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Around the world the forest industry is notable for a reasonably high accident rate – and the New Zealand industry is no exception.
To overcome this problem the industry has given strong support to the development of training and accident prevention systems and has made good progress.
• The industry strongly supports its industry training
organisation, FITEC, and has endorsed and actively
participates in moves to have all workers in training
or trained for any task they are engaged in. This has
included the development of graduated skill development
courses tailored for those at different levels in the industry.
• The industry also supports human factors research work
undertaken by the Centre for Human Factors and Ergonomics
(COHFE) to identify those factors of diet, tiredness or
workplace stress that can lead to momentary lapses of on
the job concentration.
• The industry has worked with OSH (Occupational Safety
and Health) to establish codes of workplace practice that
minimise the risk of accident or near miss situations.
This has included development of protective clothing and
safer equipment – a continuing process.
• The industry also has a strong interest in developing safer
operating systems, such as mechanised harvesting
equipment which greatly reduces the exposure of forest
operators to the risk of falling trees and associated debris.
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