SEPTEMBER 2021
MANUFACTURE • TECHNOLOGY • DESIGN • CONSTRUCTION
CRAFTING FINE FURNITURE IN TASMANIA TIME TO SCRAP THE HOMEBUILDER DEADLINE
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NEWS
Time to scrap HomeBuilder completion dates
Building boom has created scheduling nightmare for fabricators
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HE 18-month extension to HomeBuilder project completions needs to be removed, and builders need to stop taking orders for new houses if certain sectors of the building industry are to survive, according to the Frame and Truss Manufacturers Association. FTMA Executive Officer Kersten Gentle believes the building boom has created a scheduling nightmare for fabricators with delays for delivery of frames and trusses blowing out to May next year. “We are in one of the biggest booms on record,” she said. “And so until things start to slow down, then we’re not going to see any kind of relief. “We use to shudder at the thought of eight weeks lead time,” she said. “And now we’re at eight months lead time.” It’s a reality echoed by the general manager of Trusscorp Aaron Hillman, one of Queensland’s leading suppliers of prefabricated timber roof trusses, wall framing and floor systems. “We’re currently booked out to April next year,” he said. “So we would normally have a lead time of four to six weeks. In any other market, certainly in the last 15 years, that’s been the case,” he said. Ms Gentle said that for the industry to ensure that builders do not go under and let
people get their homes, it is essential that the federal government and the state governments remove all timeframes around those that signed up for HomeBuilder. She said fabricators were busier than they’ve ever been, but some were reporting they were 30% down in actual business. But they still needed all their staff on hand chasing timber. And she said they were constantly having to requote on jobs because of changing prices, chase timber, change what job to build next dependent on lockdowns or whether the builder is ready as they have had delays in getting slabs poured. “Fabricators are becoming
professional jugglers in what has become a circus,” she said. “Builders have to slow it down because otherwise nobody will get what they want. “They need to stop taking more orders. “That’s the problem. You’ve got builders that do 2000 homes and they are trying to sign up 2700. “Isn’t it more important that people get their house than builders go broke.” “Prices are going through the roof and some fabricators are worried we’re going to hit a wall, and it’s going to just become too expensive to build a home “And the focus should not just be on timber.” Most material costs such as
steel, tiles, roofing materials and windows had experienced greater price increases than timber. Builders are facing not only a 20% to 30% increase in the price of timber, but also price rises in every single one of their components across the supply chain. “We’re looking at a very serious situation of builders going to the wall,” Ms Gentle said. “It’s very unstable.” Relationships between fabricators and timber suppliers were also being because sales staff were under so much pressure. Ms Gentle said the shortage of timber was still an issue, but so was the shortages of other components which up
until recently wasn’t being reported. Mr Hillman said there was a lot of challenges for the industry. “We’re receiving price increases up to every 30 days,” he said. “So all of that work we’ve got in the system needs to be repriced and new quotes committed every month.” As a result the cost of a house being built continued to escalate while in reality nothing was happening on site. He said that in Queensland at the moment some builders were looking for any clauses in their in their contract to get out of a job. “So, when a midsize builder goes broke in Queensland the governing body steps in and assigns another builder to take over that half completed house,” he said. “In the current market, I can’t see them being able to find a builder that’s willing to take over these houses, because of the increase in prices.” And then there is Covid. “That’s twofold in our business,’ he said. “One is the restrictions and the impact to the economy and everything else. “The other one we’re certainly finding at the moment is the mental health of our staff. “They’re just absolutely fatigued.”
Design awards on track for 2021
E
NTRIE S for the 22nd
Australia Timber Design Awards are now closed with organisers delighted to have received more than 90 submissions this year. While that number is just a little down on previous years the organisers believe this is a remarkable achievement as we have all navigatwww.timberbiz.com.au
step in the Awards process – judging. Late September should see the People’s Choice Awards kick-off – where we ed through ever-changing ask you…. Associates and COVID restrictions and lock- friends within the industry to take a closer look at what downs. The high standard of this has been submitted for the year’s submissions is evi- 22nd Australian Timber Dedent as the team finalises sign Awards. Your selections will help each submission for the next
establish who will receive the prestigious People’s Choice Award. The Judging Panel consists of professionals from within the industry from a variety of fields. This year organisers are looking to encourage more gender diversity within the judging panel, and are looking to fill two more spots on the panel
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
from the Interior Design and Construction fields. Organisers plan to hold off for as long as possible to see if there is an opportunity to have a traditional awards dinner. Irrespective of an Awards dinner, there will still be an event. Last year’s awards were held a virtual event and considered a great success. 3
NEWS
australasian
SEPTEMBER 2021 Issue 6 – Volume 29 Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman. Established 1977.
3-7
News Engineered Wood
12-13
Mill technology
14-15
Associations
16-19
FRONT Cover: A timber chair created by fourth generation Tasmanian woodworker Craig Howard who produces all elementsof wood furniture from large corporate desks and board room tables to chairs, bookcases and coffee tables. Publisher and Chief Executive: Hartley Higgins General Manager: Robyn Haworth Editor: Bruce Mitchell b.mitchelll@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9512 Advertising: Gavin de Almeida g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9517 Creative Services: Jarren Gallway Jessica Masters Publication Design: Jarren Gallway Timber classifieds: g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9517 Subscriptions: subs@forestsandtimber.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9522 Subcription rates One-year (8 editions) $55 Two-years (16 editions) $95 Accounts: Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9555 Postal Address: 630 Regency Road, Broadview South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Fax: (08) 8369 9501 Melbourne Office: Suite 2262, 442 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Phone: (03) 9810 3262 Find us on Facebook @AustralasianTimber Website www.timberbiz.com.au Printed by Lane Print, Adelaide, SA
Conditions
The opinions expressed in Australasian Timber Magazine are not necessarily the opinions of or endorsed by the editor or publisher unless otherwise stated. All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. All material in Australasian Timber Magazine copyright 2021 © Ryan Media. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, the publisher will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.
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FWPA’s Ric Sinclair announces shock resignation
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USTRALIA’ S forest industries have paid tribute to outgoing Forest and Wood Products Australia Managing Director Ric Sinclair. Mr Sinclair announced his resignation at the start of September after his 13 years in the role. Prior to joining FWPA, Ric spent seven years in the grocery and food industry where he worked in operations, corporate finance and strategy roles. “We are proud of the achievements of the FWPA team under Ric’s leadership over the last 13 years and although these are challenging times, we have continued to deliver an enormous amount of great work despite COVID, lock downs, devastating fires and significant market fluctuations,” FWPA Chairman Craig Taylor said. “Ric leaves the company in a strong position following the recent independent review that strongly endorsed our performance, the signing of a new 10 year funding agreement with the Commonwealth Government and the development of a new strategic plan.” Mr Sinclair has committed to ensure a smooth transition to his replacement during his notice period. “I am proud of what the team have achieved during my time at FWPA,” Mr Sinclair said, “And I look forward to seeing them continue to grow relationships with our stakeholders, communication channels with our markets and new opportunities for sustainable forest and wood products.”
• Ric
Sinclair When asked to nominate his key achievements, Mr Sinclair listed: building a great team focused on collaborating to deliver results; establishing a partnership with Planet Ark to tell wood’s carbon and renewability story through consumer advertising; creating WoodSolutions, a world-leading activity promoting the use of wood and wood products to material specifiers in the construction sector and forging strong stakeholder relationships. But he was quick to add, then the achievements were not his, but the whole team’s. Other significant achievements during Mr Sinclair’s leadership include; ensuring changes to the National
Construction Code that reduce impediments to the use of wood and wood products in mid-rise projects; establishing an advisory service to help realise mid-rise opportunities; developing a statistics resource for the industry; creating ForestLearning to provide teaching materials to schools; implementing WoodSolutions Campus, an online training centre; launching an industry leadership program; using wide-ranging research to inform evidence-based decisions and founding the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life. Mr Sinclair has also been instrumental in building stronger relationships with Government and other Rural
Research and Development Corporations (RDCs). Three independent assessments commissioned by FWPA during Mr Sinclair’s leadership showed that the forest and wood products industry received exceptional returns for each dollar invested and company’s external audits have continued to confirmed exemplary financial management. Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Forest Products Association Ross Hampton said Mr Sinclair had been a committed servant to forest industries, not just during his time at FWPA, but ever since his early career in forestry. “More recently though on the research and development front, Ric has led FWPA through a large number of programs and areas of forest industries research that have been critical in allowing our industries to grow, develop and innovate,” Mr Hampton said. He had also overseen the development of the ‘Ultimate Renewable’ brand. “Alongside all of the R&D and marketing work, Ric has led FWPA through challenging periods, including major market fluctuations, significant bushfires and COVID closures,” Mr Hampton said.
• The Ultimate Renewable campaign was one of Mr Sinclair’s marketing successes
Rewriting the rules, and rewriting them again in Covid times
I
F there is anything to be learnt from the pandemic, the first on the list must be what we got wrong, the second is how we ensure those mistakes don’t happen again, and thirdly, will things ever be the same again. The first is easy. We got so much wrong, and we are still getting things wrong. In the early days of lockdowns forest product industries, such as the building industry, were not considered essential. The Australian Forest Products Association had to go
australasian
to the Federal and State governments to make sure that didn’t happen again. But it did, in South Australia and in the ACT. The AFPA had to remind the ACT Government of the nationally agreed essential industry status for forest industries or risk undermining access to food on supermarket shelves for Canberrans.
And then there were the dire warnings that the virus would be a wrecking ball for the house construction industry. Well, they kind of got it right. The HomeBuilder scheme has had a negative effect on the building industry because the boom it created cannot be matched by supply. Will mistakes still be made, even repeated? Of course they will, until someone finds the definitive “How to manage a world-wide pandemic”
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
handbook. It doesn’t exist, but it’s certainly being written. As for a return to normal, what will be the new “normal”? Large gatherings will in all probability become something of the past. The list of such events that have been cancelled this year is long. So the new normal will, for some time to come, remain a foreign country for most of us. Normal transmission will not be restored any time soon. www.timberbiz.com.au
Queensland industry input into a national WHS Standard
INDUSTRY LED DEVELOPMENT Recognising safe practices and performance. An Industry Reference Group (IRG) is providing input into the WHS
Commitment to work health and safety
Standard and criteria as part of the national ForestFit Certification program that is in development. The IRG consists of key Queensland representatives operating in the State native forests. In Queensland, the ForestFit Certification pilot will be used to test the WHS Standard and assurance process with a diversity of local forest businesses operating in State native forests. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) are partnering with the Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA) to work with the Queensland industry to develop and deliver WHS standard and tools in association with the national ForestFit Certification program.
www.forestfit.com.au
NEWS
Check the ‘claim of compliance’ Builders reminded of information they must provide
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producers, manufacturers, treaters, fabricators, wholesalers and merchants have been reminded of the information they must provide when producing, treating or supplying structural timber products. Timber Queensland’s Strategic Relations Manager Clarissa Brandt said the Queensland timber industry was proud of its record as a responsible supplier of high-quality, fit-for-purpose structural timber products. “Given there is a broad supply chain including from imports, there have been reports of some timber products being used that had not been properly graded or marked. This prompted the release of a Building Industry Advisory Note explaining how to check structural timber building products have the correct claim of compliance,” Mrs Brandt said. “By law builders and certifiers must check that any structural timber product used on a job complies with Queensland’s non-conforming building product (NCBP) regulations,” she said. Timber Queensland’s Advisory to the Building Industry - Structural Timber Product Identification and Traceability in Queensland provides examples of the brands, labels, stamps or marks required to enable a product to claim compliance. Typically, this includes compliance against relevant Australian Standards, CodeMark certiIMBER
• Timber Queensland’s
Strategic Relations Manager Clarissa Brandt fication or via a Performance Solution. “Builders and certifiers have been advised to check the claim of compliance, if it’s not correct they should not purchase the product, or return the delivery to the supplier,” Mrs Brandt said. “They must also notify the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) of a suspected nonconforming building product, failure to do so is a specific offence under NCBP law.”
In addition, Timber Queensland has produced an Advisory to the Timber Industry – Structural Timber Product Identification and Traceability in Queensland which provides examples of Australian Standards
requirements for identification of structural timber products and preservative treated timber. Examples of brands or markings for CodeMark timber productsare also provided. Mrs Brandt said the timber industry had to keep accurate records of the claim of compliance. “Due diligence must be implemented across the supply chain to ensure there is evidence that products are conforming. Take photos, keep dockets, invoices, Form 15’s and maintain files,” she said. NCBP law required builders to provide homeowners
with product information to ensure continued conformance and fitness for purpose, including maintenance requirements. “There is an onus on the timber industry to make this information available to their customers and supply chain partners. Protect yourself – provide product instructions and information,” Mrs Brandt said. “To assist with this Timber Queensland provides members access to a number of Technical Data Sheets that provide guidance and recommendations on installation, use and maintenance.”
Beautiful. Natural. Sustainable. Australian. responsiblewood.org.au You can be assured that wood carrying the Responsible Wood mark has come from certified Australian forests that are sustainably managed to the highest global standards.
Wildlife Retreat at Taronga, NSW Winner of the 2020 Australian Timber Design, Australian Certified Timber Category
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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
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NEWS
New home construction loans continue to fall during July T HE number of loans
for the construction of a new dwelling continued to fall in July, but remain elevated compared to pre-COVID levels, according to ABS figures. HIA Economist Angela Lillicrap said the data reflected the progression of HomeBuilder projects as the majority have now finished the approvals process and will be commencing construction in the coming months. “The value of loans for renovations reached its highest level on record in July,” she said. The value of loans for renovations was 115.9 per cent higher in the July quarter than the same time last year. Ms Lillicrap said household savings had increased since the onset of COVID as people spent more time at home. Households were spending this extra savings on improving their living spaces. “Low interest rates are continuing to support demand for housing and renovations. This is particularly evident with the number of loans refinanced in July also reaching record levels,” she said. The number of loans for established dwellings also remained elevated in July. However, this was unlikely to reflect the impact of recent lockdowns as many of the loans issued in July would have been applied for in May
and June. “At the same time, fewer homes are reaching completion in the normal construction timeframes are the industry is pushed with access to labour and material shortages,” Ms Lillicrap said. “On the other hand, the value of multi-unit construction work undertaken is well below the levels seen during the previous housing boom in 2018. The loss of overseas migration and student population have impacted this sector of the market first,” she said. “Without a return of demand for new housing from overseas migration, HIA’s latest Outlook shows there will be a decline in new home commencements over the next few years. Even with overseas migration re-starting next year, the record volume of new home commencements will reach a natural end point. A decline in new homes under construction should be anticipated from mid-2022 when homes initiated by HomeBuilder reach completion,” Ms Lill-
The average number of people per house had been falling since the 1980s and COVID may have accelerated this trend. icrap said. Across the states, the number of loans to owner-occupiers for the construction of a new dwelling in the three months to July 2021 compared to the same time last
year has: • More than doubled in Tasmania (+119.6 per cent) and South Australia (+105.4 per cent) • Increased strongly in the ACT (+88.1 per cent), Western
Australia (+85.3 per cent), Queensland (+57.0 per cent), Victoria (+46.6 per cent) and New South Wales (+42.3 per cent). • Declined in the NT (30.5 per cent).
Record Fleetwood entries
R
ECORD entries have been received for this year’s inter-University design challenge, the Fleetwood Challenge Cup. Developed by Fleetwood Australia in partnership with prefabAUS, the challenge delivers innovative solutions from showcasing prefabrication and adaptive re-use of existing commercial buildings. The pandemic-induced mandate of working from home has triggered record building vacancies around the world and the need reinvigorate buildings using adaptive re-use. The 2021 Fleetwood Challenge Cup presented a unique opportunity for some of Australia’s most inspired young architectural, engineering and construction management (AEC) minds to deliver effective designs to make use of the glut of empty commercial properties, using adaptive re-use. www.timberbiz.com.au
University teams were asked to transform a vacant commercial building at a local site into a vibrant mixed-use development with retail and residential elements, exploring the role of offsite manufacturing and prefabrication in delivering the conversion. Each multi-disciplinary team consisted of four to six students who worked collaboratively through the design process to produce innovative solutions to the challenging adaptive re-use brief and then verify their approach. “With more than 100 students and 26 teams involved, we were inspired by the quantity and extraordinary calibre of submissions,’´ Fleetwood Australia CEO, Bruce Nicholson, said. “In 2020 we had a fantastic turnout of entries in the Fleetwood Challenge Cup but this year it got even better with some very unique concepts presented that have never been seen before in this competition.” AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
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WOODWORKING
Crafting fine handmade furniture in Tasmania
• One of Tasmania’s finest wood furniture craftsmen, fourth generation woodworker Craig Howard.
CHASE WARNER
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ECOGNIZE D as one of Tasmania’s finest wood furniture craftsmen, fourth generation woodworker Craig Howard turns sustainable sourced timber into handmade furniture in Hobart. Owned and operated by Craig and his middle son, the Craig Howard & Son family business produces all elements of wood furniture from large corporate desks and board room tables to chairs, bookcases, bedroom furniture, coffee tables, and vanities. “Woodworking is something that’s in my blood,” shares Craig.
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY AND SPECIALTY TIMBERS Established in 1986, Craig
Howard & Son specializes in world-renowned Tasmanian timber including huon pine, kingbilly pine, celery-top pine, blackwood, blackheart sassafras, and myrtle. “Our favorite timber to work with is kingbilly pine and huon pine both for the uniqueness, ease of use, very distinctive smell, and the finished piece is pleasing to the eye,” shares Craig. Huon pine is Australia’s oldest living tree and is one of the oldest living organisms on earth with some timbers known to reach an age of 3,000+ years. All timber used within the business is sourced through Forestry Tasmania – a publi-
cally owned forest certified to the Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) for environmental, social, and economic sustainability and are managed and harvested in accordance with State and Australian government environmental regulations. “Our company is all about a sustainable product so this industry can have enough timber for future generations,” explains Craig. “We are extremely cautious about the environment and sustainability since most species take over 200 years for a good log to grow, there is a limited resource available and we are always looking to improve.”
process purchased logs into woodworking material. A Wood-Mizer LT15 sawmill has allowed the business to hand select timber for specific projects based on color grain, yield, and unique characteristics. “Having our own sawmill gives us an advantage as we can select matching boards for individual jobs,” explains Craig. “I remember making blackwood furniture for a whole house. It came from one log and the color matched beautifully, this would not have been achievable any other way.” Purchased in 2007, Craig cites the sawmill as a welcomed improvement from his homemade bandsaw. “It’s ease of use from blade changing, tensioning, accuracy in thickness with the dial rise and fall has been a real pleasure to use and has allowed us to create the furniture based around the logs we mill,” explains Craig. Throughout the past decade, the Wood-Mizer mill has sawn hundreds of cu-
bic meters of logs into highquality boards to be sold or worked with into customized furniture for a client. In addition to sawmilling, Craig sharpens his own sawmill blades. “When sharpening, I grind carefully and not to aggressively. When they get a little tied on cutting I replace them which has helps greatly on longevity,” shares Craig. “I would recommend any purchaser to buy the sharpening gear so you don’t have to rely on other people for you to succeed in your enterprise.” METICULOUSLY HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE After milling logs into workable board thicknesses of 1”, 1 ½”, and 2”, the boards are stickered and stacked in a drying shed for at least one full year to reduce moisture content slowly until they are transferred to a timber drying kiln to dry to approximately 6 - 8% final moisture content which is required for furniture making. “On the furniture making side, we are lucky because we cut our own timber and can select the boards that we want to use for grain and color,” explains Craig. Based on the project, the kiln dried timber is resized,
HIGH-VALUE SAWMILLING Instead of buying machined boards for their woodshop, Craig Howard & Son use a personal band sawmill to
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WOODWORKING smoothed, shaped, and assembled in the woodworking shop that includes a panel saw, thicknesser, surfacer, resaw, vacuum press, moulder, woodworking bandsaw, lathe, doweler, and wide belt sander. “I was trained in traditional fine furniture making so naturally we still use traditional joint fastenings, like hand cut dovetails and mortise & tenon joints that have stood the test of time for hundreds of years.” Most of the furniture produced by the business is one of a kind and customized to the client’s needs. “Our client base is 70% professionals and 30% your mum and dad with disposable income,” shares Craig. “They appreci-
ate the time and craftsmanship we put into our work and always going above and beyond for customer satisfaction. A little rule we follow is, if we are happy with the piece once it leaves the workshop, so will the customer.” In addition to completed furniture and timber sales, Craig Howard & Son has also developed a groundbreaking new product called Tassie thick veneer which is sold to architects, designers, and furniture makers in 2 to 4 mm pieces. Made from solid Tasmanian timber, Tassie thick veneer can be used as wall dividers, ceiling panels, or even flooring, and provides many advantages to traditional, thinner veneer products.
FROM FOREST TO FINAL FORM Throughout the decades, Craig has established a successful business model that takes control of the entire creative woodworking process from forest to final form. With the ability to hand select timber for the desired project at hand, each piece of fine handmade furniture starts at the sawmill. “We have steadily grown the business to have very good German static machinery, a timber drying kiln, the Wood-Mizer LT15 sawmill, a large stock of specialty timbers, a stock of handmade furniture, and veneers available to sell all over the world,” said Craig.
• Jack Howard and his father Craig in the Hobart woodyard.
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ENGINEERED WOOD
BRIEFS NEW LOSP TREATMENT PLANT IN TARPEENA Timberlink is to introduce LOSP treated timber, including Timberlink Green low odour outdoor structural, as part of its major expansion at its Tarpeena plant. The expansion in capability for Tarpeena follows the significant upgrade of the site over three years and leverages off the new sawline currently being commissioned. The facility will support existing and future treatment needs, including services required to support Timberlink’s Cross Laminated Timber and Glue Laminated Timber (CLT & GLT) market entry in 2023. The project will commence in September 2021 and is expected to be completed early in 2023 CHALLENGE FINALISTS Teams from the University of Tasmania, Griffith University and two teams from the University of Melbourne have been chosen as finalists of the 2021 National University Wood Challenge. Each of these finalists has received prize money of $20,000 to test and develop their ideas into reality and will go into the running for the final prize, an additional $10,000 to grow their idea further. STACKER SUPPLIED Austrian international technology group Andritz AG will supply Visy a 243 000 m3 woodchip handling and storage system, including a Stacker Reclaimer RST360, for its Tumut Mill in New South Wales. The Andritz 360° Stacker Reclaimer is a complete system that stores and reclaims wood chips in a continuous 360° radial configuration. It operates on a true first-in, first-out (FIFO) woodchip management basis, ensuring homogeneous chip supply to the digester while at the same time offering a large storage capacity. Andritz has several references for RST360 Stacker Reclaimers worldwide. 12
KEY POINTS ■ Canada has led the
way with tall mass timber construction with the Brock Commons project.
■ The Brock Commons
Tallwood House (pictured left) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver is an innovative 18 storey tall wood hybrid building and at the time it was opened, it was the tallest mass timber structure in the world.
■ Construction of the
Mass timber part of climate change solution M
ASS timber, the emerging new material in sustainable building, could be part of the climate change solution and the cornerstone of Ontario’s economic and environmental future. But can its supply keep up with the demand? Researchers at the Daniels Faculty’s Mass Timber Institute (MTI) at the University of Toronto are about to find out. The research, conducted by Vanessa Nhan, a Master of Forest Conservation student, with support from Glen Foley, Forest Modeling Specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and MTI’s project manager Emmett Snyder, will focus on recalculating existing wood volume on two Crown Forest management units to determine what wood, if any, is leftover after wood supply commitments and shareholder allocations, and if it can be used for a new and sustainable mass timber industry in Ontario. MTI aims to help Canada become an international leader in tall wood buildings and advanced wood products with its leading-edge research and development, coupled
with specialized teaching and training for the next generation of architects, builders, foresters, and designers. Developers and architects worldwide are rallying for mass timber as the ecofriendly building material of choice for good reason: it’s durable, modular, easier to assemble, fire resistant and aesthetically pleasing. The engineered-wood products — large structural panels, beams and posts — are made from dimensional lumber, veneer or wooden strands, and glued or nailed together in layers, with the wood grain arranged perpendicular for added strength. “Mass timber is hailed as an advanced building material, in many ways superior to traditional building materials like concrete and steel. Its products can also be preassembled at a factory and then easily shipped to a building site, where they can be assembled like a Lego kit, allowing builders to be more efficient with their resources,” says Snyder. Perhaps the most exciting benefit is the age-old mate-
• Vanessa Nhan, a Master
of Forest Conservation student, will conduct the research with support from Glen Foley, Forest Modeling Specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and MTI’s project manager Emmett Snyder. Picture: Sanjana Patel, Mass Timber Institute. rial coming into its own as a significant part of a climate change solution due to its renewable nature and potential negative carbon impact, he explains. It’s refreshing news considering the manufacturing of concrete and steel, the typical code-approved choice for tall buildings, accounts for about 15 percent of the world’s carbon emissions each year. “There has been a lot of
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
structure and facade began in June 2016 and was completed by a work crew of nine individuals in 57 days, rising at a rate of about two floors per week.
■ The construction team
described the assembly procedure to be “like Lego”.
conversation around embodied carbon emissions in the supply chain and how both concrete and steel are more energy-intensive to produce and emit massive amounts of carbon. Mass timber is commonly seen as a viable, greener alternative to that,” says Snyder. “We’re advocates for a hybrid approach where sometimes it makes sense to produce a foundation from concrete. But it’s really about sustainable development and combating climate change and the housing affordability crisis—all from this building material.” MASS TIMBER’S CANADIAN RENAISSANCE Across Canada, mass timber is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, creating a world of design possibilities for large low-rise and mid-rise buildings, meeting consumer demand for green building materials, and generating future investment opportunities in the global construction sector, which is expected to reach $16.6 trillion by 2025. In 2017, the Canadian government pledged $39.8 million through a program called Green Construction Through Wood to support the use of timber in non-traditional construction projects, such as tall buildings, low-rise commercial buildings, and bridges. The timber industry in Canada isn’t without major barriers. Most provinces must www.timberbiz.com.au
ENGINEERED WOOD
Battling a world-wide pallet shortage A shortage of timber that have plagued the construction industry is driving up the price of shipping pallets. In the united States the Produce Marketing Association, which represents the production, packaging, and retail segments of the fresh produce (including greenhouses) and floral industries, reported he surge in new house and renovation construction is consuming most of the wood available from the mills and that the price for lumber is at an all-time high. The association reported that there is a shortage of all pallets, not just CHEP and PECO pallets. White pallets (lower quality and not always rackable) also are not available. And The Australian reports that timber shortages have made Chep pallets, used to transport anything from TVs to potatoes, more expensive after their maker Brambles introduced a surcharge, reaping $US60m ($82.3m). The company said that it has battled higher lumber costs and shortages in the second half – sharing the pain of many Australian renovators and home builders who have been struggling to access structural pine. “Inflationary pressures accelerated in the second half of the year with higher lumber and transport costs in all regions,” chief executive Graham Chipcase told The Australian. “Lumber costs were driven by increased demand and supply challenges which impacted pallet availability and resulted in both higher pallet capex costs and increased repair costs. WORLD-WIDE
abide by the maximum height for most wood buildings allowed by building codes in Canada, which is six storeys. The National Building Code of Canada was updated last year, permitting wood builds of up to 12 stories, taking into consideration its strength and fire resistance ratings. But it’s up to the provinces and territories themselves to rework these updates into their own building regulations. British Columbia and Quebec, through alternative approval processes, led the way for the construction of tall timber buildings prior to these code changes. Ontario has also updated its building code to harmonize with the national code. Further proof of Ontario’s mass timber’s potential is a new mass timber facility in St. Thomas, run by Canada’s latest Cross Laminated Timwww.timberbiz.com.au
“The impact was particularly evident in the US and resulted in record levels of lumber inflation and industry-wide pallet shortages in key markets, with manufacturers and retailers also increasing pallet balances across their operations to avoid disruptions to their supply chains.” The Produce Marketing Association said “although conversations are occurring within the North American (and global) industry about the current acute pallet shortages, we believe that many do not yet realize the factors impacting the situation and the potential scope of the issue, including the availability of produce to consumers”. “If there is not a concerted effort
ber (CLT) manufacturer, Element5. The 137,000-squarefoot, $50-million plant produced its first panel in December 2020 and is now fully operational. It houses a technologically advanced, fully automated CLT and glulam production line, and can produce up to 45,000 cubic metres of CLT and glulam annually. While this sounds promising for Ontario, Nhan’s work will evaluate if the province can sustainably grow the forest sector at the same time mass timber production is increasing, while considering the four distinct areas of sustainability: human, social, economic, and environmental. Supporting her analysis is Remsoft’s Woodstock Optimization Studio — a prescriptive analytics and optimization modeling platform for forest management planning.
across the supply chain to ensure pallet availability for shipment of produce, there is little doubt that it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for the grower/shipper community to meet buyer, and ultimately consumer, demand for produce,” the group said in a statement. . “Simultaneously, growers and shippers are working hard to remain compliant with pallet requirement specifications where they can, but this is proving challenging. Temporary modifications or exceptions to pallet requirements, as long as they do not jeopardize safety, would prove advantageous until this pallet shortage is resolved.”
Nhan explains Woodstock will be used to build timber harvest scheduling models for different scenarios on two Crown Forest management units in central Ontario, similar to long-term management direction (LTMD) models used in forest planning. On Ontario Crown lands, the available harvest volume (calculated with optimization modeling during LTMD) is often much higher than the actual harvest amount. This ‘extra wood,’ particularly underutilized tree species and small diameter fibre, could potentially be used for mass timber. The models will help determine how much sustainable and unallocated wood, if any, exists on those specific units once commitments to mills and shareholders have been met.
ASSESSING FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES Once the models confirm if any wood can be repurposed, researchers can also answer some key questions such as what tree species are available, what stands are these species coming from (i.e., mixed wood, conifer, spruce pine fir, or cedar), and how much of that wood can be used for mass timber, keeping in mind opportunities for First Nations communities? How will mass timber affect overall wood costs compared to the cost of pulp and softwood lumber in the region? “There are a lot of moving parts which can get quite complex. Woodstock is great because it gives us the flexibility to implement these different scenarios and answer our big questions,” says Nhan.
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
BRIEFS BUILD-IN-WOOD PROJECT Stora Enso has joined the European Build-inWood project with strives to make wood a natural choice for the construction of multi-storey buildings. Build-in-Wood is an EU funded project improving the sustainability of European construction. It strives to make wood a natural choice for the construction of multi-storey buildings. We have recently joined the project consortium. The ambition of the Build-in-Wood project is to make optimised and cost effective wood construction methods common practice in the European construction sector. CLTP RESIGNATION Chris Skeels-Piggins, CEO of Hermal’s CLTP business, the company’s plantation hardwood business based in Burnie Tasmania, will be leaving the Group. Mr Skeels-Piggins has been leading the CLTP business over the course of the last four years. An announcement is expected shortly regarding Mr Skeels-Piggins’ replacement. NEW BIO PLANT Timberlink will build Tasmania’s first Bio Composite plant. The project capital cost is $12m and the Federal and State Government have co invested in this project with a $5.8m grant. The Bio Composite plant will produce Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) products that will upcycle plastic waste and plantation timber mill residues, producing decking and screening for commercial and residential applications. TIMBER FOR TOYS Australia’s leading timber expert, Big River Group, is supporting non-for-profit organisation, Toys Change Lives (TCL), via its industry partnership with the Clarence Correctional Centre’s Indigenous inmates program run by Serco. Big River Group supplies plywood to the program through the Clarence Correctional Centre, which is then made into toy components and assembled and painted by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inmates. 13
MILL TECHNOLOGY
oose the Original - HewSaw Grey
Robotics leading the way in sawmill technology
ng the right log to the right equipment can significantly improve a sawmill’s bottom nd that’s where HewSaw can play a major role for Australasian sawmillers.
I
N today’s world, technology
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working on Research and Develop-
are continuously being realized in all aspects of the mill from log and timber handling and analysis to cutting
leaders in this area. Just in the last couple of years alone, we have introduced several new products and
rn moreade about HewSaw primary breakdown solutions, contact us at our Australasian ment, we are recognized as industry ago, and rapid developments
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programs to +61 help 419 sawmillers 345 037increase productivity while reducing manpower and improving safety. ROBOTICS One of the most exciting and dynamic advances in sawmilling is the introduction of robots. These modern workhorses can take on repetitive tasks with ease and accuracy and can improve safety for the employees at both our factory and our customer’s mills. For example, at the HewSaw factory in Mäntyharju, in Finland’s Lake District, robots are completing welding, cutting, materials handling and maintenance tasks in many areas of the factory from the manufacturing of small parts and machine frames to the grinding of chipping and edging knives. And in the near future, when HewSaw customers order a new line they will have the option of specifying robots for maintenance tasks, such as machine cleaning, included in our supply. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
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14
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technology and maintenance.
aw’s single pass machines can efficiently process logs from 7.5 cm to just over 50 cm At HewSaw, we have a track replays a major role in almost evemeter. Taking rything these logs off your large log line processing them with cord of embracing new equipment technology we do, and sawmilling is and ed for smaller logs makes economic sense. And,and the with HewSaw can do it all just our own team of with in-house no exception. modern sawmill is a much dif- engineers and product designers perator, orThe in some cases, no operator.
It sounds like something from the future, but it’s real and it’s coming to a sawmill near you. Basically, it involves data solutions derived from information collected from the PLC, scanning and optimization technology, RFID (radio frequency identification) information, VFD analysis and information collected from vibration sensors. This latest AI technology can help to improve sawmill productivity and timber quality. The collected information is used for the development of a data base that can be used for analysis and we can determine best practices for the timing of saw and knife changes, increasing uptime and
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
productivity while improving board finish. THE 3R LOG POSITIONER HewSaw’s already popular and highly accurate 2R log positioner is now available with 3 rotors, appropriately named the “3R Log Positioner”. This newest version is already available with new machine orders and improves log positioning accuracy and control with some of the faster speeds now possible on new lines such as those operating at feed speeds in excess of 220 metres/ minute. DX SAWING HewSaw has been developing dx sawing for a few years now and with the main principle behind this new sawing technology involves sharing the sawing load over two sawing phases. Developed and patented by HewSaw, dx sawing includes two sets of saws. The first set of saws makes a pre-cut or pilot cut and then the second set of saws finishes the job. By sharing the load, we can reduce the depth of cut, resulting in thinner kerfs and improved recovery; increased speeds for production volume improvements; and less wear on the saws for increased time between saw changes. Dx sawing is available on both the cant saw and the ripsaw. HEWSAW MAINTENANCE PROGRAM Proper maintenance is key to keeping your sawmill running smoothly, efficiently and accurately and now HewSaw has included a maintenance program with new deliveries. By collecting data from HewSaw equipment around the world, we can predict when parts should be replaced and we can make sure the required parts are at the mill when needed, all resulting in the elimination of costly unscheduled downtime, improved dependability and operational reliability, less component damage, and streamlined maintenance control and programs. Although HewSaw collects data from www.timberbiz.com.au
MILL TECHNOLOGY
• Above: CantSaw transparent – HewSaw’s dx sawing offers improved recovery and increased speeds. • Right: Welding Robot - Robots are used for a number of functions at the HewSaw factory in Finland. • Opposite page: HewSaw’s in-house R&D team is consistently integrating new technology into HewSaw products. mills around the world, that data is confidential and only identified by machine type or part. That means our customers can benefit from the experiences of other sawmills with similar equipment, allowing them to better manage their spare parts, mill maintenance personnel and overall maintenance planning. CAMERA TECHNOLOGY FOR LOG POSITIONING ON THE SAW LINE Several years ago, HewSaw patented a system to monitor a log’s position on the saw line with video cameras. The concept is that machine vision provides the position of the top and bottom of each log, so the PLC knows at all
times where the log is positioned on the saw line. When cutting tools start to dull near the end of the sawing batch, there might be a small variation in log gaps. But by knowing the exact position of the logs at all times and not just between photocells, we can adjust that log gap as needed. With the company VireLabs, HewSaw has built a prototype system to test at a customer site and during 2022 a full positioning system will be in operation. You can find a teaser video from HewSaw YouTube site called: HewSaw and Virebox.AI. For more information on any of these new technology initiatives, contact your local HewSaw representative.
Choose the Original - HewSaw Grey
Sending the right log to the right equipment can significantly improve a sawmill’s bottom line, and that’s where HewSaw can play a major role for Australasian sawmillers. HewSaw’s single pass machines can efficiently process logs from 7.5 cm to just over 50 cm in diameter. Taking these logs off your large log line and processing them with equipment designed for smaller logs makes economic sense. And, the HewSaw can do it all with just one operator, or in some cases, no operator. To learn more about HewSaw primary breakdown solutions, contact us at our Australasian office. www.timberbiz.com.au
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
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ASSOCIATIONS australasian
Looking Back 2020 A DELEGATION from the Fraser Coast’s Japanese Sister City, Kasukabe visited Hyne Timber and Altus Renewables in Maryborough, coinciding with the five-year anniversary of the signing of the Kasukabe –Maryborough Sister City agreement in 2014 which followed the formation of a friendship agreement in 1997. During their visit to the region the delegation will attend a business meeting with Council and Chambers of Commerce representatives, attend a commemorative event for the signing of the Sister City agreement, plant a Wollemi pine tree at the Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens, visit the Fraser Coast Wildlife Sanctuary in Maryborough and go whale watching. 2016 EAST GIPPSLAND Shire Council is the latest to adopt a Wood Encouragement Policy (WEP). Two regional and seven local councils have now adopted a WEP in Australia, and Rotorua Lakes Council has done some ground-breaking work in New Zealand. A WEP generally requires responsibly sourced wood to be considered, where feasible, as the primary construction material in council building and fit out projects. 2011 THERE IS an unprecedented range of new and innovative timber building systems currently entering the Australian market place which promise to rapidly expand the market for timber in Australian buildings. These innovative systems include timber-based Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), Cross-laminated Timber (CLT) panels and a range of EXPAN technologies. Matching this new range of timber systems is an unparalleled attitude change from building design professionals to using timber in multi storey residential and non-residential applications. 16
Keeping an eye on cumulative/global deflections when designing roof trusses O
N a recent site inspection to investigate reduced roof truss clearances over various internal walls, I came away thinking that if a bit more attention had of been paid to the potential for cumulative deflections at the time of detailing. This particular job contained a girder truss to girder truss support scenario which is shown in Diagram 1, then changes to the girder truss design/truss layout could have been made, which would have improved the truss to wall clearance situation in the problem area. Now, like most jobs the reduced truss to wall clearances were not solely because of the roof truss performance, but more a combination of differing wall elevations in conjunction with accumulating truss deflections. Nonetheless this article will focus on the conditions which can lead to less-thanideal global deflections and the truss improvements which could have been made while detailing to minimise these long-term cumulative deflections in a girder truss to girder truss scenario. Before I clear up what cumulative/global deflections are, I should point out the deflections referred to herein are the truss bottom chord dead load deflections which directly influence the truss clearance over internal walls. The global deflection of a connected member system is the maximum overall deflection which results when the connected member system is loaded. It is comprised by adding the individual long-term deflections of the supporting members at the connection locations, with the maximum deflections of the supported members. If we relate this to diagram A, we have the girder truss deflection (GT1) at the girder to girder truss connection location Δ1, we have the deflection of the
STUART BRANCH SENIOR DESIGN ENGINEER, MITEK
supported girder (TGT2400) at each of the standard truss connection locations Δ2, and we additionally have the deflection of each of the supported standard trusses Δ3. To understand the maximum global deflection of the connected member system over the internal wall, we add Δ1 to the greatest Δ2 truss connection deflection (occurring near the centre in this case due to symmetry - Δ2max), and finally add
are pre-cambered, to offset the permanent dead load deflections. So, the magnitude of the final global deflection in a timber roof truss system will be reduced depending on the amount of precamber achieved at manufacture.
The global deflection of a connected member system is the maximum overall deflection which results when the connected member system is loaded. the greatest Δ3 deflection from the supported standard trusses (all the standard trusses are the same design/ geometry in this instance, so have identical deflection results). By adding these deflection components together Δ1 + Δ2max + Δ3 we obtain the magnitude of the greatest global deflection of the connected member system assuming that the wall supports for the girder trusses and standard trusses are all at a consistent elevation. The above theory for obtaining the maximum global deflection of a connected member system will hold true for most connected member systems. Advantageously timber roof trusses
So, what combination of conditions should a timber truss detailer by mindful of which could indicate that global deflections may be a problem and warrant further review of the joint deflections? • Multiple girder trusses being supported by one another, • Heavier loads being supported which is indicative of the weight of roof material and span supported, • Supported trusses not coinciding with webs in girder trusses lending to panel deflections, • Trusses requiring impractical unachievable precamber due to: high span to depth ratios, or non-trian-
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
gulated web profiles (ref GN Guidelines #106) • Supported girder trusses being located at a position of lower truss stiffness such as towards a heel. Referring back to the job onsite, some of the truss improvements which could have been made at a detailing stage to reduce the cumulative/ global deflection included: 1. The inclusion of a truss web in GT1 to pick up the TGT2400 connection location in order to minimise the bottom chord panel deflection in this zone. 2. Increasing the station of TGT2400 so that the supported girder truss is shifted to a section of GT1 which has a greater physical depth and hence stiffness. 3. By increasing the station of TGT2400 the height of the truss will increase which will improve its span to depth ratio and should decrease the amount of precamber required. 4. Utilising “stronger” web profiles/stronger materials/and or increasing the number of truss plies where necessary in order to reduce the amount of panel deflections and precamber required. For more assistance in helping to reduce the cumulative/global deflections of complex roof truss systems, please contact your local design office. www.timberbiz.com.au
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2021 more disruptive as states go in and out of lockdown I ’ M sure in March 2020, no
one would have thought we would still be in a worldwide pandemic with our most populated states in lockdown. At the end of 2020 we were all looking forward to 2021, thinking we would miraculously be free of COVID-19 and could begin living our normal lives again. However, 2021, as I’m sure you all will agree, is more disruptive as states and territories go in and out of lockdown, borders continually close, businesses continue to go under and unfortunately, there seems no end in sight. The most disturbing thing for me throughout this pandemic has been the political infighting amongst our State, Territory and Federal Governments. It’s an absolute disgrace that in my opinion, is slowly breaking down our Federation which concerns me greatly. For a National Association, just like it would be for a national business, it’s a nightmare as we try and decipher the different restrictions for each jurisdiction as not only is there no uniform recognition of ‘essential’ industries but every jurisdiction uses different language and has different levels of restrictions. Fabricators are recognised as essential or authorised in; Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, and ACT, however this is not the case for fabricators in South Australia and Northern Territory. We all remember earlier this year when South Australia announced a lockdown where they didn’t recognise the forest and wood products as essential, resulting in the closure of two of our country’s major mills. Fortunately, this was overturned within 24 hours, however, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place if there was national recognition of industries. In July when the ACT went into lockdown, the forest and www.timberbiz.com.au
KERSTEN GENTLE Executive Officer FTMA Australia
“We support you!”
wood products industry was once again not recognised as essential, however, thanks to some great lobbying from AFPA & FTMA, changes were made, adding ‘Forestry Industry & Timber Fabricators’ to the essential business list. We were extremely happy with this, however, it isn’t as easy as recognising our business as essential, as the ACT demonstrated. Unfortunately, with the building industry closed, the ACT Government will not allow delivery to building sites which has resulted in fabricators running out of room in their yards and either closing or double/ triple handling products to keep them stored until we can once again deliver. This is ridiculous, as in NSW, the Government allowed us to continue to deliver to closed building sites as they recognised the need to minimise disruption to the construction sector which is already under enormous stress. With the likelihood that we will see further lockdowns in Australia, National Cabinet can assist by providing consistent, clear advice around the essential industry status of the forest industries supply chain as part of the Nationally Agreed Standard Operating Procedures to ensure these omissions do not happen again. The Tasmanian Premier, The Hon. Peter Gutwein, recently announced a plan for a what a lockdown in Tasmania would look like. Obviously, Tassie has no cases, but this is the type of forward planning and leadership we need for the whole country.
Instead, we tune in daily to the Pressers to see what the latest news and restrictions are and unfortunately, just like the restrictions, the state leaders can’t even coordinate their Pressers which is again frustrating. When there are cases in QLD, they have a presser at 10am, NSW is at 11am everyday and Victoria is whenever the Premier announces it. When they do have the pressers, we then have to go searching websites to find the information as that isn’t even worked out yet. On the 13th March 2020, I was impressed by the Prime Minister for setting up the National Cabinet, however they are not working together and all it has done is emphasis the power of the states and unfortunately politics is having too much influence of the handling of the pandemic. I cannot remember the last time I watched a presser with NSW & Victoria where the leaders haven’t had a dig at one another and we are sick of it. All Australian businesses have been pushed to have COVID-Safe plans which outlines how they will keep COVID-19 out of their business and if it is detected, how they deal with, yet we have no national plan, and with the exception of Tasmania, we have no state plans either. FTMA encourages all readers to contact their local members of parliament, both at a State and Federal level to push for national cabinet to provide consistent, clear advice around the essential industry status of the forest industry supply chain as part of the Nationally Agreed Standard Operating Procedures to ensure these omissions do not continue to happen. Yes, I’m a Victorian, but I’m an Australian first, just like all our members and it’s about time all our political leaders put their bickering aside and start on rebuilding our country together.
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
FRAME & TRUSS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
FTMA Australia is an independent, national organisation representing fabricators of and suppliers to the timber prefabricated truss and wall frame industry in all Australian states & territories providing a unified voice, to protect and advance our multi-billion dollar industry.
FTMA Australia thanks our dedicated supporters and encourages you to support those who support your industry GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
For a full list of the conditions of membership and a downloadable application form visit: www.ftmanews.com.au 17
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Incident response and reporting – including notifiable incidents T
HE forest products industry comprises a multitude of sectors many of which have inherent dangers with complex machinery and environmental factors. How a business in our industry responds to a health/ safety incident can be the difference between life and death. That response can also be the difference between a quick issue resolution, and a WHS prosecution. In addition, most businesses are now aware of the enormous financial penalties and/or potential criminal proceedings State Governments are enforcing in cases of negligence and injury. This makes your incident recording all the more critical. Here is a list of important steps to implement as a business in case of an incident and/or accident. Please follow them as you often may not get a second chance.
cident or accident to the senior person responsible for injury management • notifiable incidents should be reported to SafeWork immediately – see the safety regulator’s website in each state • Report any workers’ compensation injuries within 48 hours of becoming aware of a worker’s injury. • complete the Register of Injuries form
BRIAN BEECROFT CEO, FTMA Australia
COMMUNICATE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS TO WORKERS It is important to establish at induction, the reporting and action requirement if an injury occurs. This must be specific to your workplace. ESTABLISH A REPORTING CULTURE It is vital to place significant emphasis on the requirement of your workers to report all near misses, incidents, and other safety events. Reporting, no matter how trivial it may seem, is ultimately a safer option. RESPONDING TO AN INCIDENT The following processes need to be implemented when an incident or accident occurs: • provide first aid and medical treatment • immediately report the in-
NOTIFIABLE INCIDENTS – MUST BE REPORTED TO THE REGULATOR It is a requirement that some incidents need to be reported to the State regulatory authority immediately. Legislation is specific on what types of incidents must be notified to the state regulatory authority, (e.g. SafeWork NSW). These incidents are not always clear. For example, what is a serious injury? Contact TTIA if in any doubt. It is generally good policy to err on the side of reporting. It is better for the regulatory authority to tell you ‘that’s okay, don’t worry’, than to have them potentially fine your business for not reporting. REPORTABLE INCIDENTS INCLUDE: • Death. • Emergency hospital treatment. • Exposure to a dangerous substance/experience such
as electric shock or gas leak.
This list is not exhaustive, and it is best to consult the latest version of the legislation in your State or Territory. Contact TTIA if you believe a serious incident has occurred and we can support you in assessing the best course of action.
REMEMBER: CALL 000 FIRST. WORRY ABOUT REPORTING THE INCIDENT AFTER THE EMERGENCY HAS BEEN MANAGED. If a reportable incident occurs, you are not allowed to move or disturb the scene. This may mean shutting down your site until the regulatory authority gives you the all-clear. The site of a serious work injury or death is to be treated like a crime scene. It is very serious, and you must follow this requirement. Again, in the event of a serious incident, contact TTIA. We are here to support you in developing a strategy to manage workplace incidents. INVESTIGATE ALL INCIDENTS For minor incidents, the investigation may be as simple as asking ‘what happened’ and taking immediate action. For major incidents, the investigation may be extensive, and you may need to seek TTIA’s support. As part of the investigation process you might:
• assess the scene for any hazards • take statements from witnesses • review any paperwork (e.g. accident report forms or work method statements) • identify all of the causes to establish events leading up to the accident • prepare a written report • provide recommendations for corrective action REVIEW INCIDENT STATISTICS It is best practice to review incidents on a regular basis. A ‘once off’ incident becomes a serious problem if it starts happening every day. It is best to review incidents in a formal manner – at a regular management meeting. Put incident statistics as a standing agenda item at your management meetings. A NOTE ABOUT INCIDENT RECORDS Finally, take care when completing forms and giving statements. Well-meaning, seemingly innocent comments can end up in court as evidence. It is my view that our industry has made significant improvements over the years in making safety a threshold issue. The challenge is to continually review and improve these systems. Contact the national TTIA WHS unit for any assistance with this issue on (02) 9264 0011.
The importance of mental health N
OW more than ever, it’s important to prepare yourself and your team to remain mentally healthy. Starting, growing and sustaining a business can be a rewarding experience. However, it’s not always an easy journey. Running a business is a bit like riding a rollercoaster; it’s full of highs and lows. It’s important to know how to cope when inevitable challenges arise. At first it may not be obvious how the pressure of running a business will affect a person’s mental health. Understanding this can help a business 18
owner identify early on when additional assistance is needed to keep functioning at an optimum level. What do we mean by mental health? The term ‘mental health’ is frequently misunderstood. It is often used as a substitute for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety conditions, schizophrenia and others. But according to the World Health Organisation, mental health is “a state of well-being in which every
individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”. What is mental health in the workplace? When we talk about mental health in the workplace, we are looking at how the business environment affects us – either positively or negatively – as well as the effect our mental health has on our ability to do our jobs. Thinking about creating a mentally healthy workplace is just as important as think-
ing about your approach to marketing or finance. What will you do to ensure you and your team develop a level of resilience that you can draw upon when needed? Taking a proactive approach to mental health in your workplace is a great investment for everyone who is involved in the business and everyone has a role to play, both in looking after their own mental health and creating a mentally healthy workplace. There are two key areas you can address to ensure you have a mentally healthy workplace. They are: As the business owner -
AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
identifying your own mental health priorities; and If you employ people – creating a mentally healthy workspace for them. Be proactive about your mental health. There are a number of things you can do to care for your mental health. This may include: • Make time to exercise each day • Practice mindfulness • Adopt work/life boundaries • Connect with others Look out for mental health red flags. It’s important to know the mental health indicators that may require attention. These include: www.timberbiz.com.au
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Let’s talk American and European oak natural timber veneer A MERICAN Oak and European
Oak crown cut and quarter cut natural timber veneer imports have grown, to the extent that they are now the highest volume veneer species imported into Australia, and understandably so. The texture, colour and consistency of both American and European oak allow contemporary wall
linings, furniture and joinery to be designed that are timeless in appearance and meet trends past and present. Adding to the beautiful grain structure, ease of staining and the ability to paint any number of solid colours over the grain, this is a veneer for every design application that stands the test of time.
TERRY FRANKLIN President Timber Veneer Association of Australia
With timber veneers, in many species size does matter, and oak is no exception. The size of oak logs dictates the number of matching veneer sheets able to be produced from one veneer flitch. Factors that affect price include colour. A light straw colour is desirable for oak, with veneer showing dark or red colours, streaking and different shades being relegated to the lower grades.
For both crown and quarter cut veneer we also have structure, crown cut structure should be central to the bundle and not have too much swing, this is seen in lower value veneers. Quarter cut veneer should be as straight as possible, not have too much swing or fish tail showing on the finished panel and be free of features. There is often confusion regarding rift and quarter cut veneers. Rift cut is the process of slicing the veneer at a 15 degree angle to the radius of the log. This produces a straight, striped grain appearance without the flakes that appear in quarter cut veneer. Rift cutting produces much larger runs of matched panels, quarter cut less so. I have seen many quarter cut oak panels that could have come from rift production as the grade is also clean and straight, but you only get 10/15 matching sheets typically from quarter production. Rift production can yield 100 plus matching sheets which is why rift oak is more expensive than quarter cut oak. See TVAA website for information on veneer production.
Up to date. Down to earth.
in the workplace • • • • • •
Physical signs Changes in behaviour Unclear thinking Feeling sad or anxious regularly Disconnecting from others Feeling overwhelmed Mental health challenges in business are quite common, and help is available. With good support it’s possible to overcome them and continue to operate your small business. Here are some steps you can take: • Talk to someone • Check out online resources available • Stay connected • Get physical • Create a mental health strategic plan Create a mentally healthy workwww.timberbiz.com.au
space for others by normalising mental health in the workplace. It helps to reduce stigma and creates a space where it’s safe to talk about and address mental health challenges. People often work closely together so it’s important to create a workplace that respects individual experiences. Provide your staff with access to mental health resources, share information and tips about managing mental health, and make sure local support service details are readily available. Also embrace workplace campaigns like ‘R U OK? Day’ to get your team talking about workplace mental health. For more information visit mgatma. com.au/ma-resources/mental-healthin-the-workplace
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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER September 2021
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DELIVERING PRECISION Vekta‘s Interior and Exterior StakPros are designed to increase your production and improve safety.Why have many hands lifting trusses when one operator can do the job by using only a remote control! Vekta‘s Interior StakPro is designed to suit your truss jig system. With heavy duty caster wheels and a guided rail mount you can put the StakPro where you need it! The Exterior StakPro has adjustable feet allowing the machine to adapt to your site and manufacturing processes. With the PRESS of a button the StakPro will LIFT the finished truss out of the jig and STACK it on a trolley. Clever!
info@vekta.com.au I vekta.com.au