Latest incidents - could it happen on your crew?
June 2024
Welcome to second edition of the Health and Safety News. Please pass on! This is intended for sharing with any contractors working in the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme (the Programme). This is part of our shared mission to see everyone working at the 'coal face' of this Programme safe and well, by sharing information, ideas, and guidance.
We're keen to include contractors' ideas too. Tell us what you do to ensure your people get home safe and let us know what you think of this newsletter and what you want to get out of it.
In this newsletter:
- On-going monitoring – Safe Behaviour Observations
- Fighting fatigue
- Incidents from across the programme – toolbox talk topics
- Contractor spotlight – Aoraki Tree and Scrub on risk management
Monitoring of high-risk tasks: tree felling SBOs
Whenever we have workers carrying out potentially high-risks tasks such as tree felling, monitoring is a key part of the health and safety system. That means having competent and experienced people undertaking Safe Behaviour Observations (SBO’s), to ensure that workers are staying safe.
In line with forest companies, it is recommended that all fallers have an independent Safe Behaviour Observation (SBO) on their felling. This audit should be carried out by a trainer/assessor or equivalent. This will ensure best practice is being met and maintained.
Engaging an external contractor to undertake SBO’s for your business can have many benefits, including
- Unbiased view of the companies’ operations
- Experts in their field and highly experience
- They have experience working with other companies and can provide insights and best practices the company has not considered.
- Make recommendations for improvements.
You can fight fatigue, until you can’t!
Share these videos and check out this advice from Safetree on recognising and avoiding fatigue in yourself and your crews.
Health & Safety Incidents October 2023 to March 2024
To discuss at toolbox meetings
NEWS FLASH: We had an incident-free April! Really? If you have an incident or near miss that hasn't yet been logged, you know what to do...
Thanks to everyone who has reported incidents quickly and accurately. Properly investigating incidents and near misses and submitting compete reports provides valuable learnings that we can all benefit from.
We are often asked about sharing incidents across the programme, so contractors can learn from each others' experiences. We agree it’s a great way to improve safety and well-being, and below are summarised the near misses and incidents logged in the last two quarters, with prompts to chat about at your toolbox meetings.
Count the number of slips on slopes reported below! The shortest route to a tree might not be the safest.
[Incident] Incorrect vehicle use: Brake fade
Details: Brake fades due to incorrect use of the downhill assist control (DAC) on a Toyota Hilux.
Notes/ actions taken: All staff notified not to use the DAC in high range. Video posted on staff page to show how to use correctly. Discussed again at Mondays All Staff Safety Meeting.
To discuss: Is everyone in your crew trained in all aspects of the safety features in your vehicles? Have vehicles with different technology been added to the fleet?
[Incident] Slip on scree: Cut to hand
Details: Cut to hand after slipping over while crossing a scree slope.
Notes/Action taken: Steep and unstable terrain caused the slip. Gloves could have been worn to protect the hands. Risk assessment to be undertaken in future.
To discuss: A cut may seem a minor incident, but what about the 'what ifs'... what if this happened while carrying a chainsaw (see below)? How fun is it working with a cut hand - might ruin your weekend?
[Near miss] Reverse driving error: Flat tire
Details: Right rear tyre on a trailer clipped a broken waratah post.
Notes/Action taken: Driver misjudged the position of the trailer in relation to the waratah post. Discussed at toolbox meeting.
To discuss: Is reversing a trailer always one-person task?
[Incident] Ground workers touched trees that had recently been sprayed
Details: Workers touched trees that had chemical applied. No skin contact as workers had gloves on. Workers clothes contacted the sprayed trees.
Notes/Action taken: 1) Project Manager to provide details to contractor regarding previous aerial spraying. 2) Crew discussed what previously
sprayed trees look like.
3) Project Manager to ensure there is no overlap on GIS maps provided to the contractor.
To discuss: This is a great example of an incident report with details on what happened, and the follow up.
[Incident] Slip with chainsaw: Minor cut to forearm
Details: Minor cut to forearm. Steep and unstable terrain caused the operator to slip over. The chainsaw operator’s forearm contacted the chainsaw’s tooth while the chain was stationary.
Notes/Action taken: First aid was applied, and operator carried on.
To discuss: What might have caused this slip? Could it have been avoided?
[Incident] Not enough water intake: Heat stress
Details: Affected person advised that he felt okay at work. The effects/symptoms didn't really hit him fully until after work. He was driven home. He didn't raise it at work. The exposure probably occurred in the afternoon from 1:30. The day was called off due to heat at 2:30. He had a hat and long sleeves.
Notes/Action taken: Operator acknowledged that he didn’t drink enough water during the day. Only 1 litre of water was consumed but the operator was carrying 2 litres. Discussion occurred around drinking enough water.
To discuss: Heat and fatigue can sneak up. What signs should crew members look out for?
[Incident] Chainsaw operator cut through non-notified power cable
Details: Operator was clearing slash with chainsaw and cut through a live power cable that lay above ground hidden in slash. The cable sparked, creating a flame. The operator put out the small fire using a fire extinguisher. The operator did not receive an electric shock and was not injured.
Notes/Action taken: Worked ceased immediately and incident reported to WorkSafe, the power company and the various PCBU’s in the contracting chain. No further chainsaw use in the block until the risk of contact with the cable has been eliminated.
To discuss: This cable was in a legal position, and had lain there for decades. The outcome could have been disastrous. Should a risk assessment include checking for power lines?
[Incident] Planning oversight: Worker inside clay target range firing zone
Summary: Shooting range operators asked wilding control crew to leave the range. One worker was still making his way through dense scrub and was not visible to those on the firing range. He was approximately 100m inside the 200m exclusion Zone when shots were fired. Presence of the firing range was not indicated in the land holder's hazard notification.
Notes/Action taken: Foreman asked the Range operator to stop shooting until the crew member could return to a safe area. Worker was shaken up by the incident. Contact numbers were exchanged between the range and wilding pine operations, so safe times to work in the area can be confirmed.
To discuss: Consult, cooperate and coordinate with other PCBUs to make sure all activities in the area are accounted for. Can you assume that documentation reflects the exact situation on the day?
[Incident] Slip and fall on slope: Dislocated shoulder
Details: Worker lost footing as descending slope. Fell on his side and put his arm down to support himself, resulting in shoulder dislocation. Shoulder was susceptible due to previous dislocations.
Notes/Action taken: Working on steep terrain and an old injury contributed to the worker dislocating his shoulder.
To discuss: Reckon this guy will let that happen again? Is everyone wearing suitable footwear (boots with ankle support, not shoes) on slopes? Is working on steep terrain discussed in morning pre-start meetings?
[Incident] Steep terrain: Twisted knee
Details: Worker twisted knee walking down hill on steep terrain.
Notes/Action taken: Worker had time off to recover then returned to work.
To discuss: As above. Before working on slopes consider what could go wrong and how to keep everyone safe.
[Incident] Worker in wrong position: Tree rolled towards their vicinity
Details: Tree (< 2 m height) rolled downhill in vicinity of worker beneath. Faller called out a warning and worker was able to avoid path of rolling tree.
Notes/Action taken: Inattention of worker below cut tree – not in staggered position to avoid path of objects rolling downhill from above.
To discuss: Communication between workers throughout the day is key – how can your crew make sure everyone knows each others' whereabouts?
Contractor Spotlight: Aoraki Tree & Scrub
Developing staff buy-in to risk management
Submitted by Simon Hodgson, Owner, Aoraki Tree and Scrub
One of the draw cards for many of the people who choose to work in the wilding pine programme is the challenging locations and sense of adventure.
We have the privilege of working in some of the most spectacular and unique landscapes in the country, but those landscapes also present risks that we need the whole team to understand.
"Truly robust risk management involves an element of the crew having the ability to self-refer in adopting risk management strategies."
When working up a valley there will be trees on flatter slopes, steeper slopes and then in the crags and rock faces. Not all trees are safe to get to. The foreman/owner cannot be beside each crew member when they decide whether or not to approach a particular tree so we talk about some strategies at the toolbox meetings to aid crew members to make the right decisions to stay safe – and then we repeat these conversations regularly. When the crew are working there is a natural tendency to want to get every pine, however that needs to be tempered by good decision making as to whether every pine is safe enough to get to!
I ask new crew members if they get hurt at work whether it is their fault or the company’s fault. Then they are told that if they die at work that we’ll throw them in a shallow grave and say, ‘Who? Never heard of him/her,’ or ‘That person never came to work today’. This is obviously wrong and supposed to be funny, but then I invite the crew member to tell me how they think it should be so that they must think about it and take the question of responsibility seriously. We discuss how we must provide a workplace and systems that prevent injury to workers arising from their work, and how they also have a responsibility to take reasonable care: that this is a team effort.
We stress that our first job is to stay safe and not get injured: and that I have no right to tell them to do something that they don’t feel safe doing: they may always refuse.
A crucial point that we make in the toolbox meetings is to remind everyone that “our first job always is to stay safe and not get injured as opposed to clearing every wilding in our block”. When discussing the risks in the morning toolbox meetings we will often get each crew member to name a risk as we go around the circle. Then we probe how likely are the risks and what are the factors that make it risky.
The final point is to encourage a team culture where safe practises are supported and respected by crew members as opposed to machismo: machismo leads to pressure to take bigger risks. There is plenty of room too for those epic moments without unnecessary risk.
When looking at a tree in a crag there are questions that we should first consider.
- Is it early in the day, when I am fresh, or later in the day when slips and trips are more common?
- Is the ground dry or wet?
- What tools are best to cut down the tree? Can I lighten my load and leave a bag or excess weight at the bottom?
- Is there good footing where I can have a stable stance to cut the pine? Envisage how I will stand when I cut it? It is all very well being able to climb up to a pine wilding but if I have to stretch or balance one leg to reach it once I get there then that is not safe.
- Is getting down as easy as getting up? (Sometimes it isn’t)
- When considering all these questions stop, pause, and ask ‘do I feel completely safe and confident? as opposed to ‘reckon I can do it?’
Heads up: 2024 Wilding Pine Conference 16-18 October
To be held at the Great Lakes Centre, Taupo. Keep an eye on the Wilding Pine Network conference page for details. Any questions, email conference@wildingpinenetwork.org.nz.
Share this newsletter with crews, help keep them safe
If you have feedback on this newsletter, any questions, or a story or tip to share, we're keen to hear it. Hit Reply or email Jonathan.Tunnell@mpi.govt.nz.
