Safety progress under the spotlight

ADVANCES THAT HAVE BROUGHT PRACTICAL benefits to forestry workplaces through changes in culture and technology will be the focus of a national conference on forest safety practices next month.

The fourth FIEA Forest Safety & Technology Conference, which takes place in Rotorua on August 8 and then moves to Melbourne on August 15, will cover progress made since the horror year of 2013, when ten people died in New Zealand forests. Much of the progress has been industry-led.

“Some of our leading forest contractors and companies have developed safety improvements in both culture in the workplace and technologies to reduce harm on the forest floor,” says Forest Industry Engineering Association event manager, Gordon Thomson.

“Our speakers are practical leaders talking about real case studies for this year’s conference. Many of them have already delivered safety outcomes for their teams and clients. The practical information they will bring includes some notable results with industry leading contractors.”

FIEA has also teamed up with the Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC) to organise a half-day workshop in addition to the oneday conference in New Zealand, to allow people to interact in a more informal format. It will take place on the morning after the main conference. And in Australia a similar workshop takes place on the afternoon before the conference.

These conferences sold out in 2017 and FIEA expects capacity audiences for the two 2018 events. A special on-line early-bird delegate registration offer is available for a limited time. Details are at https://forestsafety.events.