Editorial: Change vital for forestry safety

What can be done about the appalling safety record in our forestry industry?

As noted yesterday by Coroner Wallace Bain at the inquest into the death of forestry worker Reece Joseph Reid, New Zealand's death rate in the industry is four times that of Australia or Canada.

This despite the number of forestry workers in those countries being higher than ours, markedly so in Canada.

Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly has said forestry is six times more dangerous than any other industry.

Dr Bain said yesterday there was an average of five forestry work deaths a year in New Zealand, but last year there were 10 deaths.

It may seem like I'm throwing a lot of numbers at you but these are not just numbers, they are people.

This carnage cannot be allowed to continue and there are several efforts under way to address the issue.

But, as the panel tasked with an independent review has noted, "there are no silver bullets". Its chairman George Adams said last month the answer will not lie in one or two big changes - it will be about many changes at all levels of the industry.

That means a concerted effort is required across the board - from the Government to the forestry companies, right down to the individual workers - to fix this.

In some ways it's a pity a joint inquest into eight forestry deaths could not go ahead this week, due to ongoing and threatened legal actions. As the chief coroner has noted, the potential would have been there to identify common elements and systemic issues, ideally leading to recommendations and real change.

But with the combined weight of the independent review, legal action over deaths, coronial inquests and increasing public and media scrutiny, let's hope positive change is just around the corner.