Previously released WorkSafe information defines a drop start as “the act of starting a chainsaw by pushing the saw away from the body with one hand while simultaneously pulling on the starter cord handle with the other”.
It says drop starting “is not an approved work practice” and “drop starting a chainsaw is prohibited”.
That arboriculture approved code of practice (Acop) was released in 2012, but has since been followed with an updated one for forestry and harvesting.
Released last year by Hoggard’s Act colleague and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden, it doesn’t explicitly mention drop starting, but outlines information for using a chainsaw.
One section sends readers through to “best practice guidelines for chainsaw use”, a document produced by SafeTree, which provides resources for “safe and successful forestry operations”. SafeTree is run by the Forest Industry Safety Council (Fisc).
Their document has a clear warning for users: “Never drop start a saw”.
“The danger is that the saw will swing in an arc at the end of the cord and cause serious injury, especially to the body or face.”
Following questions from the Herald this week, a spokesperson for WorkSafe said the regulator had received a concern about the video from a member of the public.
“We assess information of this kind in line with our usual processes and determine what action, if any, is appropriate,” they said.
WorkSafe decides whether to intervene by testing the information it has against four decision-making criteria.
These are whether the risk of harm sits within WorkSafe’s parameters, whether it’s the best agency to intervene, whether the significance of the risk or harm warrants intervention, and whether it’s an effective use of resources.
“Based on the information currently available, we are not in a position to make a definitive assessment of the specific circumstances shown in the video, including the technique being used or whether the activity falls within the scope of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015,” the spokesperson said.
“On that basis, it does not meet our threshold for further intervention.”
The spokesperson said drop starting a chainsaw was not “industry best practice”, and WorkSafe supported guidance from SafeTree.
Andrew Hoggard is an Act MP. Photo / Alex Burton
Joe Akari, chief executive and national safety director for Fisc, told the Herald he believed Hoggard was drop starting the chainsaw in the video, which he said someone should not do.
He said manual tree felling is “one of the most hazardous tasks in forest harvesting”.
“In this case, the minister is felling wilding pines. Fisc would recommend that contractors and workers who undertake this wilding work should undertake a process to assess their skill, qualifications and competence, through a process such as Safetree certification, before engaging in this work,” Akari said.
“Certainly, if an auditor observed a worker drop starting a chainsaw, it is unlikely that they would be certified for that task under a Safetree audit.”
He said it was “commendable” that the minister was advocating strongly for this work, “but a more skilled operator would have provided a better role model in this case, as the unsafe practice distracts from the message of the work”.
In a statement, Hoggard told the Herald: “I’m sure the professionals we contract to remove wilding pines will use best practice to start their chainsaws.
“I’ve got my own technique, but people should take expert advice on safest practices.”
Van Velden told the Herald Hoggard “doesn’t claim to be a forestry professional”.
“But he has chopped down his fair share of wilding pines on the farm and knows his way around a chainsaw better than most,” she said.
The minister highlighted the forestry code of practice released last year.
“It was developed by WorkSafe and the forestry industry to help reduce deaths and serious injuries in the sector. Following that guidance is a practical way for people working in forestry to keep themselves and others safe.”
SafeTree advises that recommended methods of starting a chainsaw include having the tool secure. This could include having it firmly on the ground.
Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.