05 August 2015
Health and safety (H&S) expert Fiona Ewing has recently been appointed to the Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC). The recently-formed council has been set-up to help drive improvements in health and safety across the forestry industry as well as implement strategies to increase a positive safety culture in the sector.
Fiona was previously the Group Manager, Health Safety Environment and Quality, for Powerco and has 30 years' experience as a health and safety professional in a wide range of industries including energy, engineering, construction, agriculture and forestry in the United Kingdom (UK).
Fiona has extensive knowledge in developing and implementing best practice guidelines in H&S in the forestry industry in the UK.
FISC chair, Dame Alison Paterson, welcomed the appointment. “Fiona is a health and safety leader who has the practical capability, strategic skills and vision needed to pursue FISC’s goal of zero harm and I look forward to working closely with her.”
FISC is a not-for-profit organisation that includes influential leaders of forest safety: forest owners, farm foresters, contractors, workers, unions, Government and WorkSafe NZ. Establishing the council was a key recommendation of the Independent Forestry Safety Review Panel that reviewed forest safety in 2014.
The council is funded jointly by forest owners and the Government. Fiona will start work for the council in early October.
Competenz is looking forward to working with the council to lift the H&S performance in the industry.
