The timber industry in the Central West is holding a free „Start-up Safety Breakfast meeting on Monday 9 January at Oberon.

Forests NSW Regional Manager, Gavin Jeffries, said Start-up Safety Breakfast meetings originated in New Zealand.

“They were developed to welcome people back to work after the holiday break and to put safety at the forefront of their minds from the first day back at work,” he said.

This is the industrys second Start-up Safety Breakfast in the Central West.

“As our industry returns to work in 2012 from their enjoyable, relaxing break during the festive season, we will be resuming our focus on work safety,” Mr Jeffries said.

“A big focus of the breakfast will be safety leadership. This is something that everyone in the industry can achieve by ensuring that mates look after mates.

“The Australian culture of „shell be right mate does not work in the plantation industry.

“There are many jobs including harvesting, truck driving and fire fighting, all of which employ highly trained professional forest workers, which require a big focus on safety.

“The timber industry directly employs more than 700 people in the Central West and all these people have family and friends who want to see them get home safely every day.”

The meeting is being jointly hosted by Forests NSW and Bob Gibbs.

It is being held in Mr Gibbs truck shed at Oberon.

Breakfast will be served at 6 am sharp with an opportunity for contractor principals to present a short safety message to those attending.

For further information please contact Forests NSW Timber Merchandising manager Mike Freeman on (02) 6331 2044.

Media contact: Sarah Chester on 0417 207 669.

Please note that media are welcome to attend the breakfast and will have the opportunity to interview Forests NSW regional manager Gavin Jefferies and other industry representatives.

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