Year of publication 1998

Forestry continues to be one of the most hazardous industrial sectors in most countries. Around the world, there are often discouraging trends of rising accident rates and a high incidence of occupational diseases and of early retirement among forestry workers. This code has been designed to provide guidance to ILO constituents in their endeavour to improve the safety and health performance of their national forestry sectors or enterprises. It is based on state-of-the-art international experience, and is intended to be relevant and practicable in most countries and enterprises. It aims to protect workers from hazards in forestry work and to prevent or reduce the incidence of occupational illness or injury. It contains useful ideas even for countries and enterprises with well-developed prevention strategies, but is especially valuable for those that lack relevant regulations and guidelines. The code does not focus on technical measures and safe performance, but emphasizes that safety starts at the top - at the national level, in the enterprise and at the worksite. It covers all types of forestry workers, including groups with above average accident statistics. It outlines a safety management system for enterprises that integrates safety into overall enterprise management. It provides for training and skill certification as key conditions for safety in forestry. It offers detailed technical guidance on logging and on some high-risk operations like tree climbing, harvesting of windfall and forest fire-fighting. This guidance is intended to help countries and companies that have no forestry specific regulations. It applies to: all organizations; employers; workers, service contractors and self-employed people, and to all forestry activities.