Two way radios helping forestry workers to see the wood for the trees

Released On 16th Dec 2016

Covering approximately 3 million hectares, woodland in the UK makes up around 13% of the total land area. Maintaining this landscape both for the pleasure of visitors and for its timber resources takes a lot of work and involves many people.

There are in the region of 43,000 people employed in forestry and primary wood processing in the UK.  Many working in this industry are required to operate in rugged conditions, sometimes far from immediate contact with colleagues.  In these circumstances, two way radios have proved to be an indispensable piece of equipment.

The needs of workers operating in these sometimes harsh environments are particularly unique, not least because of the regular isolation and often dangerous working conditions.

Distance

The biggest challenge in providing radio communications in UK woodland is the distances covered.  Many employees work in areas where there are no local transmitters to provide long distance coverage.  The trunks and canopies of trees also provide plenty of barriers to sending an uninterrupted signal.

As the majority of forestry workers are vehicle-based, vehicle-to-vehicle radios are a good way of allowing communication for anything up to a range of five miles.  Users can also benefit from the use of hand-held devices when away from the vehicle and the addition of a noise-cancelling headset such as the CC Passive Headset when in a noisy environment.

Emergency communications

The nature of the forestry trade involves the use of heavy machinery, large overhanging objects and heavy lifting, often in isolated conditions. If an accident were to occur, some radios are capable of sending an automatic alert if they detect a lack of movement over a period of time, or that the unit is lying horizontally.

Noisy conditions

The noise levels involved in operating machinery associated with forestry work can make communication impossible, even with colleagues stood side by side. In these circumstances, two way radios make teamwork not only easier, but also much safer.

In cases where workers remain within a 50 mile radius, it may be possible to set up a repeater system to facilitate long distance radio communications.

Fire reporting

Luckily, the temperate climate of the UK doesn’t lend itself to frequent forest fires, yet they do occur. Certain types of vegetation can be prone to fires, triggered by natural climatic conditions or through human intervention such as arsonists.  In these circumstances, it’s essential that anyone working in a high risk area can communicate the location of any suspected fires as soon as possible, both to prevent the fire getting out of control and to allow any evacuation of people, animals and equipment if necessary.

What two way radio features are important for the forestry industry?

There are a number of specialist pieces of kit available which make the job of communication in woodland much easier, such as the 2talk Arborcom.

Both analogue and digital radios are used, but digitals radios are the most popular, with VHF being a widely used frequency band.

When looking for a reliable and robust radio, it’s worth bearing in mind the following features:

• Hands-free. Allows freedom to move and the ability to carry on working without having to stop to talk to colleagues.
• Noise cancellation technology. Allows clear communication in all circumstances.
• Good safety alert features

The extent to which two way radios are used in the industry depends on the size of the woodland and the type of work being carried out.  For a small scale operation, dual phone sims may be all that is needed, but for a larger operation, a reliable means of radio communication is a must.  Finding a solution that can meet the demands of rugged, outdoor life is the priority.

RadioTrader has extensive experience in working with the forestry industry, and stocks all the equipment you might need.

Browse our Shop or call our experts on 0151 676 2888 for advice.