Framework for Independent Forestry Safety Review agreed and consultation planned

The Independent Forestry Safety Review Panel has agreed a framework for doing its work and work is well underway on the development of a public consultation document.

Panel Chair, George Adams said “the framework will help the Panel engage with industry stakeholders and the public. All parts of the industry have to work together to ensure the forest is a safe place to work. It is about workers being able to go home at the end of a working day, every day”.

For the framework, the Review Panel has drawn from the work of the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety. The Taskforce formed a view that there were three key features which “combine together within a workplace to determine the workplaces’ safety culture and collectively impact on the workplace health and safety outcomes for the workplace”. In summary, these features relate to:

1. the workplace

2. people in a workplace

3. work organisation

The three themes have been used to create work streams for the Review. While there is overlap between the streams they are a useful starting point and will form the basis for the consultation document.

The consultation document will set out the key issues impacting health and safety in the forestry sector as the Panel understands them. It will also set out some options for change. But, the Panel Chair notes “there are no silver bullets – It is clear from our work so far, health and safety in the forest is not about one or two big changes. It will be about many changes, for everyone: forest owners, forest managers, contractors and workers”. This was made clear when the Panel visited some forest sites in Rotorua.

The Panel will be inviting feedback on the issues and on the options. It will be asking for written submission. Along with the consultation document, the Panel will travel to some forestry regions in mid to late June over a period of three weeks. These will include:

• Whangarei

• Rotorua

• Gisborne

• Nelson

• Christchurch

• Balclutha

The Panel will be meeting with key industry stakeholders, forestry health and safety experts and forestry contractors and workers in the regions. Details of the consultation process will be made available on the Review’s website – www.ifsr.co.nz. To signal interest in attending the consultation process people can email - info@ifsr.co.nz

The Panel will consider the outcomes of this consultation process in developing its final report and recommendations for change. The views of submitters will be referenced in the final report.

ENDS

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