Growing industry’s tall timber
safety systems with his company.
He was nominated for three categories — for health and safety, felling and harvesting, and won the supreme award, the Harvesting Excellence Award, and was joint winner of the Outstanding Health and Safety Management award.
His focus was on falling and breaking out and he pioneered the use of video and photographs for the company, recording faller behaviour and techniques and using them to teach crews.
Mr Widdowson said he was expecting to receive as many “if not more than” the close to 40 nominations received for last year’s awards across the full range of categories. Categories this year included the Skilled Professional of the Year and Industry Excellence Award. It also included the Forestry Family of the Year, Contractor of the Year Award, Outstanding Health & Safety Management Award and Outstanding Environmental Management Award, as well as many others.
The awards were created to boost the attraction of skilled employees to the region as valued forest industry players.
The awards also aim to boost industry standards of the skill base of the forestry workforce and encourage the upskilling of staff, while providing the means to unite industry players, and create an opportunity for the Northland’s forest industry to celebrate its skilled professionals.
The Northland Forestry Health and Safety Group has encouraged other businesses within the industry to become involved in the event.
“It is important that we all share the vision to recognise skilled professionals, applaud them and create a desire to continue to lift the profile of forestry in Northland.”
According to the Northland Forestry Health and Safety Group, the award’s attendance grew by 200 per cent last year, so the group is expecting a large turnout this year. ■