Fielding-based Forest Owner Marketing Services co-director Marcus Musson said WorkSafe had taken a leading role in trying to make safety improvements to the forestry industry over the past 18 months.
"A lot of companies have had to step up to the mark and change their practices," he said.
"It has resulted in some people exiting the industry because they haven't been able to keep up with it, which is good."
However, he found some reporting on enforcement notices misleading because notices could be issued for low-level problems, such as an expired certification on a vehicle cab.
"Realistically it hasn't probably been as bad as what's been reported."
A lot of forestry companies were initiating mechanised processes for tree felling and breaking out, which was "making the job a lot safer but unfortunately you're still not going to be able to get away from the human component of it".
One challenge facing the industry was the lack of available trainers to teach new workers, and Mr Musson said he would have liked more government subsidies to fund more trainers.
Almost 300 WorkSafe NZ enforcement actions had been taken nationwide since last August, including 25 partial or full shutdowns due to "imminent danger of serious injury or death", Minister of Labour Simon Bridges said.
FIRST Union general secretary Robert Reid said a safety crisis had been unfolding in the forestry industry, with nearly 30 deaths and almost 1000 serious harm injuries in the last five years alone.
He was pleased the consultation document recognised that forestry health and safety problems were "driven by multiple factors and not just worker behaviours".
"For too long injured or deceased forestry workers have glibly been described as the 'architects of their own demise.'
"The document makes clear that the problems in this industry are driven by multiple factors and not just worker behaviours.
"The combination of inadequate wages and conditions for this extremely physical work is experienced by many workers as grinding fatigue, affecting both their mental and physical wellbeing."
The panel's discussion on worker participation and representation was critical, he said. Without a voice in the industry the crisis would persist and workers would continue to pay the price.
However, the Forestry Industry Contractors Association said the review lacked credibility.
Spokesman John Stulen told Radio New Zealand the panel had been unduly influenced by unions.
Most forestry operators were good, but WorkSafe NZ was under-resourced to catch "fly-by-night" farm forest operators, most of whom had never had an inspection, he said.