Widow's Plea: Let Our Loved Ones Come Home Safely

59-year-old Mr Stevens died when his fully loaded logging truck and trailer rolled while negotiating a treacherous bend on a private forestry road in May 2023. The road had no warning signs, road markers or berms, and its sharp corner was well outside any recommended specifications for the heavy vehicle he was driving.

The Thames District Court found the corner's turning diameter was 7.5 metres less than the minimum standard for the truck configuration. Wet surfaces, mud-caked tyres, darkness, and a steep downhill approach made the bend even more dangerous.

The forest owner, Specialty Timbers (1987) Limited, and the transport contractor, Trevor Masters Limited, have now been sentenced for their work health and safety failures. Judge Tompkins found each party assumed someone else was ensuring the road was safe, so nobody took responsibility.

"Greg's death was preventable, and if those companies had done what they should have done, my Greg would still be with me today," Caroline Stevens told the Thames District Court in a victim impact statement.

"Greg's death has left both mine, and the lives of our families, in limbo. Only someone who has experienced a loss like this in such tragic and horrible circumstances will ever understand."

"It is my hope that Greg's death will serve as a reminder to prioritise safety in the workplace, so no other family has to endure this trauma. My plea is simple: let our loved ones come home from work safely," Mrs Stevens told the court.

Safe transporting of logs to the forest boundary is part of WorkSafe New Zealand's recently released approved code of practice for forestry and harvesting operations.

"No log load is worth a life. Forestry operators must understand that managing forestry roads isn't optional. If you're moving heavy vehicles through difficult terrain, you need proper risk assessment, proper consultation, and proper controls. If you're not sure your roads are up to standard, stop and check before the next truck goes out," says WorkSafe's northern regional manager, Brad Duggan.

Forestry is a priority for WorkSafe as its fatality rate is about 20 times higher than the average for all sectors. Our role is to influence businesses and workers to meet their responsibilities to keep people healthy and safe. When they do not, we take action.

The forest managers, Forest360 Limited, have separately entered into an enforceable undertaking. This is a binding agreement with WorkSafe to invest over $400,000 in a range of safety actions in response to the death.

Read about the Forest360 enforceable undertaking

Read the approved code of practice for forestry and harvesting operations

Background

• Specialty Timbers (1987) Limited and Trevor Masters Limited were sentenced in a reserved decision of the Thames District Court.
• Reparations of $171,258 were ordered, alongside a combined fine of $26,250.
• Both companies were charged under sections 34(1) and 34(2)(b) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015:
  • Being a PCBU with a duty in relation to workers, including Gregory Albert Stevens, failed to, so far as is reasonably practicable, consult, co-operate with, and co-ordinate activities, with Forest360 Limited who had a duty in relation to the same matter.