Forest Operations > Conduct Skidder Operations > Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) Requirements

Forestry OH&S responsibilities in the supply chain

Owners or managers of land or forest

Owners / managers of land or forest could include State Government Agencies, private plantation companies or individual tree farmers.

Contractors

Contractors who directly engage employees hold all the responsibilities of an employer.

Self employed people

Self employed people must not take unnecessary risk; they have a duty to ensure that others e.g. (Visitors, the general public) are not exposed to risks arising from forest operations.

Designers, manufactures and suppliers of machines or substances

Designers, manufactures and suppliers of machines or substances used in forest operations have a duty to ensure that the machine or substance has been designed to the required standards and tested for safe use.

Employees

Under the (OH&S) Act, employees have a duty to cooperate with the measures that an employer has developed to eliminate or reduce risk to them self and others. In the forestry environment the most important of these procedures is to stay within safe work areas.

Hazard and risk control

Prior to undertaking harvesting work, employers and employees must:

• Identify any hazards that may arise because of these activities,
• Assess the risks that the hazards might bring about, and
• Implement appropriate controls.

You will be able to view sample risk hazard identification, control forms and accident report forms in the relevant sections.

Safety requirements may include:

• Safety signage;
• Safety equipment;
• First Aid equipment;
• Fire fighting equipment;
• Hazards & Risk control;
• Elimination of hazardous materials & substances;
• Manual handling including lifting, shifting & carrying;
• Safe forest practices including required actions relating to forest fire.