THE nation’s peak forest products industry group has called on regional workers to raise the alarm with authorities if they believe workplace safety is being compromised.
This follows a number of whistleblowers coming forward with explosive claims over alleged workplace safety breaches within the harvesting and haulage sector.
The timber workers union has also called for a greater response to fatigue management, backed by a grieving father who lost his son in a car accident that tragically took the lives of four young forestry workers two years ago.
Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) SA branch manager Leon Rademeyer said there was “zero tolerance” for workplace safety breaches within the industry.
Explaining it was “almost impossible” to erase the hurt of past tragedies, he said the industry was working as a collective to improve safety practices.
But he said it was important workers who believed safety was at risk to speak to their employers and relevant authorities.
“Forestry industries workers should feel comfortable raising safety concerns with their employers and, where necessary, elevate perceived breaches to the relevant authorities,” Mr Rademeyer said.
While conceding the process could prove challenging to some, he said the industry remained committed to ensuring concerns were “raised, heard and acted on”.
“There is zero tolerance for breaches of workplace safety in our industries and we encourage those who feel significant safety concerns exist to immediately bring them to the attention of their employers,” Mr Rademeyer said.
“For us, safety is a fundamental mindset and as an industry we have been working very hard on a number of transformational initiatives to create the safest working culture possible.
“We owe it to the thousands of people who contribute to the forestry industries value chain.”
Mr Rademeyer said current safety initiatives included development of best practice industry fatigue risk management guidance material, which was an Australian first.
This work has been led by industry in conjunction with Professor Drew Dawson, who is a nationally recognised expert in fatigue management.
The process of implementation will begin in the new year and has the potential to redefine fatigue management practices.
Mr Rademeyer said AFPA and the Australian Forest Contractors Association had recently launched the Safe & Skilled initiative to raise awareness and enhance the safety of employees in Australia’s forest industries.
“Safe and Skilled focuses on essential training standards and commitments to enhance safety in forestry operations,” Mr Rademeyer said.
“The initiative was launched nationally in September this year and has been well received by participants throughout the industry’s value chain.
“We have 12 life-saving commitments, the first is ‘always speak up if you feel safety is being compromised’.
“We realise it’s almost impossible to remove the hurt of past tragedies, but as a collective the forest industries continue to improve safety practices and culture to the benefit of all its employees and the community as a whole.”
