29 Nov 2014

Court considers forestry worker death

8:02 pm on 29 November 2014

A coroner's court has been told a very experienced forestry worker failed to follow safety instructions right before he died.

David Beamsley, who was 63, died a year ago in Kaingaroa Forest in the Bay of Plenty after the top of a tree fell on him.

His inquest is one of eight in an industry wide inquiry being held by Coroner Wallace Bain.

Worksafe Health and Safety Inspector Dipak Makan said Mr Beamsley failed to call for help after using a particular tree felling technique too many times.

He said Mr Beamsley had been following the safety code throughout the day and he had no idea why he did not follow it that time.

The company which manages the forest, PF Olsen, and Mr Beamsley's family both said he was not breaching safety standards or using the technique Worksafe believed he was using.

The inquest has been adjourned until the evidence in the other forestry deaths has been heard.

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