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EVEN if you've been in the woods your whole life, it is still the kind of news that can leave you at a loss for words. Earlier this week, it emerged that a forestry worker died after being crushed while unloading a forwarding trailer; an incident that will have sent chills down the spine of just about everyone in the industry.
Few details have been released on the fatality and an investigation is ongoing to establish the full facts, but it is known the tragedy occurred in Heathfield, East Sussex, on April 12. Regardless, the feeling of sadness that gripped the sector has been palpable.
Deaths in forestry are – mercifully – a far rarer occurrence than they once were, so it's no surprise that news of one can stop so many people in their tracks. As has been written in countless comments across social media, no one should leave home and not return, and it's understandable if you've been overcome by devastation for the individual's friends, family and colleagues; colleagues who may well find themselves returning to the scene to finish any remaining timber extraction.
It's at times like this that a support network is crucial, and that's maybe one thing forestry could be accused of lacking. Not at a local, personal level where (undoubtedly) operators, contractors, and foresters will provide as much help as they reasonably can.
But what about those workers who don't have a wealth of connections available within just a few taps on their phone or who they can meet down their local for a few pints to set the world to rights? Who do they contact if news like this hits them particularly hard?
There may well be an organisation out there that's ready and willing to provide the support to those who need it, but it's not immediately clear which one this is – and it should be.
You never know just how important a phone call or message exchange could be to one mourning worker.
Must read
🗣️A RECENT report that called for commercial conifer plantations to lose access to public cash in Scotland has been criticised as having a “shallow understanding of the industry”.
🧑⚖️A LEGAL challenge has been launched against a 700-hectare plantation surrounding one of Scotland’s most famous country walks.
🚘THE UK Forwarder Driving Championships will return to the APF Exhibition in a major boost for the forestry fair.
Picture of the week
An Alstor 822 shifts newly-felled Douglas fir during a first thinning on the Burwarton Estate.
Forestry Journal was invited along for the day to see the mini forwarder in action - and another machine that's the first of its kind in the UK. We'll have more details soon ...
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