Forest Operations > Emergency Management

Emergency Management

In forest operations there is always the risk of an environmental emergency occurring.  Good practices will minimise any risks but accidents will occur.

The primary cause of emergency management requirements in the forest are fuel and oil spills or chemical related incidents.

In harvesting operations a common spillage is diesel.  Other incidents may relate to water and erosion issues or soil damage.

16a

Fig 64 Discarded oil and filters

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Fig 65 Water damaged road

In the event of an incident that may have environmental impacts the following should apply as  a minimum (enterprise procedures should be used if they differ):

Scenario

You have just gone to the fueling point in your machine and found that due to a malfunction the diesel tank has emptied itself on the ground. 

There is possibly 5-600 litres of fuel running down the roadway towards a water filled sinkhole.

What to do:

It is vital that you do not ignore the situation.

This has happened in the past and contractors have had to pay huge costs and fines for lack of response and the clean up. 

Having a go at minimising the damage will mean less cost.

Other issues that may not be your direct responsibility but you should be aware of is:

Remember that as a safety and or environmental issue you need to complete hazard reporting forms.

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