A Pike River every six years

Media release from FIRST Union

December 20, 2011

A Pike River every six years

Workplace accidents in our forests cause the equivalent number of deaths to a Pike River tragedy every six years according to the wood sector union.

Robert Reid, General Secretary of FIRST Union says the Coroner’s report into the death of Marlborough forestry worker Sean Mortensen that was released yesterday paints a bleak picture of health and safety in our forests.

“Department of Labour statistics show that an average of five forestry workers a year is killed on the job,” he says.

“The coroner pointed to shortcomings, including a lack of risk management training and formal risk/hazard training, in the management of health and safety issues by Mr Mortensen’s employer Pelorus Contracting Ltd.

“The union believes a similar lack of emphasis on health and safety has become common in the industry since the deregulation in the 1980s which led to the deunionising of most workers doing tree felling work.

Robert Reid says the Department of Labour launched an action plan for the forestry sector in September but had not included the union as a key stakeholder at the launch

“The department listed employer and contractor organisations as key stakeholders in their draft plan but not employee organisations, yet it is employees who risk their lives every day they go to work in the forests.

“The Pike River enquiry has revealed what happens when workers have no real input into health and safety in a workplace and we should be learning from that.

“We believe more union involvement, better training and more Department of Labour inspections in our forests would save lives,” Robert Reid says.

ENDS

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