Introducing the Arboriculture and Forestry Advisory Group (AFAG)

AFAG is an advisory group of the Health and Safety Executives (HSE’s) Agriculture Industry Advisory Committee (AIAC) and meets twice a year. Several project groups have been set up to tackle specific issues. AFAG members come from the industry, HSE and the Trade Unions.

The main committee role is to consider and make recommendations to AIAC and HSEC on:

Identifying and controlling all major areas of risk to health and safety arising from work activities in forestry, arboriculture and the transport of timber in the forest;
Implementing the HSC strategy for workplace health and safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond; and
Helping achieve the targets set by Government to reduce injuries, ill health and days lost due in particular to:
- Falls from height;
- Musculoskeletal disorders;
- Hand-arm and whole-body vibration;
- Noise;
- Workplace transport;
- Exposure to pesticides.

Organisations that are currently represented on AFAG include:

The Arboricultural Association (AA)
The Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA)
DANI Forest service
The Forestry Commission (FC)
The Forestry and Timber Association (FTA)
The Forestry Contracting Association (FCA)
The Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF)
Lantra Awards
Local Government
The National Association of Tree Officers (NATO)
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)
The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)
The Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) and the United Kingdom Forest Products Association (UKFPA)

AFAG has recently agreed its work plan for the coming year and has set up working groups to progress the following topics:

Examination of underlying and root causes of serious accidents – Developing strategies for risk reduction

Examine underlying and root causes of serious accidents over the past five years to identify cultural and behavioural implications and strategies for reduction of risk.
Raining and certification, including:
- Review of training schemes and Certificates of Competence;
- Mapping of European standards of training and competence of machine operators;
- Refresher training and re-certification.

Operational best practice – Improving and maintaining standards

Dentify and promulgate precautions for machines working on steep slopes.
Improve management of work at height, including implementation of the Work at Height Regulations.
Examine the feasibility of welfare provision on forestry work sites.
Rigging and dismantling techniques in arboriculture.
Machine-assisted takedown of trees.
Chainsaw personal protective equipment (PPE) – to improve and promote standards and related issues, for example VAT on PPE such as chainsaw trousers.
Market surveillance (product design).

Occupational health – Improving and developing strategies for risk reduction

Promote rehabilitation services.
Identify the prevalence and causes of musculoskeletal disorders and develop strategies for risk reduction.
Reduce operator exposure to hand-arm vibration, whole-body vibration and noise.
Reduce exposure to pesticides used in tree planting.