The Many Challenges Of Logging Safety

Forestry and logging represent some of the most difficult safety challenges of any industry.  From a risk manager’s perspective, many of the different hazards associated with heights, heavy machinery, power tools and motorized vehicles are amplified by the fact that workers are asked to constantly adapt themselves to new outdoor environments that are much harder to control in terms of risk mitigation.

The uneven terrain frequently encountered during outdoor logging operations can make it quite difficult for those operating vehicles to maintain a clear line of sight around them.  By the same token, loggers working on site may not always be able to detect the presence of machinery until it is close enough to potentially do them harm.  For this reason, managers must be careful to orchestrate tree clearing, transport and other vehicular operations so that sectors of a job site where personnel are clustered are protected from accidental intrusion.

The loading of logs, which can create unstable piles on the vehicle being loaded as well as destabilize stacks from which these logs are selected, is a particularly dangerous activity.  During loading operations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires the area to be cleared, in order to prevent injury from falling logs or from the machinery actually performing the task.  Those involved in loading operations themselves must remain inside their vehicles, which additionally need to be reinforced to resist the impact of a log drop.  If equipment needs to be left onsite overnight, or if the operator needs to leave the cabin for any reason, the vehicle’s parking brake must be applied and all elements of the vehicle must be grounded.  It is not enough to assume that the terrain where the lifter, loader or truck is operating will provide enough stability and friction to keep a vehicle in place, particularly since shifting ground could easily upset the balance of improperly parked machinery.

The unpredictable nature of forest terrain also poses a problem for workers using power tools, particularly when felling trees.  In addition to the dangers associated with using chainsaws or even non-mechanical blades such as axes and saws, forestry workers must deal with the fact that a misstep could cause them to fall or injure themselves due to the rocks, brush or even water around them.  OSHA has mandated a specific list of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to prevent accidental injury related to chainsaws (such as lacerations or severe limb injury) as well as injuries which could occur as a result of a woodland environment.  PPE such as head protection, special leg protection, water repellant and cut-resistant boots as well as gloves are all required to be worn while felling trees or otherwise using a saw or blade while logging.  Hearing protection is also part of the overall PPE package, due to the excessive levels of noise produced by chainsaws.

Risk managers must take a proactive approach to dealing with logging safety.  The open-ended nature of a forestry job site provides many temptations for workers to skirt around the edge of safety policies, whether because of a perceived lack of supervision or the desire to get a job done in a quicker and possibly less secure way.  Adequate training and frequent inspections can be useful tools in preventing these behaviors from resulting in tragedy.