A new organisation, which will take the lead in forestry safety,
has been launched.
The Forestry Industry Safety Council (FICA) was
established as a result of the recommendations made by the
Independent Forestry Safety Review Panel last year. FICA will bring
a coordinated approach to safety in forestry, and WorkSafe has said
that they will make financial and personnel contributions to
support this work.
A first step has been the creation of a new website, safetree.nz, which is an injury
prevention programme for the forestry sector. The website provides
resources geared towards different participants in the industry,
from owners and managers, through to contractors, foremen, and
crew. These resources will include codes of practice, best practice
guidelines for various activities, and guidelines for various
events, such as how to run a tailgate meeting.
