Safety failures in the forestry sector extend all the way up the supply chain and a significant portion of the industry views its frontline staff as a “bottom of the barrel workforce”. Source: Stuff.co.nz.
Those are among the shock findings contained in the 141-page Independent Forestry Safety Review report, which has made 11 recommendations with timeframes for implementation stretching from three months to three years.
The report cites a number of factors for what the Review Panel found to be a culture of complacency around workplace safety which makes the forestry sector New Zealand’s most dangerous, with an injury rate double that of other sectors and a fatality rate 15 times the overall rate for all New Zealand work sectors.
Most shockingly of all, the Review Panel found a widespread industry view that a lax safety culture was acceptable due to the calibre of the workforce.
“Too often the Independent Forestry Safety Review Panel has been told about the challenges of dealing with a ‘bottom of the barrel’ workforce,” the report said.
“A significant portion of the industry continues to view its workers from this perspective and consequently absolves itself of its responsibility to do better. We do not share this view. It is damaging and demeaning.”
Panel chair George Adams said widespread change was required across the sector, citing complicating factors including multiple layers of ownership and contractual relations, poor communication between Government and industry, poor communication at worker level across the whole supply chain and a lack of staff training.
“Competing economic tensions have resulted in a dangerous blame culture and a weak safety culture,” he said.
“That has to change.”
The report, commissioned by the Forest Owners Association (FOA), Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) and the Farm Forestry Association (FFA), made it clear that culture changes around workplace safety need to come from the top.
“There is a strong ‘can do’ culture on the forest block,” the report said.
“This needs to change to become a ‘can do safely’ culture … the change must be led by forest owners and managers, by marketers, forestry contractors and crew bosses.
“The Review Panel has heard many forestry industry leaders make statements of commitment and support for change.
“Within six months of this final report, this commitment needs to be specifically detailed in a charter or pledge against which organisations and individuals can be held to account … a first step to changing the safety culture on the forest block is for those in positions of leadership and management to make a commitment to change.”
The report also highlighted the consequences of the current lax safety culture that has claimed 32 lives in six years and seen 1040 “serious harm notifications”.
The report also calls for Government action with the addition of forestry-specific regulations to the Health and Safety Reform Bill.
FOA spokesperson Bill McCallum said there was acceptance that safety needed to be given the highest priority and backed the report, saying the industry realised an outside review was necessary to achieve a target of zero harm injuries.
“It is unacceptable to have any forestry workers seriously injured or killed on the job. Everyone who works in our industry has the right and responsibility to return home safely at the end of the day,” he said.
“By adopting the report’s recommendations and continuing to drive safety initiatives we already have underway, I am convinced we can transform our industry into a safety success story.”
FICA spokesperson John Stulen said the call for a culture change was the report’s most important message.
“Safe working practices will now need to be agreed with contractors’ right along the supply chain and documented in contracts or by reference to the Approved Code of Practice and Best Practice Guidelines,” he said.
“Compliance needs to be rewarded and non-compliance penalised. Carrots and sticks if you will.”
The report makes 11 recommendations in total with a number of sub-recommendations, outlines time-frames for delivery and parameters for gauging success.
Recommendations include:
* WorkSafe New Zealand convenes a Forestry Leadership Action Group (FLAG) made up of government, industry, workers and their representatives to oversee the delivery of a Forestry Sector Health and Safety Action Plan.
* FLAG works with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and key stakeholders to develop regulations to clarify forestry and industry specific rules where it is possible to define and measure safe outcomes associated with this work.
* FLAG supports WorkSafe New Zealand to develop a clear and consistent, free-to-access suite of supporting approved codes of practice, guidance and best practice that include detail of the health and safety roles and responsibilities of persons conducting a business or undertaking across the supply chain.
* FLAG and WorkSafe New Zealand work to draw together the relevant legislation, regulations, approved codes of practice, policies and procedures, and best practice documents into a Forestry Safety Manual.
* FLAG works with the sector to implement an industry-led forestry contractor certification scheme.
* WorkSafe New Zealand develops an enhanced and comprehensive set of procedures and process for investigations that ensure effective communication with victims, their families, workers, crew and industry.
