As a member of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Arboriculture and Forestry Advisory Group (AFAG), we regret to inform members of a recent forestry related fatality in Perthshire, and regarding a HSE prosecution related to unsafe tree work.
Initial fatal notification – Transport (ATV)
We have received an initial notification from HSE about an incident in Perthshire where a worker was found dead under an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). Please be reminded of the latest guidance on the safe use of ATVs in agriculture and forestry AIS33 from HSE and FISA.
Members are reminded:
Moving and overturning vehicles are a common cause of serious and fatal injuries in agriculture and forestry. ATVs are designed to cope with a wide variety of terrains but if poorly maintained, used outside their safe operating parameters or carelessly driven, can very rapidly become unstable. To use an ATV safely it is essential that:
- The driver is properly trained
- The driver wears a helmet
- The ATV is well maintained and routinely checked (especially tyre pressures, brakes and throttle)
- Routes are properly planned, and if possible, new routes are walked, and hazards are identified, before the route is ridden
- The appropriate gear ratio / 2WD / 4WD is selected for the terrain being driven on.
HSE Prosecution: East Sussex body fined as dog walkers were struck by a tree
A body that manages a major forest in East Sussex has been fined after a husband and wife were struck by a tree, with the latter suffering a traumatic brain injury. Caroline Leafe, 70, was walking along a deer track in Ashdown Forest with her husband, Kenneth, and their dog, Monty, when the pair were hit by a silver birch tree that was being felled on 25 January 2023.
Please find the full press release from HSE here.
Youo can find guidance on the control measures to be considered and where possible implemented when considering felling trees with public access can be found here – Tree work and Managing public safety.
Further guidance can also be found on the Forestry Industry Safety Accord (FISA) and Arboricultural Association – Help & Advice (trees.org.uk) websites.
