirements

• Records of training must be kept on file at the
  workplace and made available to JHSC
• A supervisor may only grant an employees request
  for bear spray if
• 1.The individual received training per
  appendix one
• 2. The individual received training
  per appendix two
• 3. If the individual has a medical
  condition ( allergy, asthma) a
  clearance/approval must be obtained from a
  physician

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Mandatory Requirements

• Bear spray canisters are to be a maximum size of
  260 grams and must display a pesticide control
  product act registration
• A bear spray inventory form must be filled out
  and kept on file for all bear spray being issued
• Any lost canisters of spray are to be reported to
  supervisor and issuer
• All employees must carry a whistle, air-horn or
  both while engaged in field activities

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Mandatory Requirements

• If issued bear spray an employee must
• 1. Store in a locked cabinet or other secure
  place when not in field
• 2. Transport in a vehicle in such a way that
  accidental discharge will not effect occupants
  (not in passenger compartment)
• 3. Not transport in aircraft (MNR/Commercial).
  Turbo Beaver float compartments only
• 4. In field carry in manner that provides
  immediate access
• 5. Ensure it is not shared or available to
  anyone not properly trained or instructed
• 6. Return any discharged or partially discharged
  canister for replacement

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Mandatory Requirements

• All issued spray remains property of the MNR, and
  must be returned
• 1. At the end of the field session
• 2. When their employment with MNR ends
• 3. Following accidental or intentional
  discharge for replacement
• 4. Upon request from the MNR
• Any instances of discharge (except training),
  must be documented and reported to
• 1. The Supervisor
• 2. The local JHSC
• 3. The Occupational Health and Safety Unit in
  the HR Branch

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Mandatory Requirements

• If transporting an air-horn by aircraft, three
  conditions must be followed
• 1. The air-horn must contain
  tetrafluorethane, so that it will
• not fall under dangerous goods (IATA
  legislation )
• 2. It must be disassembled, and a cover
  placed on the canister valve
• 3. The pilot must be advised of the presence
  of the air-horn
• Where the ministry has contracted for services of
  another employer, confirmation must be obtained
  from the contractor that they are aware of the
  policy

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Responsibilities

• Managers
• 1. Review work activities to determine policy
  application
• 2. Ensure mandatory requirements are implemented
  in local operating procedures
• 3. Provide the local JHSC or Health and Safety
  Rep with a copy of the policy
• Supervisors
• 1. Ensure employees have all required
  training/instruction
• 2. Confirm employees are complying with bear
  safety working procedures
• 3. Ensure all records ( training, storing and
  issuing ) are maintained
• 4. Account for all bear spray in the workplace
• 5. Review all reports of bear spray use, conduct
  investigation if required, report any cases to
  Occupational Health and Safety Unit and local
  JHSC

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Responsibilities

• Employees/Workers
• 1. Works in compliance to the policy, training
  and instruction provided and uses issued spray
  only in accordance to Ministry instructions
• 2. Does not use bear spray that appears to be
  defective or unsafe, notifies supervisor of such
  incidents
• 3. Reports any black bear encounter where
  employee felt threatened, and reports any use of
  bear spray (accidental or intentional)
• JHSC or Health and Safety Rep
• 1. Monitors the application of policy as part or
  regular committee duties

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Black Bear Awareness and Encounter Techniques

• Hazards and Situations
• 1. Activities that require frequent
  stooping/bending, increase chance of a surprise
  encounter. Stand up and scan often
• 2. Working in thick bush or under noisy
  conditions (windy, rivers)
• 3. Seasonal food sources ( spawning, various
  berries, dumps). Also the smell of rotting
  carrion. ( a presence of scavengers, ie. Ravens
  may indicate a rotting carcass)
• 4. Fresh Bear sign, ( moist vs. older dry sign )
  learn to recognize, scat, tracks, recent
  digging, recent feeding areas, marking
  trees/posts
• 5. Females with cubs, especially in the spring (
  unwilling to move ). Will usually send cubs up a
  large tree making a distinct sound
• 6. A close encounter with cubs may result in
  vocalizing, huffing, moaning or jaw popping or a
  bluff charge
• 7. Dogs are not advised
• 8. Base sites or camps often attract bears, take
  appropriate actions before bear activity starts

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Preventative Measures

• Stay alert, pay attention, take advantage of
  increased lines of sight ( ridge tops )
• Making frequent noise when moving may limit the
  chance of startling a bear
• Avoid wearing perfumes/colognes that may cause a
  bear to investigate the smell
• If carrying food, ensure it is in an airtight
  container
• Avoid carcasses, if you do come on one, walk
  slowly away in a direction that is open
• If you see a bear, move away in a direction that
  gives the bear an escape route.

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Preventative Measures

• Bears will travel over 100kms to a food source
• The majority of problems occur due to improperly
  stored garbage/food, bears can quickly associate
  humans to food sources
• Bears will lose their natural fear of humans with
  repeated exposures to a food source and may
  become destructive or dangerous
• Never intentionally feed bears, even from a
  vehicle
• Besides garbage dumps, pet food left outdoors,
  compost, fruit trees, beehives, bbq, bird
  feeders, sweetcorn and grain fields may attract
  bears

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Preventative Measures

• Avoid camp areas often used by others
• Plan your camp to reduce the likelihood of
  setting up near abundant natural food sources
• Select a site that is open and provides good
  viewing prior to stepping out of
  tent/trailer/cabin
• Keep site clean, dont burn food scraps or fat in
  fire pit
• Do not cook, eat or store food/toiletries in your
  tent
• If bears become aggressive and enter
  tent/trailers, think about installing electrical
  fencing

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Encounter Techniques-Common Encounter

• A bear may avoid you without your knowledge, the
  bear will sense human activity and leave without
  you knowing it was present
• If sighted from a distance the bear may leave the
  area
• The bear runs in the opposite direction when it
  first sees you, the bear wants to avoid human
  contact
• If a bear seems unconcerned with your presence it
  usually means you are outside its personal space.
  The bear may be feeding, do not approach

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Encounter Techniques-Close Encounter

• A bear that does not avoid you could be curious,
  asserting dominance or in extremely rare cases be
  predatory
• Surprise- most encounters that lead to contact
  are caused by the bear being startled at close
  range
• A bears personal space differs from bear to bear
• A bear will show signs when you are entering its
  personal space (a change in body posture such as
  head down, eyes narrowed or ears back). This may
  lead to snorting or huffing, jaw popping,
  avoiding eye contact, swatting vegetation, foot
  stomping and finally a bluff charge

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Reasons why a bear will approach

• Defensive- you are too close, the bear will show
  signs of stress
• Curious- bear may stand, ears forward, nose in
  air, information gathering not threatening
• Testing Dominance- bear may glance your way with
  ears up and no stress signs
• Food Conditioned-has associated humans to a food
  source without any previous bad experiences
• Predatory-eyes fixed, following you, may press
  closer and closer assessing if it is safe to
  attack. This is extremely rare

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Your Response

• Depends on circumstances and bear behaviour
• If acting defensively, assess and respond
• Remain calm, stand your ground, do not run. Raise
  your arms and talk to bear in calm voice. You are
  assuring the bear you are not a threat
• Try to slowly move upwind and back away from the
  bear the way you came, always keep your eyes on
  the bear
• You cannot outrun a bear

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Your Response

• If you must continue forward give the bear time
  to leave. Make noise and proceed with caution.
• A female with cubs does not want to risk any
  injury to her offspring, give lots of personal
  space
• Predatory like behaviour may just mean you are in
  the intended path of the bear, move slowly away
  leaving a clear path for the bear
• If you have responded accordingly and the bear is
  still intent and focused on you, its time to
  become aggressive

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Becoming Aggressive

• Make yourself appear as large as possible

• Stand on high ground
• Raise your arms high
• Shout aggressively
• Utilize a whistle or air-horn
• Use a shovel or stick whatever is available in
  an aggressive manner
• You want the bear to think it may become injured
  if it persists
• The bear cannot think you are prey by acting
  subordinate, you must act as if you are
  dominant to the bear

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Becoming Aggressive

• If a black bear attacks (defensive or predatory),
  for whatever reason your response is the same
• DO NOT PLAY DEAD (disregard advice from video
  staying safe in bear country)
• Fighting is your best chance to end the attack
• Fight back with everything you have
• Strike at face and eyes, use whatever you can,
  rock, stick, pen etc.
• NEVER GIVE UP