WorkSafe Victoria has released a new Industry Standard which provides practical advice to employers and workers involved in forestry operations.
The new Industry Standard establishes minimum OHS standards for forest industry duty holders and provides practical examples of how they can comply with their legal obligations.
Release of the Standard follows five deaths and many serious injuries in Victoria’s forestry industry in the past three years. The deaths were in hand-felling, loading logs on to trucks and during cable logging operations.
WorkSafe’s Director of Manufacturing, Logistics and Agriculture, Trevor Martin, said it was not enough to rely on the experience and skill of individual workers.
"Planning by land managers, principal contractors, harvesting and haulage contractors and active safety supervision is needed to ensure safe systems of work are practiced.”
