New machine-assisted felling training videos released
The videos provide detailed, step-by-step guidance on planning and carrying out machine-assisted felling safely.
A new series of machine-assisted felling training videos has been released by Wairarapa-based Farman Turkington Forestry Ltd (FTFL) in partnership with Safetree and Competenz, giving forestry workers practical guidance on carrying out this high-risk work safely.
Machine-assisted felling is typically used when a tree needs to be felled against its natural lean or where obstacles such as buildings, fences, power lines or waterways mean greater control over the tree's direction of fall is needed.
The five videos are presented by registered forestry trainer, assessor and safety auditor Jason (Jay) Hemopo of Manaia Tu Ltd, who is also a Safetree auditor. Together, they provide detailed, step-by-step guidance on planning and carrying out machine-assisted felling safely.
The series includes:
• An Introduction to machine-assisted felling: Covering when machine-assisted felling is appropriate, site assessments, communications, felling plans, escape routes and the importance of reassessing conditions throughout the day.
• Grapple Digger Push: Demonstrating how to use a grapple digger to assist with felling safely.
• Grapple Digger Pull: Showing how an excavator grapple can be used to pull over a tree when pulling provides greater control.
• Winch Pull: Covering the safe use of ground-based winch machines and cable haulers.
• Behind the Training: Featuring FTFL managing director Guy Farman explaining the background to the project and the lessons learned.
All five videos are available on the Safetree website.
Learning from tragedy
The training resources were developed following the death of machine-assisted feller Steven Whare in January 2021.
Whare was killed while working on a difficult macrocarpa shelterbelt when he was struck by a broken branch from a neighbouring tree.
Following investigations into the incident, FTFL entered into a court-approved enforceable undertaking with WorkSafe. The undertaking required the company to undertake activities aimed at raising awareness of both the incident and the risks associated with machine-assisted felling.
The company was also required to assist in improving relevant unit standards and guidance material to reflect lessons learned from the fatality. The new video series forms part of that work.
"Steve was following all the rules, but he was still killed,” Farman says.
“So this incident started us looking very closely at what we were doing, how we were doing it, and we found a lot of issues, a lot of holes in the training, so we've changed a lot of our own internal processes.
"The Courts and WorkSafe gave us an enforcement undertaking, which meant that rather than just a straight-out fine, they said, look, we agree that there are some things that can be improved here in our industry, and we're going to give you two years to go away and develop new training resources, new unit standards and try to make sure this never happens again really."
Establishing a baseline
Farman says the videos are intended to help establish a clear baseline for safe practice across the industry.
"We're a little bit more stringent on ours, especially with pushing the retreat distance. Wherever we possibly can, we want our guys to retreat one and a half tree lengths back from the tree when they're doing machine assistance."
FTFL has also changed the way it pays workers carrying out machine-assisted felling, moving them onto an hourly rate.
"Just to try and take away any production pressure from the guys," Farman says.
"It's absolutely critical that safety is paramount; that's number one, and then production is way down the list. We just want to have people come to work, go home at the end of the day, but be in a place where they feel safe."
Valuable industry resource
Safetree chief executive Joe Akari, who helped facilitate the enforceable undertaking requirements, says the videos are an important contribution to improving safety across the forestry sector.
"There are no upsides to a fatality, and in circumstances like these, the industry owes it to the individual involved, their family, colleagues, community and the wider forestry sector, to take all the learnings it can from such a devastating event. I think these videos help to do that."