Forestry safety drills

Safety and emergency procedures during forestry work are a key issue for Altri Florestal. We focus on promoting and publicising good practices, as well as implementing safety procedures.

Drills simulate an actual emergency scenario in different situations, for example, fires, accidents, earthquakes, floods and other incidents. They are intended to test operationality, draw up strategies, address shortfalls and train those involved, by promoting routine conduct and action when faced with an emergency situation. This helps to minimise any panic which may arise during an actual emergency.

Forestry work has its own specific issues to deal with, not only because of the type of machinery and equipment used during operations, but also because of how work sites are generally dispersed, isolated and difficult to access.

Two further drills are earmarked for 2019, in the North and Beira Interior regions.

As well as raising awareness and providing certified training (DGERT) on the subject of Health and Safety in Forestry Work, in 2018 Altri Florestal also initiated a Work Accident Drill Scheme at forest work sites – logging, maintenance or plantation sites. The scheme aims to carry out four drills, one for every forest region.

Two drills were performed in 2018, simulating work accidents during forestry operations. These drills were held in the Mid Tejo and Western regions, and tested safety procedures on trees hooked in pre-harvesting forest practices, as well as the emergency procedure to be implemented in a work accident situation, regarding the communication and location of the property’s meeting point, as indicated on a map containing the geographical coordinates, distributed to Forest Service Providers. The drill initiatives ended with a basic life support training session covering various different accident scenarios on the frontline of forestry work.

The drills were assisted by Altri Florestal’s mobile training van, the Volunteer Fire Brigade, and the Municipal Civil Protection department, and were attended by employees of the forest service providers, the Labour Conditions Authority, the Republican National Guard and local forest producer associations.