In Australia, forest growers and contracting businesses are strengthening risk management and increasing confidence in forest products with the signing of the Australian Forest Industries ForestFit Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The ForestFit Standard is the result of years of work to contextualise international quality, work health and safety, and environmental management standards for the requirements of active forest management.
AFCA General Manager, Tim Lester, says, “ForestFit is a world-leading scheme that has been codesigned with growers and contracting businesses. It is another great example of the proactive professional partnerships that are key to the ongoing success of everyone.
“Forestry operations are high risk activities and require great skill. Working to the ForestFit Standard, certified annually by an independent third party, means all stakeholders can be assured that the critical risks are managed and performance is first class.”
ForestFit Project Manager with AFCA, Dionne Olsen adds, “The industry has successfully developed a national Standard for contracting businesses to certify their business systems and manage their operational risk while supporting growers to manage their commercial and reputational risks.
“To support the streamlining of roles and responsibilities for risk management, grower signatories of the MOU and their partner contracting businesses will be undertaking a pilot of the draft National Optimal Auditing pathway to test and validate onsite assessment activities for ForestFit certified businesses. Outcomes will contribute to the finalised pathway for national adoption.”
AFPA Chief Executive Officer, Diana Hallam, says, “AFPA welcomes the ForestFit MOU and the role it will play streamlining the strategic partnership between two critical sections of the supply chain in growers and contracting businesses.”
Certification to the Standard provides assurance of performance and continuous improvement. The scheme is aligned to international management system standards ISO 9001: Quality, 45001: Occupational health and safety and 14001: Environment and contextualised for harvest and haulage, silviculture, civil works and the production of minor forest products.
