A Bay of Plenty MP is introducing new forestry regulations in response to the number accidents taking place on forestry sites in previous weeks.

Todd McClay has introduced a new set of forestry regulations.

The Approved Code of Practice for Safety and Health in Forest Operations supports the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's forestry harm reduction campaign, which aims to reduce the unacceptably high rate of accidents in the forestry sector.

It will focus on the tasks of tree felling and breaking out, which consistently account for the greatest number of serious harm accidents notified to the Ministry.

Rotorua MP Todd McClay launched the regulations at the Forest Industry Contractors Association ‘Big Day Out' conference in Rotorua this week.

He says the forestry sector has the highest rate of fatal work-related injuries in New Zealand and the rate of ACC claims for the forestry sector is almost six times the rate for all sectors.

'Over the past decade the forestry sector has put significant effort into reducing fatalities and serious injury.

'Despite this effort, injuries, fatalities, and social costs are still unacceptably high. The sector's challenge is to reinvigorate injury prevention and continue the drive towards zero harm and fatalities.”

Todd says the launch of the ACOP is a big step towards reducing the work toll in the forestry sector.

'Too many workers are seriously injured or killed while undertaking forestry operations, particularly in the tasks of tree felling and breaking out.

'The new code aims to ‘lift the bar' and introduce standards that will help the sector improve its health and safety record.”

The Minister of Labour has set a target of reducing workplace deaths and serious injuries by at least 25 per cent by 2020.

Todd says this means they have just over seven years to get there.

'I believe this revised code and the Forestry Sector Action Plan are steps in contributing to this target in the forestry industry.”

The new ACOP will be rolled-out throughout the country at sector- and Ministry-hosted events.

It will take the combined efforts of the regulator, industry representatives and workers in the sector to reduce the work toll in forestry.

The new ACOP is just one step towards a reduction in harm and fatalities in New Zealand's third largest earner in the export industry.

FIRST Union General Secretary Robert Reid says the document was prepared without worker involvement.

'Our union submitted on the original discussion paper, but this was never acknowledged, nor have we been involved in the development of the standards since.

'Workers are the ones risking their lives every day when they go to work in our forests and attempting to improve health and safety without the systematic involvement of workers is completely misguided.”

He says this is a major issue for the union.

'We have represented workers in wood processing for decades.

'The forestry side of the industry has suffered since the deregulation in the 1980s which led to the deunionising of most workers doing tree felling work, and the lack of emphasis on health and safety has resulted in an unacceptable high injury and fatality rate.”

Robert says that worker participation was a cornerstone of the Health and Safety in Employment Act and in a dangerous industry like forestry this emphasis should also be reflected in industry standards like those released.