A Tasmanian forestry worker was killed when safety protocols failed during the felling of a massive old-growth tree, a coronial investigation has found.
Raymond Ross Penney, 64, died on August 27, 2021, when he was struck by a regrowth tree brought down during logging operations at Geeveston in Tasmania’s south.
Coroner Leigh Mackey found Penney’s death resulted from “several system and process failures” involving contractor PL & NR Voss and government-owned Sustainable Timber Tasmania.
The crew had tried to bring down the 68-metre, 60-tonne tree using mechanical equipment outside manufacturer specifications.
No qualified manual tree feller was on site, the coroner said, despite safety codes requiring one for dangerous trees.
“The tree ought to have been assessed by a manual tree feller to identify if it was safe to fall and how it ought to be felled,” experienced forestry workers told the investigation.
“The tree could have and should have been manually felled.”
Instead, the crew used a feller buncher and an excavator to push the tree rather than cut it, breaching guidelines.
The operation was also complicated by strict environmental protections in the area, including waterways and wildlife habitat.
A regrowth tree sat inside a machinery exclusion zone meant to protect a class-four waterway.
When the crew realised the regrowth tree posed a risk, they believed they could not remove it due to environmental restrictions.
“Priority was inappropriately placed on environmental restrictions despite the safety concerns,” Mackey found.
Photos later showed the excavator’s cabin had suffered only minor damage despite the massive tree landing on it.
“… Had Mr Penney remained within the excavator’s cabin he may well have survived the impact of the old growth tree landing on the excavator and would not have been struck by the regrowth tree,” Mackey found.
Penney had been told over radio to stay in his machine, but either did not hear or panicked and got out as the tree began to fall, the coroner said.
Sustainable Timber Tasmania acknowledged significant cultural change was required in the forest industry following the death and has introduced new hazardous-tree guidelines.
WorkSafe Tasmania investigated but did not prosecute any person or organisation over the death.
Mackey has now recommended safety plans explicitly identify hazardous trees and require assessments by qualified manual tree fellers.
She also urged that forestry safety and environmental codes be merged to provide clear guidance when conservation and safety requirements clash.
“All forestry workers [should] be given practical demonstration of the effectiveness of operator cabin protection systems for overhead falling objects and clearly warned to stay within the cabin if in the proximity of a falling tree,” Mackey said.
“I convey my sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr Penney.”
