Portobello Creek National Wildlife Area Management Plan: chapter 7

7 Health and Safety

Any environmental emergency pertaining to Portobello Creek National Wildlife Area (NWA) must be reported to the Environmental Emergencies Response Centre:

1-800-565-1633

Life-threatening emergencies should be reported using the 911 system.

General inquiries regarding health and safety issues at Portobello Creek NWA should be directed to:

National Wildlife Area Program
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service
17 Waterfowl Lane, P.O. Box 6227
Sackville NB E4L 1G6
Telephone: 506-364-5044
Fax: 506-364-5062

All reasonable efforts will be made to protect the health and safety of the public, including adequately informing visitors of any known or anticipated hazards or risks. Annual site inspections are conducted to identify and address any health and safety issues. Furthermore, Environment and Climate Change Canada staff will take all reasonable and necessary precautions to assure their health and safety and that of their co-workers. However, visitors (including researchers and contractors) not working directly with or under the employ of Environment and Climate Change Canada are responsible for their own health and safety and must make all reasonable efforts to inform themselves of risks and hazards and must be prepared and self-sufficient. Natural areas are inherently dangerous, and proper precautions must be taken by visitors, recognizing that Environment and Climate Change Canada staff neither regularly patrol nor offer services for visitor safety in NWAs.

Inland rivers and lakes, and activities on water in general, present issues of safety. In general, the public must seek and heed expertise to operate in these environments and obtain specialized training and certification where required.

Portobello Creek NWA is remote and has no permanent staff presence. Any emergency should be reported immediately to the appropriate responding authorities. The report should include date, time and nature of the incident, who is reporting, contact information of the reporting party for follow-up information, and all relevant details. Multiple authorities should be advised, if the situation warrants, as soon as possible (Table 5).