Bush Supervision Urged By Coroner

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30630, 22 December 1964, Page 19

Bush Supervision Urged By Coroner

(New Zealand Press Association)

ROTORUA, December 21.

Constant supervision of Kaingaroa forest bush gangs by experienced officers was essential, said the Rotorua District Coroner (Mr E. Roe) yesterday, when giving his findings during the inquests into the deaths of two men killed while working in the forest earlier this year.

He said the Asian-Pacific Forestry Commission had, during its recent conference in Rotorua, stated that safety pamphlets issued to bushmen were not enough and there should be constant supervision by experienced men. Mr Roe said he hoped that the Forest Service would look closely at the question of providing proper supervision as directed by the commission. In both cases the accidents had occurred while the gangs were not under experienced supervision.

Brian Edward Green, aged 21, bushman, died on July 31 from severe head and body injuries while employed by the Kaingaroa Logging Company.

Piece Of Tree

Mr Roe said the evidence showed that Mr Green was hit by a piece of a reject tree which struck him as he was felling another tree nearby. At the time of the accident the logging foreman was not in the vicinity, and though Mr Green was a leading hand, he had with him inetxperienced men. Daniel Frederick Kelsen, bushman, died on May 18 while working with the Forest Service thinning gang in the forest. He suffered severe head injuries. Mr Roe said Mr Kelsen was felling a tree and was struck

by another which had earlier been sawn, but had not fallen. In this case the man in charge of the operation had visited the gang and then moved on and was not there when the accident occurred.