Tragedy 'waiting to happen'

Wiremu Edmonds (seen at the launch of the Forestry Safety Review Panel report last year) says his stepson's death was an accident waiting to happen.

The family of a Rotorua man killed in a forestry accident say it was inevitable someone would get hurt that day.

Robert Epapara, 23, died after being struck by a tree felled by another crew member in the Waione Forest, near Lake Rotoiti, on March 26, 2013.

The inquest, which began on Monday, continued yesterday.

Mr Epapara's stepfather, Wiremu Edmonds, a forestry safety advocate, told Dr Wallace Bain best practice hadn't been adhered to leading up to his stepson's death.

"Robert's was a well-prepared accident waiting to happen," he said.

"Best practice was disregarded at every step, all that was needed was a person to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That day, that person was my son, but it could have been any one of those workers."

Mr Edmonds said Mr Epapara's death highlighted the importance of forestry workers having daily morning safety meetings, documented tree felling plans identifying the positions of workers and radio communication, all of which were absent the day he died.

Mr Edmonds said he also believed a key protocol in the industry had been breached twice, as two trees were felled within two tree lengths of Mr Epapara.

"I am concerned as accidents don't just happen.

"There will be a series of events or circumstances that will lead up to a workplace accident," he said.

Mr Edmonds said he hoped the inquest would help prevent similar accidents in the future.

Mr Epapara's biological father Robert Ruri, from Christchurch, agreed, saying he hoped it would spur changes.

He believed those people who felled a tree which killed or injured another worker should have to resit their training before going back into the industry. "Robert meant the world to me. It was my darkest day [when he died]. So I expect as a father, that people can't just go back into the job. I mean, you've taken a life."

Dr Bain said something good was sure to come out of the inquest.

His recommendations will be made when eight inquests involving forestry workers have been heard.