John Stulen: Forestry safety

FORESTRY work is not for the faint-hearted. This is easily understood when you look at a mature tree in the forest or a logging truck headed to a sawmill, or port, near you.

For most of us, myself included, the thought of grabbing a chainsaw and felling a two tonne, 40-metre high radiata pine tree, let alone felling dozens of them every day would be daunting. Then factor in changes in the weather, wind and temperature. Safety is something that is not taken lightly in the forest.

Even for those whose task it is to spend all day planting seedlings on the steep slopes five days a week - safety is a factor as slopes, bag-weight, fatigue and rough ground conditions can combine to cause serious harm.

Forestry workplaces are also potentially dangerous for the unwary. This is because the trees are massive, Mother Nature is harsh and working conditions can change quickly.

In short, outdoor conditions simply aren't nearly as controllable as a factory floor or office environment. "Physics rules" in the forest, as with many outdoor workplaces involving heavy equipment and natural environments - you cannot ignore the laws of gravity when everything around you weighs two if not 20 tonnes. People working in this environment need training so they are acting from knowledge, not intuition, in order to work safely every day.

Considerable regard for safety is taken when individual roles for tree planters, tree fallers and everyone in-between, are given to new workers as they enter the forest workplace for the first time. The mainstream corporate forest managers have stringent agreements in place with the professional forest contractors, whose people work in the forest.

Two basic training units must be completed before any new worker enters the forest workplace, one on health and safety and the other on nutrition and hydration. All of the major forest owners have safeguards and contracts in place for training providers who have groups of apprentices in the forest.

Here are some other key forestry safety facts that are not well-known:

Forestry workers understand that pre-employment and random drug-testing is a reality of working in this industry.

 

Forestry workers screen new crew members because they understand that a fellow workmate affected by drugs or alcohol could kill them.

Professional forest workers, contractor principals and managers have worked closely together to develop and implement "Safety Culture" tools (see inset chart) which are well above average pan-industry standards in the past three years.

Some leading logging crews have developed their own in-crew training videos to foster team safety actions.

Logging equipment innovations in felling and breaking out are developing rapidly to move workers into safer positions to minimise risks while enhancing production.

Changes in industry-owned codes of practice rules will be tightened for in-forest worker roles (for breaker-outs) for some of the most dangerous roles.

Worker certification for safety-critical roles is in the final pilot stages of development and implementation will begin soon.

The average forest worker spends far more time daily in safety team-talks, tailgate meetings and hazard identification tasks than workers in almost any other industry. Any casual observer to the forestry workplace would learn much from them about the respect, care and skill our workers exercise each day alongside their team members - whose life literally depends on their workmates' skills and actions.

Forestry in New Zealand is a job for results oriented, tough-minded, can-do people. Their roles are sometimes undervalued - especially in silviculture. But they are all unique and strong-willed people who take enormous pride in the work they do. They are also changing to accept the need for "active" rather than "passive" safety systems.

Similarly their collective attitude to safety in the forest industry has improved considerably in the past decade. Employers and employees have worked hard to make dramatic and positive safety culture changes in the past three years. Accountability is now more frequently documented rather than verbally agreed or inferred.

More and more employees are aware of the challenges, attributes and hurdles to growing a safety culture in their crews than ever before.

Finally, the push for continuous improvement in forest safety systems has been through the combined will of leading forestry contractors, health and safety professionals within forest management and the injury prevention team at ACC.

Safety has been simplified and systems for ensuring it happens everyday have been enhanced. However safety in this workplace is a journey not a destination. More workers every month are choosing to hop on board for the long ride to ensure every man and women in the forestry workplace goes home to their loved ones every night.

 - John Stulen is chief executive of the Forestry Industry Contractors' Association