# Welcome to New Zealand?s most dangerous workplace



## sika (Jul 3, 2013)

*Welcome to New Zealand’s most dangerous workplace*

Interesting watching from NZ on TV last night.

Calls intensify for forestry inquiry - Story - 3rd Degree - TV Shows - 3 News

There have been 28 deaths in the past five years in NZ forestry.

I've been right thru this bit of bush both before/during and after felling. Looks like hard mahi to me. Now I know why they spray painted "look up" on a few trees.


----------



## imagineero (Jul 4, 2013)

That kind of story just seems so knee jerk to me. People who've never worked in the industry have no place to be making judgments on safety. This industry isn't for everyone, and if you can't bring your 'A' game to work, every single day, or if you've just not got the right kind of head for doing it, then go work in another industry. This isn't like mining in south america; workers in our countries aren't force fed drugs, denied education and basic resources, made to work with zero safety equipment etc... By and large we've got a good thing. We have great equipment, excellent safety gear, fantastic training and education available. If it's not for you, then go work somewhere else. Don't make it harder for the types of men who prefer to have more freedom and are willing to accept the consequences of our actions.

And yeah, I've worked in forestry in new zealand. The ground is generally steep, but the trees are no more hazardous than anywhere else in the world. I'm not shy to say it; the NZ forest industry has a bad drug problem. Use of hard drugs is the norm, not the exception. I worked on a few crews and never worked in a crew that was 100% clean. It's so blatant that even in this report they go ahead and say "yeah the guy was in rehab, had failed his drug test, they shouldn't have let him work, it wasn't his fault". 

Shaun


----------



## sika (Jul 5, 2013)

You have a point. I have heard this about the forestry industry here. Hard to concentrate if your half baked from the previous night.


----------

