Tale Two – The Death of Shane Frater. Killed 1 May 2009 – Struck by Flying Debris.

Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, July 16th, 2013 - 13 comments
Categories: uncategorized - Tags:

I have collected up the available documentation on the men killed in the forest since 2008. I am going to try, using the documents I have, to tell their story – one at a time. I haven’t been able to contact all the families of these men and hope if any of them read them, they are not surprised or upset to see the details set out like this.

The first blog was on Michael Stevens and printed two weeks ago.

When the CTU was planning its Workers Memorial Day Service for forestry families this year I received a disconcerting phone call. The women on the phone claimed to be the widow of a Forestry worker killed in 2009 and she very much wanted to come to the service. My dilemma was that I had all the names of those killed in 2009 – all four of them – and her husband wasn’t on the list. Shane Frater was number five and although his death had been investigated, the report had never been lodged and his death was not included in the statistics. It was unclear what follow-up there had been to the seven recommendations in the DOL investigation report into his death. If Deborah McMillan hadn’t heard about the memorial and contacted me as she did, the death of Shane Frater would still be lost in the depths of some DOL regional office!

Shane was killed in Te Awahohonu Forest in Napier. He was 28 years old. He worked for C&R Logging Limited and was working in a Rayonier Forest. The weather was damp with low cloud and 9 degrees.
Shane left home at 5am on the day he was killed arriving at work at 6.40am. He was expected home at about 7pm that night regularly working 50-60 hours per week. The day he was killed was a Friday. His crew were producing approximately 260 tons of wood per day.

He and another worker were working below the yarder (machine used to haul logs to a landing) hooking up scattered logs and heads (a section of broken log that may be merchantable) as they slowly proceeded down-hill to where the work had finished the previous day. The site was on a 33 degree slope.

The two men had a RT radio and “talkie tooter” (a device that allows the breaker out to signal the yarder using a combination of toots and or voice commands) each and were in contact with the yarder operator. Working the two “tooters” in close proximity of each other caused static so they decided to turn one set off.
Shane was in control of the signaling.

They completed approximately four drags (a number of logs hauled from the stump to the landing in a cycle) with Shane signaling the yarder, and they were approximately 75 meters below the yarder when they saw a large broken head become snagged in the tail rope (a rope used to return to the breaking out point, the main rope which is used to pull the drags in the cable logging system from the stump to the landing) approximately 45 meters up-hill from their positions, as it lifted into the air on the rigging return phase. Shane immediately signaled the yarder to drop the tail rope in an attempt to dislodge the debris. The broken head was seen to travel down the tail rope gaining speed quickly, and as the tail rope dropped, the broken head flew toward the two men narrowly missing one and hitting Shane in the head and killing him.

The DOL investigation found that it is common for debris to be picked up when working ropes are tensioned and that dropping the lines as was done is a safe solution. It found both workers were standing 4.3 meters to close to the working ropes during this process. It noted that it has been the industry norm for many years to be ‘sorry after the fact’ but no one had set a safe distance for this breaking out. The ACOP had no comment on the safe distance for the outhaul stage.

The DOL made 7 recommendations in its investigation for the company to implement including identifying a head breaker out, doing a pre harvest assessment, implementing a detailed breaking out process including chain of command, recording skills audits and ensuring audits are signed and corrective actions identified, and increasing daily supervision of the operations. The report does not consider the hours of work issues and it appears no consideration was given to the terms of Shane’s employment agreement. Shane tested positive post death to marijuana use. This appears to have been the only “impairment” issue recorded.

The report by Rayonier stated that the workers may have thought they were in a safe place to plan the next drag. It noted that it had engaged with C&R logging regarding other safety incident reports and offered to make these available to the DOL on request. It noted that six near miss or contact reports had been completed by C&R logging since February that year. It is unclear if the DOL requested these reports as part of its investigation. The most recent near miss had occurred only a week before and was very similar to the incident which killed Shane – an incoming drag had dislodged a rock which then bounced down the hill.

Message to dead father from his orphansThe DOL investigation noted that Shane was qualified to NZQA standards for the tasks at hand and that he was experienced. However the Rayonier report notes that the required Unit standards for a breaking out hauler were 1258, 6969, 2920 and 17771 but that Shane only had 1256, 1269, 6920 and 17772. There appears a mismatch here and it is unclear why the DOL investigator considered Shane was appropriately qualified. Unit Standard 1258 which neither of the two breaker outs had that day appears a requirement of the job and is part of the ACOP requirements. The standard is intended for the head breaker-out in a cable harvesting operation including coordinating the breaking-out process.

No Coroners hearing was held nor prosecution taken in relation to the death of Shane Frater and the logging company has since changed its trading name. Shane had a two year old baby at the time of his death. Skyla is now 6.

13 comments on “Tale Two – The Death of Shane Frater. Killed 1 May 2009 – Struck by Flying Debris. ”

  1. ghostwhowalksnz 1

    C&R Logging went into receivership and the Directors now trade under Logged On Logging Ltd

  2. AmaKiwi 3

    First a huge “Thank you” to Helen for your outstanding work, work that should be done by journalists.

    Second, in the Islamic world people who die in such circumstances are martyrs and have huge funeral processions demonstrating public condemnation of those who caused the death.

    I hope very soon there will be enough people enraged by the deaths in mining, logging, fishing, construction, farming, trucking, etc. that there will be demonstrations about our lax safety standards.

    Set the date. I am ready to march. I’ll bring a coffin.

  3. Chris 4

    Obviously there’s a very strong connection between the DOL and the forest companies. Obviously this was covered up. Because either parties were scared of prosecution. Realistically why else would it be covered up? If its company regulation for those guys to have those unit standards & neither one did then surely either foreman or contractor or forest management need to answer for this. The only positive they done on their behalf was to regulate the grey area for distances for breaker outs on the outhaul process. This then covers their ass by saying they’ve done something about it. Doesn’t the ink sword suck.

  4. I have two brothers one who used to work for the forestry industry and one who still dose and has for many years.

    As an emergence nurse I am mortified that we have forestry workers off felling in arrears alone out of site of another worker. How can this be safe? If a worker is clipped or pinned by a tree weighing tones and the walkie talkie is knocked out of reach or god for bid turned off because of static how long would that worker have to suffer alone, without aide, or possibly die alone, only to be found when its to late?

    Add to this the travel time to get to and from these remote forestry locations morning and night, the wet and the almost freezing cold in the winter the blistering sun in the height of summer and the often steep terrain. (I have had 5 years experience in orchard work and can well appreciate how all these factors have an impact physically and emotionally).

    Six deaths so far this year in our forestry industry, common sense tells me this industry is unsafe. We need an inquired and we need it now.

    • Helen Kelly 5.1

      Wlburnet – this is exactly what forestry workers all say yet the new code of practice doesnt deal with these issues at all. 6 deaths and 83 serious harm injuries this year and as a nurse you will know, these injuries are often very severe. Make sure your family join the campaign by joining
      http://first-forestry-together.org.nz/

      Only together can we get change in this industry

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-29T05:45:54+00:00