Danger in timber…
Danger in timber…
FORESTRY remains one of the highest risk industries, reports the Health and Safety Executive which points out that 52 workers have been killed during the last 11 years.
And chief agricultural inspector David Mattey, says inadequate health and safety management is largely to blame.
"Forestry work is increasingly organised through contracts, rather than by direct employment," he explains. "Too often, HSE inspectors find that health and safety is left to the sub-contractor when others higher up the contractual chain neglect their own legal duties."
In an effort to overcome this problem, the HSE has launched a campaign which includes a framework of action to help those involved in the industry co-operate and fulfil their duties.
The framework, which discusses matters relating to landowners responsibilities, who should liaise with who and how all the resulting information should be fed into the risk assessment for the work, will be presented to the industry via a series of seminars held this autumn.
Seminar details can be obtained from the HSEs InfoLine on 0541-545500.