www.fica.org.nz
Trial of new mentoring programme for silviculture Understanding Risk workers proves successful Prue Message Prue Younger, Younger, CEO CEO Message
Ten silviculture crews around the country have completed This month I approached Safetree contributors about the a trial of a new mentoring programme developed by the up-and-coming Risk Workshops that are going to start up Forest and Wood Processing Workforce Council, with again around the country and asked for an overview on what funding from the Forest Growers Levy Trust and support one might expect going along to them. So, this what they told from MPI. me (relax, I promise you this isn’t another Health & Safety Mentoring Programme Manager, Greg Steele, says the article). Council is looking to improve the status and mana of the silviculture sector. “We want to formalise mentoring in the forestry training infrastructure, especially as some good crews already do take on this role. “Using the process, we aim to get new people more skilled earlier in soft and practical skills. We selected crews who were interested and had a new entrant to put through.” Currently new entrants are encouraged early on in their work to achieve unit standards to meet compliance standards. “We thought if we identified other key interpersonal, communications and induction skills andthree packaged them on Risk, Health and Safety have become words almost a time-serve basis, for example within the first month, that guaranteed to turn off an audience and stop people from could work. A person following the programme will reading any further. So, over the last fivefull years we have been achieve seven to eight full introductory unit standards as trying to get people to think about risk in a different way. Why? well as achieving time-served milestones. They will be What we at have is thatbeginning the morewith we adevelop risk recognised eachfound milestone, one-month management processes the less people become. certificate. Some of the guys haveengaged nothing in the past from The process programmes the team to complete that process school.” often for as the of the process itself or infor “evidence”. As well thesake presentation of a certificate front of their Evidence, youelements ask. Well,achieved of course, need to bevia able to peers, their areyou downloaded App prove you have managed risk credentials when thingsasgo wrong. onto athat smart-card which showsthe these a part of The is it of hasn’t prevented incident. theirirony record learning. A QRthe code allows scanning and immediate access to credentials held. Think back to the first risk you learnt to manage. It was The mentoring programme is designed a package almost certainly eating hot food as a baby,asand how didthat you can run up toright 36 months. The first have been learn? That’s you felt pain and three learnt months to blow before you trialled the 10 crews. trialout results assessed in bite. Youby probably still get The caught with awere hot pie from time late December and a when reportyou prepared for thedriving Taskforce to time though. Usually are distracted, or in Council. a rush, right? Greg he learning is happy with the trial intent Whatsays about to cross the outcomes. road? The “The process is is now to ramp the programme up, engage more crews in pretty simple. Find a safe place to cross, “Stop, Look, Listen”, 2022, androad establish training with from and the and if the is clear,the cross carefully, butfunding keep looking education sector. listening. This is the simplest of tasks we have been performing “Mentoring someone prepared since we were depends very youngonwhich carries being a reasonable risk.toIf address and become a role model, rather than a you thinkit about it, the process is automated now, leaving but your new entrant to theirare own devices. In use many cases, they(sight turn actions of crossing not. You still your senses people around and provide a (judging real service to the and the and hearing) and perception speed andcrew distance) to community.” cross safely. Now think about the close calls you have had Troycrossing Mason, the Managing Director KTM Silviculture when road. Were you of rushing, distracted, based drunk in the Wairarapa, says the mentoring programme allowed or all three? their mentee to complete and pass three assessments in a So,on thinking work, what doeshealth that risk management day the jobback – in to communications, and safety, and process actually do for you? There’s a question you should be nutrition. asking amongst the team, do you serve the process, or does “He is well on his way to getting his national certificate; it serve you? that will be a huge reward for us. He is probably one of the Safetreeyoung has collaborated with WorkSafe New builder Zealand to strongest fellows I’ve ever seen – a qualified and run regional around theand country talking about a shearer. He workshops has a good work ethic is willing to learn.
42 NZ LOGGER | May 2022
“He works in a Risk. great team environUnderstanding We have run ment and is outdoors all day.” nine workshops with more than 200 Troy has worked in the industry for people to date. 30 years. His company employs 18 What we have found so far is that staff. people can all talk about the process His company does all aspects of of managing risk, but the processes silviculture and over the years he aren’t really in balance with the has employed many young people. people. For example, one of the “Many are referred to us by the harvesting crews we worked with had police to give them a go and try to a very poor understanding of risk. turn their life around. Some are at-risk or troubled youths. After a couple of hours helping them think about more than Some are too far gone to turn around. just identifying hazards, they called out the risks that they “A lot of them don’t haveataagood remembered experiencing time work when ethic. one ofThey theirdon’t crew have a lot of confidence – we try to build that. suffered a fatal incident. Here are the risks they identified “That’s (after the why fact): there are accidents in forestry – they have issues, they have financial burdens at home. “It’s being able to read them, take five minutes, being able to talk to them – whether it’s me or a crew member – and build a whanau-way around them; getting to know one another and if they are mentally okay. “As a company, we try to take the financial burden off our employees. We pay our cutters and production leads more than others pay them and because of what we do for them, their output is higher. As a result we deliver very good quality work to customers, which I can then reward in turn.” Ben White, Director of Ace of Spades Contracting based in the Bay of Plenty, is also a supporter of the mentoring programme. His company has two staff going through it. “It’s a better way of learning, especially if you have When asked, “what would you do in hindsight?”, they experienced mentors in the crew. Our workers don’t like to came up with some strategies for dealing with some of the be cooped up in a classroom where things go over their risks. Asked further, “whose responsibility was it to manage heads but out here in the forest, they can relate to it. It the risks?”, they only identified themselves. They didn’t provides a point of difference.” understand that risk management must be influenced by He says their mentees are receptive to the information everyone involved in the work and that other people in the which includes safety and a knowledge of the bush. supply chain can actually put better controls in place by His company employs 16 people to do a variety of silviculture designing the work better. work and was set up two years ago by five directors who are Some food for thought? Safetree willfrom be running more FREE good mates. “The company evolved that friendship,” Understanding Risk workshops in June around the country. says Ben. Dates and locations will be advertised on the Safetree and “I love my job; being outside seeing the sunrise and sunset. FICA Facebook pages soon. Come along, have a listen, a yarn It’s the crew you’re with that makes it; the culture is so great, and our a cup of teahave andbought we encourage and people into it. you to take time to put these learnings back into your business. “Silviculture is never going to wind up. Trees will always need to Safetree, FISC and WorkSafe Zealand. to Thanks be planted and they will always needNew to be cut down.” Recently I have joined the Council and with knowledge of the Review of Vocational Education progressing through to 2023, this project and pilot is going to provide some valuable feedback into the Training Strategy for the Forestry Industry. Thus, we are keen to keep you all informed across it as it has some alignment with the harvesting sector as well which will be complimentary to this specific silviculture mentor pilot.
