In an industry like forestry safety is paramount.

To ensure best practices are adopted in the forest and followed by the workforce, Forestry Corporation stages quarterly safety share events with its partners in the Snowy Region timber industry.

Organisations helping Forestry Corporation to conduct its operations in the Tumut and Tumbarumba region have recently come together to talk safety.

The workplace safety sessions involve organisations, which help Forestry Corporation to implement annual site preparation works, planting, spraying, road construction and maintenance as well as harvest and haulage programs.

These companies’ efforts count towards the cycle of forestry, seeing seedlings planted in state forests after trees have been sustainably harvested and delivered to local sawmills ensuring the timber industry remains a strong economic pillar of the community, underpinning the employment of many workers across the region.

Forestry Corporation Snowy Regional Manager Dean Anderson said given the interaction between Forestry and its partners in the field, it is important that timber industry companies have shared safety protocols that are consistent with best industry practice.

“With this in mind, we meet every quarter, to talk all things safety and importantly pause to reflect on safety conversations, safety innovations and safety recognitions, which are opportunities for companies to put forward suggestions, make improvements and recognise their staff,” Mr Anderson said.

Michael Clancy, Commercial Manager for G&J Groves, a harvest and haulage contractor, said the safety meetings allow for timely and open consultation between their contractors and Forestry Corporation staff.

“Better consultation has improved information flow and the ability to tackle current safety issues on a collective basis,” Mr Clancy said.

“Overall, this partnering has made good headway to improving safety outcomes for both our people and in turn the wider community.”

To highlight innovation and safe practices, Forestry Corporation awards companies that have displayed excellence in workplace safety.

Winners were announced this year in three category fields:

Best Conversation Starting Safety Share: Rosin Developments.

Most Impactful Innovation: High Country Logging.

Most Worthy Recognition: Forestry Corporation’s contractors in the Snowy Valley.

Award winners agreed to each donate their $1,000 in prizemoney to their choice of local charities with Asthma Australia, Can Assist and Turners Syndrome Australia the worthy recipients.

“Each charity is known to have local importance and impact in a good way the lives of people closest to those undertaking work in our region’s forests,” Mr Anderson said.

“We want to give back to those to whom give to us just by being at work and helping us get through our programs,” he said.

Melinda Haris, from harvest contractor High Country Logging, the recipient of the Most Worthy Innovation award, said the company was honoured to have been awarded for its contribution to safety.

“This innovation has led to additional information being provided on operations maps that will assist with firefighting endeavours in the future,” Mrs Harris said.

“We are extremely proud that this has now been adopted statewide.

“Being able to direct our donation to Asthma Australia is dear to us, as my husband Jock lost his brother to asthma, a life cut too short and we hope that donations to Asthma Australia led to research and information being available to asthma sufferers that mean this outcome becomes less frequent,” she said.

These quarterly safety meetings have seen 22 conversation starting safety discussions shared from nine different businesses, 12 innovation shares from seven businesses and 16 nominations for recognition from six businesses.

Find out more about Forestry Corporation at www.forestrycorporation.com.au