Latest FISA updates
A selection of latest Health and Safety updates provided by FISA
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 pandemic
Currently there is no change to expectations for providing PPE and Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) for protecting people at work.
Read news item with more detail on PPE COSHH requirements for work like spraying; masks for first aid kits and further guidance on first aid here.
Further guidance from the HSE on formal training during COVID-19
Guidance on formal training and refresher training in agriculture, arboriculture, aquaculture and forestry
Alcohol Based Sanitiser Incident - CPI Safety Alert
Alcohol based sanitiser is flammable; but it remains important to protect yourself from Covid-19:
- wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub if your hands are not visibly dirty/handwashing is unavailable.
New business support from FLS to keep essential timber supplies flowing.
Working in the spirit of Scottish Government’s supplier relief policies, FLS’s procurement, civil engineering and local teams have developed a system of ‘standby rates’ that keeps it’s road maintenance contractors working rather than them having to furlough their staff.
Chain shot - Speed of a Bullet - FISA Safety Bulletin - updated May 2020
FISA's Plant & Equipment Working Group has issued an update to this Chain shot Bulletin with a cone zone image added.
Keeping HGV drivers Safe
FISA Safety Bulletin
Help HGV Drivers helps us all during the Covid-19 pandemic
Though some hauliers have been fortunate to have continued operations over the last month supplying the biomass and pallet sector, as the construction trade, builders merchants and the timber trade (and so haulage) comes back on line, we must maintain vigilance in the sector.
Forest Haulage CPC
All HGV drivers must do 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years in order to retain their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).
The FISA Forest Haulage Working group has been planning a focused course that will deliver a 7-hr Forest Haulage CPC +F module for drivers. This will include drivers of timber haulage vehicles, low loaders, materials deliveries and fuel tankers. The FISA working group recommend that Harvesting FWM’s undertake the training to better understand haulage issues and that this is classed as Continual Professional Development (CPD).
For more detail on provisional dates etc please Download Document
Work at Height 2005 (update May 2020)
FISA Safety Bulletin
Further to the bulletin issued in Oct 19 - Core guidance and background resources on this topic remain as:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/fallsfromvehicles/index.htm http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.pdf
Receivers of timber should ensure their Risk Assessments / work procedures are compliant. Most commonly this will be through the provision of gantries and platforms in timber yards to allow access for safe sweeping off.
The FISA Forest Haulage Working group have been specifically reviewing Work at Height in relation to flat HGV trailers, in particular where drivers have to erect / disassemble bolster pins in the forest.
A video of solutions developed by WG members can be seen at: https://youtu.be/9IoDXItrY8w