Safety summit aims to reduce forestry fatalities

Date:

7 March 2012

Release No:

SCO/029/12

Safety champions and forestry industry leaders met this week to tackle the high rate of fatal and major injuries in the industry.

The two day summit, at Forestry Commission Scotland's headquarters in Edinburgh, was chaired by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and involved representatives from organisations within the industry, as well as the Forestry Commission, unions and local authorities.

In the five years up to March 2010, there was an average of 10.4 fatalities per 100,000 workers in the forestry industry. This is one of the highest fatality rates of any employment sector in Great Britain, and is more than three times the fatality rate for the construction industry.

The summit discussions involved senior figures from the industry and covered how the industry could improve its health and safety performance, how to bring about and maintain a culture of safety within the industry through visible leadership as well as practical ways of controlling major risks to health and safety specific to forestry.

Sandy Blair, HSE Non-Executive Director, commented after the event:

"Forestry has one of the poorest safety records of any industry in Great Britain, and every death, injury or incidence of ill-health impacts not just on the individuals concerned but also their families and the businesses involved.

"HSE wants to work with the forestry industry to make a lasting change to the sorry safety record of this sector. Timber growers, contractors and landowners all have a part to play in making sure people's lives aren't put at risk whenever commercial forestry operations are taking place.

"The improvements that have been achieved in recent years in other sectors - such as construction - can be achieved in forestry, but only with the active help and support of the industry's leaders, and that is what this safety summit is aiming to bring about."

Graeme Walker, HSE's Head of Agriculture, said:

"Forestry work is a high risk industry, as the fatality last month at Brig o'Turk tragically reminded us.

"The key causes of fatal and major injuries in this sector are typically falling trees and timber, falls from height, transport and chainsaws. Although the risks in forestry cannot be completely eliminated, they can be managed through taking common sense practical measures.

"HSE already works in partnership with the industry and provides information and guidance to employers to help them protect employees and members of the public while they carry out forest operations.

"The actions and ideas that came out of the discussions during the summit will help everyone involved in forestry work deliver working practices that can help save lives."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. The summit is supported by Defra's independent Forestry Regulation Task Force, which reported to Ministers in October 2011. For more information visit http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-8D8EF3

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