Changing the future to prevent harm in forestry

Joe's blog

As you know, John Lowe, our Project Manager, prepared some revealing health and safety data. The slide  I felt was the most confronting was the one that showed what the industry could expect when it comes to H&S in 2025. This includes that 1100 workers will make an ACC claim for an injury that requires a trip to the doctor, that 150 will be injured so badly they need a week off work and that 3 workers will die.  I could say I “hope” these forecasts of what the industry can expect in 2025 don’t come true, but hope is not a strategy. I do want to change the future and reduce serious harm and injury in forestry, but it takes my individual effort and it takes your individual effort, everyday, to make a difference.  Keep safety at the heart of everything you do, acknowledge when things are done well and call it out when it’s not. Never stop learning and never stop the pursuit to improve.

Forestry ACoP review update

WorkSafe has heard your feedback and based on your advice, WorkSafe understands that more clarity is needed on how we will address the foundational issues of usability, style and format of the current draft, before taking a deeper dive into the technical content.  FISC supports this position and requests that you stand-by for future requests for feedback once these foundational issues are resolved. The quality of the revised ACoP will be a product of our on-going and constructive engagement to support this important work led by WorkSafe. If people would still like to provide feedback now, they can e-mail it to GuidanceandEducationDevelopment@worksafe.govt.nz.

In-depth data analysis provides valuable insights into H&S performance

As mentioned above, Safetree has published an in-depth analysis of forestry’s health and safety data that provides a compelling overview of the industry’s performance. This includes overall industry performance, regional variations, Māori injury data, tree-felling fatalities, and enforcement data. The analysis also highlights what these industry trends could mean for forestry’s health and safety performance in 2025. This includes estimates that 1100 of the 8200 people working in forestry will make an ACC claim for an injury that requires a trip to the doctor. About 150 will be injured badly enough to need a week off work. Three workers will die on the job, two of them manual fallers. Safetree completed the analysis to help the industry better understand how and where harm is occurring in our industry and where we should focus our harm prevention activities.

See the full report

Look Up and Live stickers

One of the things our data analysis has made clear is that manual felling is forestry’s highest risk activity. With that in mind, Safetree has created some stickers to reinforce one of the most important things manual fallers need to do to keep themselves safe – to look up. These Look Up and Live stickers are designed to go on chainsaws and helmets. One version of the stickers allows people to write in the name of the person they will Look Up and Live for. We have a fact sheet on manual felling that people can also use at toolbox talks to supplement the use of the stickers.

To order stickers email info@safetree.nz

See the Five Step Felling Plan factsheet

NZFM hosts Silviculture Competition: Celebrating Skills, Community, and Well-Being

Last October, NZFM and its silviculture contractors came together for the much-anticipated Silviculture Competition in Tūrangi. About 150 silviculture workers, crew owners, and supporters attended the event. The competition kicked off with a motivational talk by comedian and TV personality Pio Terei, who kept the crowd entertained throughout the day. Participants then took to the field to compete in three key silviculture categories: planting, thinning, and pruning. These events provided a platform for crews to demonstrate the skills and knowledge required in their daily work, emphasising the precision, strength, and expertise that define the industry. Awards were presented to the top performers in each category, with trophies for the first-place winners and certificates for second and third places. Spot prizes, generously provided by event sponsors, were distributed throughout the day to add an extra layer of excitement. NZFM says the Silviculture Competition is more than a test of skill; it’s a celebration of the dedication, expertise, and camaraderie of the silviculture sector. The event’s focus on well-being and manaakitanga was evident in the camaraderie among participants and the enthusiastic support from attendees, it says. Here’s to continuing this tradition and building an even brighter future for silviculture in New Zealand. Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 competition, and to everyone who supported and took part in this event to celebrate the skills and contribution of forestry’s silviculture workers.