New Safety Initiative Launched After Logging Trucker’s Fatal Crash

A fatal incident involving logging truck driver Greg Stevens has prompted significant changes in road safety procedures within the New Zealand forestry industry. On May 27, 2023, Stevens was tragically killed while transporting a load of logs from a forest near Te Mata in Coromandel. His accident has brought attention to the condition and safety of older forestry roads, leading to a partnership between regulatory body WorkSafe and Forest360, the company managing the logging road.

The project aims to utilize a laser-equipped drone to accurately assess the geometry of these outdated roads. Joe Akari, who leads the Forest Industry Safety Council, has expressed support for this initiative, emphasizing the challenges posed by modern trucking units that are larger and heavier than those for which many roads were originally designed.

The incident on Wairotoroto Road, located between Thames and Coromandel, highlighted serious deficiencies not only in the road’s condition but also in the current assessment methods used to evaluate risks associated with transporting heavy loads. WorkSafe has noted that many forestry roads in New Zealand were constructed decades ago under outdated engineering standards, raising concerns about their safety today.

Following an investigation, Forest360 was charged with one health and safety offence. The company has since committed to an ‘enforceable undertaking’, agreeing to invest over $400,000 in safety improvements, which includes compensating Stevens’ widow and addressing the shortcomings of the old forestry roads. Despite regular inspections conducted by a haulage company prior to the start of logging operations, the state of the road had not been adequately assessed, resulting in tragic consequences.

The day before the accident, Stevens had loaded his truck with 47 tonnes of logs after an early morning start. During his journey, he encountered difficulties at a corner where he subsequently lost control of the vehicle, leading to his untimely death. The investigation summary revealed that a haulage manager had conducted further checks on the road just before the incident, confirming that no issues had been identified.

As part of the response to this tragedy, Forest360 plans to develop a method and software to enhance the safety assessment of forestry roads using existing Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data or new data from a $50,000 LiDAR-equipped drone. Akari noted that this initiative has the potential to provide the industry with improved controls concerning road safety and the transport of large trucks.

WorkSafe stated that the software development could revolutionize how forestry roads are evaluated for safety, making advanced technology more accessible across the industry. The implications of this project may extend beyond forestry, potentially benefiting farm roads and other rural thoroughfares.

Managing Director of Forest360, Dan Gaddum, expressed deep regret over the loss of the truck driver, emphasizing the company’s commitment to leading safety improvements across the industry. He stated, “This incident has strengthened our resolve to lead improvement across the industry. Sometimes it’s less about dwelling on what went wrong, and more about doing something meaningful to stop it happening again.”

This marks the first instance where WorkSafe has accepted an enforceable undertaking from the forestry sector, highlighting a critical shift towards prioritizing safety in an industry that has faced scrutiny in recent years. As the investigation continues and changes are implemented, the hope is that such tragedies can be prevented in the future.