What Is Bear Awareness Training? A Guide for Canadian Workers

Bear awareness training is safety training for people who live, work or travel in bear country. It teaches you how bears behave, why they come close to people, and what you can do to keep them away.

Most bear encounters can be avoided. Bears usually stay away from people. Problems start when a bear is surprised at close range, when it is protecting cubs or food, or when it learns that a camp or work site is a source of food. Good habits remove most of these triggers.

When an encounter does happen, most end safely if the worker stays calm and knows what to do. Training gives you a plan before you need it, so you are not guessing in a stressful moment.

Bear safety at work comes down to three things. Each one builds on the one before.

Signs of bear activity include fresh tracks, droppings, torn-up logs or stumps, dug-up ground, claw or bite marks on trees, and animal carcasses. A carcass is a strong warning sign, because a bear may be nearby guarding it. If you see fresh signs, tell your supervisor and your crew.

Canada has black bears across most of the country and grizzly bears in the west and north. Knowing which one you are looking at helps you understand its behaviour. Colour is not a good guide. Black bears can be brown, cinnamon or even blond, and grizzlies can look very dark.

Look at body shape instead:

• Grizzly bear: a large hump of muscle over the shoulders, a dish-shaped face, short rounded ears, and long, light-coloured front claws.
• Black bear: no shoulder hump, a straight face profile from forehead to nose, taller and more pointed ears, and short dark claws.

The course explains these features with pictures, and shows how each species tends to react to people. It also explains why you should never approach or feed any bear, even one that seems calm.

There is no single national law that names bear awareness training. But under provincial OHS regulations, employers must identify the hazards at a work site and make sure workers are trained to work safely around them. On remote or forested sites, wildlife is one of those hazards.

In practice, that means many employers in bear country ask for bear awareness training before workers go into the field. They also need a site plan that covers things like check-in procedures, food and garbage storage, and what to do if a bear is seen. Your employer decides what training they accept for their sites.

Training does not replace the employer’s own wildlife plan. Workers should also learn the site-specific rules, such as where bear spray is kept, who to call, and when work must stop.

Anyone who works outdoors where bears live can benefit. It is most common in these jobs:

It is also useful for people who travel between remote sites, cook or clean at work camps, or spend their days off in bear country.

Gama Safety’s Bear Awareness course has four modules:

1. Wildlife Awareness. The wildlife hazards workers may face in Canada and simple habits that lower the risk of an encounter.
2. Working Around Wildlife. Safe work practices in wildlife areas, including planning, check-ins, travelling in groups, and keeping food and garbage secured.
3. Bear Awareness (Part 1). How to tell black and grizzly bears apart, recognize signs of bear activity, and avoid attracting bears to camps and work sites.
4. Bear Awareness (Part 2). How to read a bear’s behaviour during an encounter, respond safely, use bear spray correctly, and report an incident.

A few habits come up again and again. Make noise in thick brush and near streams, where a bear may not hear you coming. Keep food, garbage and scented items locked away. Never leave lunch scraps behind. Carry bear spray where you can reach it fast, not inside a backpack, and check the expiry date on the can.

The right response in an encounter depends on the type of bear and what it is doing. That is safety-critical, so the course covers it step by step rather than as a quick tip.

There is no fixed legal expiry for bear awareness training. It depends on your province, your industry and your employer. Many employers ask for a refresher every 1 to 3 years, or before each field season.

A refresher is a good idea anyway. Bear safety skills fade if you do not use them, and a short review before you head out keeps the steps fresh in your mind.

1. Enrol in the online Bear Awareness course and start right away on your phone, tablet or computer.
2. Learn at your own pace. The course takes about 90 minutes, and your progress saves automatically.
3. Pass the final exam with 80% or better. Retakes are unlimited and free.
4. Download your certificate right away. A physical wallet card is mailed to you free.

The course is available in English, French, Spanish, Punjabi, Hindi, Mandarin and more. Training a field crew? Volume pricing starts at 2 seats, with an admin dashboard to track progress. Questions? Call 1-866-661-9803 or email info@gamasafety.ca.