Bad to best: all because of steep slope innovations

Bad to best: all because of steep slope innovations

New Zealand forestry has gone from a bad performer to being one of the best, and John Stulen says this is because of the new innovations in steep slope harvesting.

In recent years, New Zealand forestry has faced massive hurdles in safety, especially on steep slopes. Too many accidents occurred because workers were facing too many risks in the workplace – it had to stop. However, leaders in the forest industry have stepped up to the challenge, hugely reducing the number of serious accidents.

“It’s no coincidence that forest workplaces have become safer,” says John Stulen, co-organizer of the Steep Slope Logging Conference. He says a completely new generation of hi-tech steep slope harvesters has made the forest workplace much safer for everyone working at the felling face.

These new technologies, developed by kiwi innovators, have made forest workers much safer by taking the risk out of harvesting on the steep slopes of the New Zealand countryside.

More than five engineering companies in NZ have led the way by working with their logging customers to develop these machines and new technologies. They worked quickly, getting them onto the forest floor and enabling contractors to remove crews from the highest risk areas of tree felling.

Since the first machine, the ClimbMax, was proved on the slopes, more engineering innovators have developed their own machines, creating a competition that has driven even further innovation. The result is that workers in NZ forests are now much safer, and accidents have reduced dramatically.

Now, Canada is getting a taste of these innovative machines that have had such an impact on the NZ forest industry’s safety. British Columbia has shown great interest in what New Zealand has done to increase safety on steep slopes.

The Steep Slope Logging Conference is scheduled for March 2, 2016, and will showcase the best of the best.

New Zealand and Canadian engineers and innovators are coming together to show North America just how steep slope harvesting technology has progressed.

A group of practical logging speakers are heading to Vancouver to share on how they have used steep slope harvesters to reduce the risks of working on some of the country’s toughest terrains.

For more information on the Steep Slope Logging Conference, and for the full programme, visit the event website http://steepslopelogging.events/.

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