Campaign uses dad factor
Wairarapa children are pitching in to make sure dads working in the forestry industry get home safe.
As a part of its safety campaign, local company Juken New Zealand (JNL) recently ran a competition asking the children of its workers to come up with advisory slogans.
Nick Cusack, father of competition runners-up Sophie and Charlotte Cusack, said the message has more value than it would seem.
‘‘The slogans are a reminder to forestry employees to continue building on safety awareness culture and, most importantly, arrive home safely to their families every day.’’
The threat of forestry injuries needed to be taken seriously, Cusack said. ’’There has been a lot in the past couple of years and nothing good comes from it; workers are losing time with their family and losing income.’’
The winning messages, along with those of two runners-up, have been printed on safety boards for display in the firm’s Masterton mill.
Cole Hodson created the winning slogan, while Sophie and Charlotte Cusack were named the runners-up.
JNL risk management supervisor Roger Allen says forestry injuries have been declining. The firm’s new campaign was aimed at fathers because the vast majority of forestry workers are men and family is what matters most to them.
There were 36 incidents reported in 2014 and that number dropped to 29 in 2015, he said. This year, only 18 incidents have been reported.
The new campaign was launched in hopes of reducing those numbers further.