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 HSE 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 HSE’s current strategy for workplace health and safety in Great Britain.; and
• Helping achieve the targets set by Government to reduce injuries, ill health and days lost.

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
• City & Guilds NPTC
• The National Association of Tree Officers (NATO)
• The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)
• The Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) and
• The United Kingdom Forest Products Association (UKFPA)