RR688 - Forestry intervention appraisal and evaluation framework

The nature and risk of forestry work results in a complex health and safety management infrastructure involving many different groups of employers, contractors, landowners and workers (employees and self-employed).

The forestry industry requires a bespoke approach to ensure interventions are effective; ie a different approach to that applied elsewhere in agriculture and the wider land based industries. The research provided evidence to inform development of the approach.

The aim of the project was to undertake an in-depth analysis of the forestry industry in order to generate an evidence base and an associated intervention appraisal and evaluation framework. A comprehensive analysis of the HSE's RIDDOR accident data and a literature review were undertaken to identify the key high risk areas in forestry. Four Influence Network (IN) workshops were conducted with various industry groups to identify the key influences on health and safety throughout the forestry management chain.

A bespoke forestry 'barometer' was developed and was subsequently used to evaluate the impact of three forestry Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs). The project culminated in an interventions workshop held with the HSE forestry team (Agriculture & Food Sector) in order to identify and develop a series of feasible health and safety interventions.

This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.

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Updated 2021-04-23