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WorkSafe and the Forest Industry Safety Council have extended their Toroawhi forestry health and safety pilot for six months because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Worksafe’s Grant Duffy says the lockdown limited the activities of the two Toroawhi or roving reps who were working to increase worker representation in health and safety.
He says early results are positive, with the Toroawhi shifting attitudes in the sector and bringing a real focus on worker’s well-being.
Since the programme’s inception at the start of the year the pair have engaged with more than 500 forestry workers in the central North Island and Gisborne/Tairāwhiti regions.
Toroawhi Richard Stringfellow, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the industry, says one of his focuses was mental health and wellbeing, and he was able to set up workers with counselling services, encourage them to get fit and even introduced some to budgeting services.
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