Health & Safety Policy

At New England Forestry, safety is not just a priority, it is a core value. We understand that our most valuable resource is our workforce, which is why we are committed to maintaining a safe environment for everyone on New England Forestry property. By operating an effective safety management system, complying with all laws and ordinances, and continuously evaluating risks, eliminating hazards, and improving our performance, we demonstrate our dedication to ensuring that everyone goes home safely at the end of the day.

In order to prevent injuries and provide a safe environment, New England Forestry’s leadership fosters a culture of open communication and encourages everyone to be actively involved. Employees are expected to take ownership for their own safety, challenge unsafe conditions and behaviors, participate in the identification and elimination of hazards, and follow all safety practices and policies.

This policy applies to New England Forestry and its subsidiaries.

Essential safety behaviors:

• Set Goals:
  Create safety vision through goals and objectives. Commit to safety at work and home. Commit to an injury-free workplace.
• Communicate:
  Engage in safety meetings and discussions. Challenge unsafe practices and behaviors.
• Get Training:
  Continue learning. Commit to completing 100% of safety training.
• Prevent Accidents:
  Take responsibility for minimizing the risk of accidents for anyone on New England Forestry property.

Key responsibilities include:

• Board of Directors and Senior Leadership is responsible for establishing, communicating, and reinforcing the Company’s commitment to safety. Leadership cultivates a work culture that promotes open communication about safety and develops and maintains a company-wide occupational health and safety program that includes core guidelines and systems to measure ongoing effectiveness. Senior leadership reviews and revises safety guidelines to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations and strives for the highest possible standards.
• Management is responsible for developing site-specific occupational health and safety programs consistent with the company safety management system. Managers provide the necessary leadership and model behavior that promotes an effective safety culture, and ensure employees are adequately trained and supervised. Managers also encourage employees to report all work-related injuries or illnesses, as well as unsafe conditions, acts, and practices, and perform frequent regular safety checks of work areas with prompt correction of any hazards found.
• Employees are required to comply with all safety rules and are encouraged to actively participate in identifying ways to make our organization a safer place to work. Employees are expected to take ownership for their own safety and constructively challenge unsafe conditions and behaviors of others. Employees must promptly report all work-related injuries or illnesses to their supervisor.
• Our contractor workforce is required to comply with all safety rules and is encouraged to actively participate in identifying ways to make our industry a safer place to work. All forestry, silviculture, and engineering contractors are required to have an implemented written Safety Program that applies to all employees and subcontractors. At a minimum, the program must include the following elements: (1) an active management commitment, (2) worker involvement, (3) emergency management, (4) information, training, competency, and supervision, (5) accident reporting, recording, and investigation, and (6) hazard identification and risk management.

For our unrelenting commitment to Safety as a core value, New England Forestry pledges to:

• Provide a safe and healthful workplace to prevent work-related injury and ill health.
• Regularly evaluate risks and opportunities to improve our occupational health and safety performance.
• Establish suitable occupational health and safety objectives on a regular basis.
• Eliminate hazards and reduce occupational health and safety risks when possible.
• Exceed compliance with relevant occupational health and safety regulations and standards.

Number: 6.4  |  Effective 10/06/2023  |  Revised 10/06/2023