FOREST TALK

Gisborne foresters act on safety; Myrtle Rust finds continue; Chinese confident of Kawerau plant wood supply; Red Stag ‘super mill’ ready to boost lumber output; new Hitachi ZW-5 wheel loaders hit the forest; Southland extends lead in biomass energy research and use; big data a challenge for forestry companies; SouthStar sets up Rotorua assembly plant.

FORESTERS, FAMILIES AND THE community met in Gisborne last month to discuss how to further improve safety following the recent death of a young logger, as well as two other deaths and two nearmisses in the region in the past six months.

The loss of 23-year-old Piripi ‘Piri’ Barlett in a harvesting block in a remote location inland from Tolaga Bay was felt by everyone, coming after his cousin, Niko Brooking-Hodgson, was also killed in a forestry accident a year earlier.

The meeting was arranged by Joe McClutchie, on behalf of the grieving families and workers, and the Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC) to discuss ideas about making health and safety more effective for workers. It was also attended by contractors, crew members, forest managers, forest owners and representatives of WorkSafe NZ.

In addition to some specific ideas that resulted from the meeting, there was a commitment by forest owners, managers and contractors alike to increase their efforts to improve safety.

Daniel Williams, General Manager of Ngati Porou Forests, identified communications, especially a voice for the workers not in machines, among improvements that could be made.

He suggests that it is important in having a trusted health and safety representative within crews, separate from the foreman, who is available to discuss health and safety issues and raise any concerns with the crew boss.

He says there needs to be “someone who is on site all the time and separate from the contractor’s health and safety co-ordinators”.

Contractors could look to adopt a health and safety rewards programme for the crews, he says, adding that such a programme would reward those who “stand in the gap” and prevent any other crew members using unsafe practices.

Prue Younger, Chief Executive of the Eastland Wood Council, says that while there is a strong desire and need for everyone in the industry to come together to support the ‘Together Towards Zero’ message, it will only work with communication and the collaboration of all parties.

Ms Younger says workers need to take responsibility at an individual level and speak out if they see something wrong, adding: “It is better to raise concerns about non-best practice than risk another life”.

The meeting also discussed whether production targets and a combination of adverse weather and steep/difficult terrain were influencers on worker safety.

It was told that forest owners and contractors do factor in these influences to ensure crews are not subjected to undue pressure, though Ms Younger did say: “Maybe more of this needs to happen.

“EWC represents a significant portion of forests in the region so as a group we are able to influence change but remembering it’s not any one entity to do this – it is collective.”

Meanwhile, FISC National Safety Director, Fiona Ewing, told the meeting that care and respect for people was the key to a safe workplace and it needs to be demonstrated by everyone – from forest owners to workers.

She says the independent review that was initiated following the horror year of 2013, when ten people died in our forests, made it clear that three things are needed to improve safety in forestry – better leadership, better risk management and ensuring workers have a voice in health and safety.

“FISC’s safety initiatives all revolve around improving these three things,” she says.

“They include certification schemes for workers and contractors, clearer guidance to help manage risks, and promoting examples of good leadership and worker involvement in health and safety.

“What’s clear from these examples is that forestry businesses that invest in improving leadership, risk management and worker involvement in health and safety improve productivity as well as health and safety. They show that good health and safety is good business.

“The forestry review identified other barriers to safety that the industry needs to deal with, like ensuring that contractual arrangements and workers’ employment terms and conditions support safe workplaces. These agreements need to reflect care and respect for people.”

Looking ahead, the EWC’s Prue Younger says the organisation will look to take on a facilitation role and coordinate how the suggestions and ideas raised at the meeting can be implemented.

NZL