Tasmanian Forest Safety Code Review

Posted 29 September 2021

The Forest Safety Code (Tasmania) (the Code) provides practical guidance on how to manage risks in the Tasmanian forest industry.

The code has been preserved as an approved code of practice under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012. Last reviewed and published in October 2007, the Code is in need of revision to remove outdated references and include contemporary practices previously not covered by the Code.

In June 2019 an industry wide forum was convened by Private Forests Tasmania (PFT) in partnership with the Tasmanian Forests and Forest Products Network (TFFPN), WorkSafe Tasmania (WST) and key industry stakeholders, to consider a scope for reviewing the code. The workshop identified a range of areas where the existing code is in need of updating.

Private Forests Tasmania has agreed to convene the steering committee and WorkSafe Tasmania has agreed to facilitate the review process by participation in the steering committee, keeping the responsible Minister informed of the project’s progress and in assisting the approval process for the revised code. Other industry stakeholders have agreed to actively participate as members of the project Steering Committee including the Tasmanian Forests and Forest Products Network, Sustainable Timber Tasmania, the Australian Forest Contractors Association (Tas), Norske Skog and a representative of the Tasmanian Forest Industry Work Health and Safety Committee.

The review process is planned to be resourced from a range of sources including direct contributions from supporting public and private organisations within the forest industry, and grant funds, if successful, under the Healthier, Safer and Productive Workplaces Program.

The project’s primary objectives are:

1. to review the Forest Safety Code (Tasmania) in consultation with Tasmanian forest industry stakeholders and taking account of key issues identified at an industry forum held on 21 June 2019.

2. to develop recommendations for the Tasmanian Minister responsible for work health and safety legislation, to amend the Code to remove outdated references and include contemporary practices previously not covered by the Code.

3. to develop a communication plan to keep key stakeholders informed of the progress of the Code Review project, and to raise awareness of, and communicate key changes in, the revised Code across the forest industry.

The Forest Safety Code is available to view on the Worksafe Tasmania Website:

The Forest Safety Code

Register your interest and have your say in the Review process

In order to ensure the revised Tasmanian Forest Safety Code continues to be relevant to the Tasmanian Forest Industry, PF Olsen Australia is seeking your input. Over the next six months, sections of the 2007 Code will be progressively reviewed and updated.

If you have any suggestions for change or want to stay informed about the progress of the review project, please register your interest.

Tasmanian Forest Safety Code Review - Communication Plan

Communication Plan

Tasmanian Forest Safety Code Update - 29 September 2021

Many of you will have contributed to workshops and feedback sessions on drafting a revised Forest Safety Code for Tasmania (draft code) during 2020.

In February 2021 our industry-based Forest Safety Code Review Steering Committee, facilitated by Private Forests Tasmania, received a final draft of the revised Code from our consultants, PF Olsen.

Since then our draft code has been very busy! During March-April 2021 the draft was submitted for legal review to ensure the overall review approach taken by industry was appropriate. Following a successful outcome from that review, the draft code was submitted to WorkSafe Tasmania for a detailed review against the government’s regulatory and policy framework for work, health and safety. This review has now been completed and a final document is now ready to be submitted to the Minister for Workplace Safety and Consumer Affairs for final endorsement. Fingers-crossed we will have an approved Forest Safety Code 2021 in place before the end of the year.

Tasmanian Forest Safety Code Update - 17 September 2020

Since the end of August, the project manager PF Olsen Australia, has reviewed the responses received to the Preliminary Draft of the revised Forest Safety Code (Tasmania).

To date, forty-two people registered an interest in the review and of these 17 responded to the online surveys providing useful feedback. A further 9 people submitted marked up copies of the Preliminary Draft with suggested changes.

Overall, the feedback has been positive. The main concerns raised relate to the wordiness of the new document and the formality of the document. To address this a professional editor has been engaged to edit the next draft before consultation and a professional graphic designed will layout the next draft. Some contractors have raised concerns that they were unable to access the document online. The Project Team is following these contractors up individually.

Please CLICK HERE to read the full update (PDF 108KB)

Tasmanian Forest Safety Code Update - 23 April 2020

STAGE 1: The first stage of the project is to review the current code and identify reasons for change, based on this feedback amendments will be recommended, and a revised Code will be prepared. The link to Updated Communication Plan below provides the timeline from this. This breaks the Code up into smaller sections.

Please register your interest for participation in the review of the sections of the current Code which interest you using this link.

STAGE 2: During September, the complete revised Code will be on display and comments will be invited. Depending upon the COVID-19 travel restrictions, industry meetings will be convened for you to attend and provide input.

If you have any other questions please contact the Communications Manager for this project Stefan Butson via his email Stefan.butson@pfolsen.com.

Updated Communication Plan Timeline - 24 June 2020