Being healthy is a key factor in staying safe. Building on the 2023 breakfast series, this was the message of the recent nationwide breakfasts for around 380 staff, contractors and their crews.

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The events in Raetihi, Bulls, Dannevirke, Gisborne, Tapanui and Marlborough focused on nutrition and an ‘Eat well to be well’ message. Ernslaw partnered with local nutritionists in each region to deliver healthy eating insights over a hearty cooked breakfast.

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Ernslaw’s Head of Health & Safety, James Kerr, says the impact of diet on mental and physical wellbeing is well known and it’s an important message to highlight as the year’s operations are now in full swing.

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“The huge investment in engineering out risk across our operations in recent years has resulted in the mechanisation of over 85% of all trees now harvested at Ernslaw– a huge gain for safety,” says James.

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“However, mechanisation has resulted in a much larger number of harvesting workers sitting for most of the day, where it becomes more difficult to maintain good health.  If you’re not mentally and physically well and focused, that’s when you’re more likely to injure yourself for others,” continues James.

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“At the breakfast series in August last year, we kicked off an initiative asking people from across Ernslaw operations if they would like to share their health stories- where they had a health-related wake-up call, made changes and the benefits of that change.  The ‘eat well to be well’ message came through strongly from the majority of stories we have received over the past six months, so it was a logical progression to take this message forward into this year’s breakfasts.”

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A nutritionist in each region delivered an engaging presentation on diet and the role it plays in mental and physical wellbeing and safety, including eating for your activity, simple strategies for eating better and getting those good habits to stick.  By using a local nutritionist at each breakfast, regional teams and contractors are able to follow up for personalised support.

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“Worksafe data analysis showed you are fifteen times more likely to die from workplace illness than a workplace injury,” explains James. “From melanoma, as a result of working outdoors, and exposure to UV, to exposure to chemicals and heart disease from being sedentary – when you add up the impact on people’s longevity, you’re more likely to die from chronic health problems that manifest down the track. So we need to be thinking about how we can help manage those risks.”

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The health focused breakfasts were also the launch pad for Ernslaw’s new Health &Safety Awards which saw recognition of some outstanding people and teams.

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Based on a comprehensive range of health and safety performance measures, the Awards recognised crews across all aspects of Ernslaw’s operations.

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“There are people going the extra mile to look out for their own and others’ safety day in, day out.  It is really important that we recognise and let others know about the good work that is going on out there.  We have a lot of good people doing great things,” says James.

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Below are the 2024 recipients of the Ernslaw Health & Safety Awards:

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Overall Excellence in Health and Safety:

McKay Contracting - Gisborne Region

Moutere Logging crew 2 - Southern North Island Region

Dynes Transport - South Island Region

Specific Achievement:

Nigel Bryant Logging – Incident investigation and follow up

Raywood Contracting – Focus on improving safety

Hansen Contracting – H&S systems improvement

Pacific Haulage Ltd, Stuart Drummond Transport and R&R Logging crew 81 – Innovation

Eastside Logging – Environmental management

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