A forestry worker has died after reportedly being struck by a falling log in a remote forestry site.
Inspectors from WorkSafe New Zealand were on their way to the site at Te Wera in Taranaki, after being notified this morning of a worker being killed in a forestry-related incident.
It appeared the worker was struck by a log falling off a truck, WorkSafe said. No further details were currently available.
It is the first forestry death reported since January last year, the agency said.
The death was a tragedy for the worker's family, his workmates and the tight-knit forestry community, WorkSafe chief executive Gordon MacDonald said.
"The worker's death reconfirms the need for everyone in forestry to make safety their number one priority and to be vigilant around every element of forest operations," he said.
By NZME. News Service
