Logging Safety

The Lumber and Wood Products Industry (LWPI) ranks as one of the most hazardous. The Logging Industry, as a major component of the LWPI, evidences a greater frequency rate and severity rate for injuries than any other industrial component of the LWPI. Consequently, there is a clearly established need for determining priorities of efforts intended to make this occupation less hazardous. (From Worker Safety in Logging Operations).

NIOSH Publications on Logging Safety:

Bell, JL, Helmkamp JC. 2003. Non-fatal injuries in the West Virginia logging industry: Using workers' compensation claims to assess risk from 1995 through 2001. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 44(5):502-509.

Wang J, Bell JL, Grushecky ST. 2003. Logging injuries for a 10-year period in Jilin Province, People's Republic of China. Journal of Safety Research 34(3):273-279.

Bell JL. 2002. Changes in logging injury rates associated with use of feller-bunchers in West Virginia. Journal of Safety Research 33:463-471.

Helicopter Logging Safety: Alaska Interagency Working Group for the Prevention of Occupational Injuries (DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 98-147) July 1998. (Currently not available online)
This monograph incorporates proceedings and recommendations from three Helicopter Safety Workshops (conducted in 1995, 1996, and 1997) as well as useful background materials on safety in the helicopter logging industry.

Fosbroke DE, Myers JR. 1996. Logging safety and forest management education - A necessary link. J FOREST 94 (7): 21-25. (Currently not available online)

Myers JR, Fosbroke DE. 1995. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Logging Standard: what it means for forest managers. Journal of Forestry. November:34-37. (Currently not available online)

NIOSH Alert: Request for Assistance in Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Loggers (DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 95-101) May 1995.
This Alert describes six incidents resulting in the deaths of six workers who were performing logging operations. In each incident, the death could have been prevented by using proper safety procedures and equipment and by following the provisions of the OSHA standards.

Myers JR, Fosbroke DE. 1994. Logging fatalities in the United States by region, cause of death, and other factors - 1980-1988. J Safety Res 25:97-105.

Fosbroke DE, Myers JR,.1992. Interpreting logging injury statistics. Paper No. 92-7509. 1992 International Winter Meeting, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Nashville, TN, 15-18 Dec. 1992. (Currently not available online)

Job Injuries Among Loggers (DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 83-104) January 1983. (Currently not available online)
This report uses information from four data systems, the National Health Interview Survey, the Social Security Administration Continuous Disability History File, workers compensation and mortality studies from Washington and California to describe nonfatal and fatal injuries among U.S. loggers.

Worker Safety in Logging Operations (HEW (NIOSH) Pub. No. 74-103) April 1974. (Currently not available online)
This report presents the findings and recommendations for the purpose of identifying those operations within the logging industry which were most hazardous as evidenced by the number and severity of employee injuries.

NIOSH Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Logging from Felling to First Haul (HEW (NIOSH) Pub. No. 76-188) July 1976.
This report presents the recommended standard prepared to meet the need for preventing occupational injuries and deaths in logging operations. The proposed standard includes the operations of felling, bucking, limbing, yarding, and loading. Not included here are road, trail, bridge, and camp construction; equipment safety specifications and design; rigging specifications; chipping operations; transportation (hauling); or subsequent provisions after initial loading operations are accomplished.

Fatality Investigation Reports (conducted under the FACE Program)
Since the inception of the FACE program in 1982, fatal incidents involving logging operations have been investigated by NIOSH and State investigators. This link provides a list of those cases which in turn links to the full-text reports on the FACEWeb.

NIOSHTIC-2 Database - Search for additional NIOSH articles on Logging.
NIOSHTIC 2 is a searchable bibliographic database of occupational safety and health publications, documents, grant reports, and journal articles supported in whole or in part by the NIOSH.

Other NIOSH Publications related to logging safety:

Identifying High-Risk Small Business Industries: The Basis for Preventing Occupational Injury, Illness, and Fatality: NIOSH Special Hazard Review (DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 99-107) May 1999.
In this report, 253 small business industries were identified with data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the years 1994–1995. From the data for these industries, the top 25% (n=26) were ranked according to their injury, illness, and fatality experience. Of these, Logging (SIC 241) ranked the highest. This information can be used by the small business community, labor officials, occupational safety and health practitioners and agencies, and others to target prevention activities to small business industries with the greatest need.

Occupational Mortality in Washington State, 1950-1989 (DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 96-133) March 1997.
This study is the second update of Occupational Mortality in Washington State, 1950-1971, originally published by NIOSH in 1976. The first update published in 1983 covered the years 1950-1979. Total deaths for loggers for this time period was 20,915 and accidents related to falling objects, machinery, fire, and explosion all increased.

NIOSH Alert: Request for Assistance in Preventing Electrocutions of Workers Using Portable Metal Ladders Near Overhead Power Lines (DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 89-110) July 1989.
This Alert describes six deaths that occurred because portable aluminum ladders, which are electrical conductors, came in contact with energized overhead power lines. If nonconductive ladders had been used instead, or if safe working clearances had been maintained, these deaths might have been prevented.

NIOSH Alert: Request for Assistance in Preventing Fatalities of Workers Who Contact Electrical Energy (DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 87-103) December 1986.
This Alert describes recommendations that can be used to help save the lives of workers who contact electrical energy. Recent incidents have shown that electrocution victims can be revived if immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or defibrillation is provided. While immediate defibrillation would be ideal, CPR given within approximately 4 minutes of the electrocution, followed by advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) measures within approximately 8 minutes, can be lifesaving.

Other pages of interest:

OSHA Logging Advisor

OSHA Technical Link for Logging Safety