Safety Bulletins

The New Forestry Assessment Tool

Inspectors take a new approach!

WorkSafe NZ Inspectors have been using a revised forestry assessment tool since November 2015.

This new tool is not a guide to good practice e.g. like the BPG and the ACoP.

It does focus on effective and operating Health and Safety Systems.- WorkSafe NZ 

The intention (of assessments) is to focus our work more on risk, and not reduce the depth of our assessments where risk is not being effectively eliminated or minimised.

Additionally, Inspectors will be talking to crew (the workers) about how and how well the systems work, with Inspectors looking for positive evidence that the systems are working.

They also say .exhaustive notes (records) are not expected. Notes and record entries should follow standard practice guidance and should record findings and contain sufficient detail to enable the Inspector to substantiate decisions made.

Inspectors can also use their own judgement to focus on areas that, in their experience, stand out as important. In other words, the forestry assessment tool is a guideline as to what might take place during a visit and Inspectors have a far greater scope as to how they will conduct an on-site visit.

View this article in Safety bulletin 99